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Moving up from U13s to U14s means big changes, getting closer to the full game of rugby with the exception of lineouts. How do we transition smoothly, keeping the balance right between development, skills and game understanding?
Here’s a guide to approach this season.
Because the players should take more ownership of their team, this is a good time to ask them what they want and how they want to play. And keep asking this question as the season progresses.
Your team need to understand what winning means to them and what that looks like. This isn’t a quick conversation. Nor is it a chance to write-off poor performances.
Ask them what they want from you. What can you do to support them?
Wins don’t need to look good on the scoreboard. But you can win parts of the game.
To do this effectively, split your season into blocks, where you can set targets for games in terms of what you want to achieve.
For example, in game one, what should your attack want to achieve? It might be three phases of possession and a positive finish, like a line break or a kick that puts the opposition under pressure.
Then, what do you want to have done by half term and then Christmas? Look for simple ideas to measure. Gain agreement from the team.
On fitness, at this age, there will probably be the largest variation in growth spurts. Previously very fit players may fall behind. Encourage fitness, don’t make it a rod.
Playing on a full pitch is quite daunting. Interestingly, most teams don’t exploit the extra space, tending to play a one or two passing game. Can you change that, and make more use of the rest of the team?
Extra players on the pitch will challenge you to give everyone on the pitch lots of engagement. The ability to recycle the ball and lots of passing will help. How can you make the game NOT about your best players.
Your team can now kick at goal, but I would suggest that this takes up too much playing time. You can leave goal-kicking for later in their journeys.
Uncontested lineouts will now also play a part. The RFU outline what you can and can’t do in more detail. In essence, if the ball is thrown straight and the throwing team catch it, as soon as they catch it, it is game on. We will look at the consequences of this in the tactical area.
New tackle laws
In defence
Here’s a good tackle activity to work on these skills.
My best tackle drill
In attack
Here’s an activity to work on these decisions.
Pass, run or ruck
Scrum focus
Here are two ways to develop better scrum shapes and put them into more game-like situations.
VIDEO: Develop scrum shapes under pressure
Top tips to coach U14-U18 scrums
Lineout focus
Here are three activities to develop lineout skills.
Lineout throwing and jumping timing
Triggers, speed and coordination in the lineout
Lineout maul
Lots of scrums
At U14s, you will get more scrums than any other set piece. Practise two plays with variations. I would advise not to run “behind/block” pass plays from scrums because the defence is too far away to make this effective.
Here are two articles to help develop better backs moves.
VIDEO: "Slice" backs move
Why four strike moves is enough
Lineouts
My suggestion is to run a 2-player lineout. This is for two reasons.
First, you throw the ball to the front player. The referee has a clear view of what’s going on. So, if the opposition decides to engage too quickly, it is easy to see.
Second, and more significantly, your 9 is unlikely to have a long pass. You should have your next receiver from 9 about 5m-10m away. If there were more opposition players in the lineout, that receiver has more defenders to beat who are closer to them.
While the opposition will have more players in the backline, lineouts at U14s don’t lend themselves to backs moves.
Kicking strategy
Your main kickers should have a plan of what to do and when. It is a rule of thumb, though. However, they can position themselves early rather than suddenly deciding to kick.
A good way to do this is use an IF THEN model. For example, outline four or five scenarios and then say what the players would do. If we are in our 22m, close to our line, we drive the first ball up and then kick to touch. If their wingers are covering the touchline, then we might kick long.
Attack strategy
How much training time do you have available? If you have only 90 minutes a week with your team, you should build up your attacking strategy block by block. For example, by our first game we will have an option to play off 9 if it is slow ball, and play off 10 if it is quicker ball. You might also say that the backs will always get the ball after three phases.
Scrum
You should spend about at least 10 minutes a week on scrum, but no more than 20.
Also, start every session by reviewing the body profiles, before and after the impact in a scrum. Then, because you won’t always have two full teams of forward, use lots of 2 v 2s, 2+1 v 1+2.
Every session, come back to the basics. At some point, the better players can lead the session with your overview for safety.
You can also do “profiles” for the whole squad in the warm-up. These are good for rucks.
Here’s an activity to develop scrummaging if you only have a limited number of forwards in training.
Four live scrums - just one pack
Lineout
At U14s, you should focus on developing as many players who can throw in. They don’t have to be the hooker.
Lineout threes – basics and game
Skills
Spend a little extra time on tackle for this season with the new tackle laws coming into force. If a player tends to go higher than they should in training, focus on positively changing the height rather than “penalising” them. At this age, players need lots of support and confidence. That doesn’t mean you are soft on them. Instead, you are directing them positively to a positive outcome.
At this age, the players will want to assert their physicality. With their help, you should build ways to focus this aggression so they can “win” collisions in a rugby way. Discuss how this might look, and let them model it in training. Celebrate good rugby impacts.
Depending on your training surface, you should spend at least 10 minutes playing a game of rugby. This is likely to be scenario driven. For example, attacking/defending a blindside, with say five on one team and seven on the other. Can we keep the ball for three phases? Can you drive the attack back behind the gain line?
This gives you a chance to test out your tackle skills.
It is also a good time to check that your ball placement is strong, and that your first arriving supporting player is positive over the ball.
Here are two activities to develop contact skills.
High-return ball placement
VIDEO: Ruck ball placement - skills zone
Your 9s
Note that’s plural. Spend as much time as you can on your 9s passing. Ideally, they will spend their own time outside training, because this is where you will see the most improvements.
Plan in blocks if you can so you don’t become too reactive. That means making sure you are covering the full range of skills over a six-week period, rather than looking back at a previous game and worrying about what went wrong.
It is easy at this age to become set-piece focused, with forwards and backs operating in silos for too long during the session. You need a strong scrum. But most of the game is in-play, so you need to connect as a team in attack and defence.
How do we help the players emotionally react to difficult moments in the game?
Make it a team effort so the players focus on "we, not me". Give them some leadership over how this might look.
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