Defending in your own 22
It's all about doing the simple things, well. MORE
Defensive Principles of Play
Support in defence
Time: | Age groups: U12-U16, U17+
This class will help your players master the basic tactics and skills associated with Support, one of the Defensive Principles of Play.
Aims and outcomes
Players will understand:
- How support in defence fits into the principles of play
- What is meant by support in defence
- Different types to support in defence
- Tactics/ways to support in defence
The team will benefit from:
- Understanding why they focus on certain skills and tactics in training
- Knowing how to attack more effectively in a game situation
What you'll need
Different class types required different resources. This table sets out what we think you'll need in each scenario, but feel free to amend it if you find something that works for you.
| Lesson plan | Slides | Presentation notes | Handout | Online course | Quiz | Activities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online class | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Offline class | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Before training | Y | Y | |||||
| During training | Y | Y |
Resources
| File | Download |
|---|---|
| Lesson Plan |  |
| Slides |   |
| Presentation notes |  |
| Handout |  |
| Quiz |  |
| Certificate |  |
Videos
If you need to use or share the videos from the slides without sending out the whole presentation, you can find them below.
Support in defence DPOPActivities
When you've delivered the class you'll want to embed the learning with some practical activities. We recommend trying some or all of the activities below in your coaching sessions to put the theory into practice.
Plug the gaps at the ruck
Get your defensive structure right at the breakdown to ensure you don’t give away easy metres. Your players need to know their responsibilities to stop opponents “going through the guts”. MORE
How to plug the gaps in your drift defence
Drift defence works well against most attacks but needs players to cover every attacking ploy. If your players have mastered the basic drift defence, you can introduce a more sophisticated way to plug the gaps. MORE
Three man D
A basic defensive system works around the cohesion of units of three players. If the players drift apart, any defensive line can be breached with good pace and angles by the attack. Of course the attack will attempt to disrupt the unit, so this session works on keeping the three defenders together in different attack situations. MORE
Feet for good ‘D’
Good defensive systems need organisation and communication, and quick line speed. You can only close down effectively with these three elements. For the player it all starts from a good foot position. This session gives the player the right set up to make better decisions when he is defending. MORE
Defend in threes and fours
Build a defence ethic by defending in threes and fours. Players will have to cover narrow and wide spaces, improving their tackling and communication. MORE
Defensive duties – great for pre-season
Work on defending, realigning and defending under pressure and fatigue conditions. Good work for normal rugby and for touch rugby too. MORE
Overlap cover
When your opponents have extra players in attack and create an overlap, it is crucial your team works hard to scramble back. Players must slide across in defence to cut down the attack’s space and tackle the ball carrier. This session outlines how to implement such an overlap cover. MORE
