Hardcore piggy in the middle
in Core skills, Small-sided games
Pull the core skills of contact together with an age-old game with a twist. MORE
The “Y” drill
in Contact, Core skills
Create good ball placement habits after footwork with this great warm-up exercise. It is a key part of the contact core series. MORE
CORE SKILLS: Power through contact
in Contact, Core skills
Emphasise the right footwork and body height through the contact area. It will allow better ball retention and more chances to maintain continuity. As a ball carrier approaches a defender he wants to keep the ball away from the grasping hands that prevent offloads and slow down placement. I want to look at footwork and... MORE
Take, step, fend, offload
in Contact, Core skills
Quick ball manipulation allows players to keep the ball free in contact. Then, they can offload it to support players, who are confident they can take a pass from the ball carrier. If the ball carrier half breaks a tackle, he is in a position to offload. Support runners need to run the right lines to support this pass. He also needs to fend off with his inside arm to free up the outside arm. MORE
Ball carrying through contact
in Contact, Core skills
Make your players transfer the ball into the correct hand and use footwork before contact so they can get to the edges of defenders and keep the ball secure. This activity combines simple ball manipulation with footwork to build good habits in contact. MORE
The cat flap
in Core skills, Passing & Handling, Rugby drills
“Cat-flapping” is an exciting way to build core handling skills for close contact. It enables players to offload on the move out of the back of their hand and maintain continuity. By using the four points of contact and then two, players can pass the ball out of the back of his hand effectively. MORE
Move it, keep it
in Core skills, Passing & Handling, Rugby drills
Develop your players' ability to control the ball on their body before contact by making sure they have at least two, if not four, points of contact on the ball. By moving the ball from hand to hand quickly, players are able to keep it free and away from the opposition. With a good grip, from hand, to forearm to bicep to chest, they can take contact and release the ball quickly (either for a placement or a pass – even a “catflap” pass). MORE
