10 options

The fly half is known in some parts of the world as the “pivot player”. From his controlling position he can launch his team away from the bunch of opposition forwards and into the open spaces. He therefore needs to be comfortable with the options in front of him. This session builds the awareness to appreciate these options.

Warm up time: 7-10
Session time: 10-15
Development time: 10-15
Game time: 10-15
Warm down time: 7-10

What to think about

How deep should the fly half stand? Deep means how far back from the gain line. The best distance is judged by working with the 10 in game situations and reviewing their performances from games. Video analysis can play an important part in this analysis. Too flat and the options are rushed or cut out. Too deep and your 10 makes all his plays too early and the defence can adjust. One area to note is the distance covered by 10 between receiving the ball and delivering it. Could he reduce the number of steps forwards he takes?

set-up

1. 10 look ahead, look around and call the plays early.
2. Look to use pop passes, switches, circle balls, changes of angle.
3. Move defenders with decoy runs, changes in pace.

What you get your players to do

Set up the training area as the top picture. Put a scrum half (9) and a forward (7) behind the first bag. 7 steps over the ball and 9 passes out to 10 who attacks a bag holder in front of him. He uses any pass he likes to feed a support player either side of him. Once the pass is completed, the attacking players realign for a pass from the second bag and repeat the exercise.