A good chase from a kick off can put pressure on the opposition at a crucial moment in the game. Either from the start of a half or when your team has gone a score down, you can squeeze the opposition into a narrow area with few options to break out. This session works on that tactic.
A good chase from a kick off can put pressure on the opposition at a crucial moment in the game. Either from the start of a half or when your team has gone a score down, you can squeeze the opposition into a narrow area with few options to break out. This session works on that tactic.
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
Being smart at restarts, especially kick offs, can put your team immediately on the front foot and create enormous pressure on your opponents.
At the kick off, ensure everyone is aware of their roles and that the team works together to cut off any space the opposition has to work in.
set-up
Create your chasing formation before the kick off.
Use a banana defensive shape to squeeze the receiving team into a tight channel, close to the touchline.
Tackle and aim to regain the ball.
What you get your players to do
Mark out a line down the middle of the box. Your kicker kicks the ball as long as he can down one side, trying to land the ball 5 metres from the sideline. Spread out four players to chase the kick, and four receivers.
The chasers organise themselves so that their formation pushes the receivers into a narrow strip, squeezing all the available space away from them.
Play touch rugby to see if the receivers can make progress up the pitch. Develop by adding four more attacking and four more defending players.
The ball is kicked long and close to the sideline. The chasers create a banana shape, squeezing the receiving team into a small space.
Development
Vary the kicks by marking out eight landing zones. Identify which zone works best for your team in terms of squeezing the receivers and regaining the ball.
Change the starting positions of the chasers. The faster players may be better chasing up the middle of the pitch and closing off the space.
Play normal rugby rules and see what outcome occurs after a few phases of play.
Related Files
Core-156-squeeze-the-receivers.pdfPDF, 451 KB
Kick to each of the eight zones with the chasers squeezing the receivers. Work out the most effective way to put the receiving team under pressure.
Game situation
Split into teams of eight and play full contact rugby. The game starts with a kick off. The receivers have to attack and score back in a scoring zone, which is diagonally in the opposite corner from where the ball was kicked.
It’s a wide pitch so they will want to move it wide. The chasing team stops the attack by closing the space and squeezing the receiving team into a small area of the pitch.
The receiving team has to attack and score diagonally opposite from where they receive the ball.
Dan is a practising RFU Level 3 coach and coach educator. He coaches with the Bristol Bears DPP programme, is the assistant coach with University of Bristol Women's team and is a coach mentor for Broad Plain RFC mini and juniors section.
He was Head Coach of Swansea Schools U15 and has previously held coaching roles with the Young Ospreys Academy and as Assistant Coach with the Wales Women's Team for the 2010 World Cup. He was director of rugby for Cranleigh School, Surrey. P...
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The fly half (10) has a controlling position to launch his team away from the opposition and into open spaces. He needs to be comfortable ...
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