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LOGINAdult 6 Week Pre-Season Plan
Pre-Seasonby Dan Cottrell
A six-week senior plan built around robustness and a few clear objectives. Install the small amount of set piece you need, go after transition and connected line speed, involve the squad, and test it all in an internal fixture before the first friendly.
Our Season from A → Z
| Pre-season | First friendly | First match | Half term | Pre-Christmas | Christmas | Post-Christmas | To Easter | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C to D | E–H | I–M | Break | N–Q | R–U | W–Z |
The Approach
Pre-season is not the finish line; it is the start of the season-long journey. Plan it around a few clear intentions, build robustness, and use the rare gift of time without games.
Chase robustness, not just fitness
- Robustness is repeatability: the ability to do it again next week without breaking down.
- It is a robustness of body and of mindset – up, down, change direction, wrestle, and back it up.
- The base you build now is hard to chase back later.
Pick a couple of objectives, not twenty
- Chase too many rabbits and you catch none. Pick a small number of things to go after and get real clarity on them.
- Roughly one or two in attack, one or two in defence – not a long install list you hope will stick.
- The friendly is where you test the targets, not where they must already be polished.
Start with the end in mind
- Point A is your planning and reflection. Point Z is the final game of the season.
- Design the journey backwards from Point Z, like a curriculum.
- The first friendly is only Point B. It will be messy and so will the opposition. Everyone is in the same boat.
Build the model with the squad
Start from the players you have, not the coach’s ideal system. Involving players is why they come back – they help build it.
- Gather player IDPs and have real conversations.
- Identify the squad’s super strengths.
- Identify the squad’s work-ons.
- Pick the few objectives the model will chase.
- Install only what you need (set piece is a small slice).
- Test it in scenarios and the internal fixture, then refine.
Objectives & Examples
Go after a couple of clear objectives – typically one or two in attack and one or two in defence – and define how you will measure them.
Attack
- Transition from kick
- Transition from turnover
- Attacking pattern off 9 and 10
- First-phase set-piece strikes
- Exit and kicking strategy
- Tempo and multi-phase continuity
Defence
- Connected line speed and pressure
- Defensive system cohesion (edge, drift / blitz)
- Breakdown / turnover threat
- Scramble defence and reload
- Aerial contest and kick-chase
Set Piece (install ~20–25%)
- Lineout – new calls, CSS (Clarity, Scanning, Speed)
- Scrum
- Restarts and kick-offs
Squad
- Amplify a squad super-strength
- Shore up a squad work-on
Our Objectives for Pre-SeasonWrite the few things this group is going after this pre-season. Keep the list short and specific.
Attack objective 1
Attack objective 2 (optional)
Defence objective 1
Defence objective 2 (optional)
Set piece objective (optional)
Squad objective (optional)
What success looks like at the first friendly
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Players fill this in and revisit it through pre-season. Keep it short enough to actually use.
My IDPPlayers fill this in and revisit it through pre-season. Keep it short enough to actually use.
Name / position
My super strength
My biggest work-on
What support do I need?
What challenge do I need?
Technical score (1–10)
Tactical score (1–10)
Physical score (1–10)
Psychological score (1–10)
Contact confidence (1–10)
The Intensity Dial
Exploring vs common language
A small-sided game like a 5v4 can be run two ways. Both have a place. Move the dial to suit the target.
A – Open Exploration: Slower
Set up the numbers and let them solve it however they can. No shared shape. Best early on.
B – Common Language: Faster
Same 5v4, but now off a simple shape, for example 9 to 10 with named runners. Fewer decisions, faster execution. Use it as you build clarity toward the first games.
Senior players still need to be able to do A to be functional. Add B once the basics of reading the picture are there. It lets them solve the same problem in more depth.
Create Density — Match the Dial to the Objective
Decide the intention first, then design for it.
If the objective is robustness and ball-in-play, dial coach intervention down and let the work happen. Stopping every 30 seconds for a two-minute chat kills the density.
Use clear timing blocks – e.g. a 10-minute block with 8 minutes ball-in-play and a 2-minute reset. Coach on the fly, in short bursts.
If instead the objective is clarity or skill, dial intervention up and take the stress down. The dials move to suit the objective.
Weeks at a Glance
| Wk | Theme | Main intention | Dial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reconnect | Robustness base, individuals | Mostly A |
| 2 | Robustness & density | Repeatable, hard, game-like | A |
| 3 | Explore & collision | Open problems, evade-first | A → B |
| 4 | Transition (attack) | Kick & turnover transition | B |
| 5 | Line speed (defence) | Connected, under pressure | B |
| 6 | Set piece, pressure & test | Install essentials, internal fixture, prep friendly | Game |
WEEK 1
ReconnectSet the tone: robustness, not traditional fitness. Reconnect the group and start gathering what each player needs.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Big-pitch games, high ball-in-play | Robustness & density |
| Contact conditioning | Wrestle, up-off-the-floor, repeat | Back it up next week |
| Finish | IDP chats, super-strengths and work-ons | Involve the players |
WEEK 2
Robustness & DensityMake the hard work look like rugby. Timed blocks, high ball-in-play, coaching dialled down.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Timed blocks | 10-min blocks – ~8 min ball-in-play, 2 min reset | Density by design |
| Game running | Line-break follow; turn and burn | Replace Broncos |
| Collision base | Evade-first hierarchy intro | Safe, repeatable contact |
WEEK 3
Explore & CollisionOpen problem-solving plus contact built properly through the hierarchy. Weave in set-piece breakouts.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Small-sided | Overloads run open (A on the dial) | Problem-solving = the key basic |
| Footwork | Approach, body height (upright → hinge) | Hard-ground-safe contact |
| Game | Contact constraints in a game | Test under a real picture |
WEEK 4
Transition – AttackGo after the attack objective. Big, fast day on transition from kick and from turnover. Weave in set-piece breakouts.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Kick transition | Counter shape and support off kicks | Transition from kick |
| Turnover transition | Play fast off the breakdown | Transition from turnover |
| Measure | Agree what success looks like | Know if we caught it |
WEEK 5
Line Speed – DefenceGo after the defence objective: connected line speed that applies pressure. Short set-piece breakouts.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Move and hold the line together | Connected line speed |
| Pressure | Close space, force errors | Put teams under pressure |
| Game | Defensive constraints in a game | Does it transfer? |
WEEK 6
Set Piece, Pressure & TestInstall only the essential set piece, then connect the objectives under game pressure. Use an internal fixture as the assessment before the first friendly.
| Block | What we do | Why (intention) |
|---|---|---|
| Lineout / scrum | New calls; safe technical work; low volume | Confidence + clarity |
| Game start | Begin games from set-piece contests | Set piece feeds the game |
| Internal fixture | Squad vs squad, challenge board | Measure transfer |
| Brief | Success markers for the friendly | Clarity over polish |
Team Profile & Tactical Challenges
Team Profile (Build it with the Squad)Fill this in from the IDPs and squad conversations. The model is built to fit what is in these boxes – not the other way round.
| Area | Squad super strengths | Squad work-ons | Squad work-ons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical | |||
| Tactical | |||
| Physical | |||
| Psychological | |||
| Social |
Internal-Fixture Tactical ChallengesList the things worth points in the internal game. The score doesn’t matter – catching the objectives does.
| # | Challenge | What good looks like | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 |
Collision Management
A hierarchy – start at the top. Most coaches jump straight to the bottom.
1
EvadeCan I beat the defender and get into positive space before contact happens at all?
2
Fend / ManipulateIf contact comes, turn a square shot into a side shot; keep free hands to offload.
3
Keep the BallBody position after the tackle so my team gets quick, clean ball (or an offload off the floor).
Defence mirrors it: footwork and approach, then the collision point and body height (upright to hinge), then completion. None of this needs the ground to be soft.
Session Design Checklist
Tick each box before every session:
Five to Do · Five to Avoid
Five Things to Do
1
Plan with the end in mind. Every session should link to where you want to be at Point Z.
2
Get to know your individuals, new and old. Pre-season gives you the time and space to actually do it.
3
Set problems. The best players are the best problem-solvers; problem-solving is the real basic of rugby.
4
Involve your players. They help build it, and they come back because they have a say in it.
5
Geek out on practice design. Take time to build clever practices that help players find their own solutions.
Five Things to Avoid
1
Chasing too many objectives. Go after too much and you catch none.
2
Stressing that it is not polished. The first game is Point B, not the finished article.
3
Copy-and-paste coaching. Be inspired by the elite game, but make it specific to your players.
4
Random sessions. No throwaway sessions – if it does not fit the bigger picture, leave it out.
5
No rugby balls. Players came for rugby; do not leave them sledgehammering tyres for 90 minutes. Get balls in.
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