Attack with no pace – tough ask

When I first used the tough attacking challenge on page 4 over ten years ago, it was with a group of talented senior players.

We arrived at the session to find that the floodlights were only functioning on one side of the pitch. A rapid rearrangement of the plan meant that this decision-making exercise moved to the side of the pitch.

We played a game where the pitch was only 5m long. In other words, we played between the touchline and the 5m line.

Because we were working in a carousel, the first group (of three groups) got it. When I say got it, they quickly understood the problems they faced, adjusted their tactics and began to become successful. I was particularly pleased that they communicated positively.

The second and third groups were less successful, and one of the groups were quite grumpy. Their communication was not very positive and mostly complained about the point of the game.

Afterwards, my reflections were that it differentiated between players who were up for a challenge and those who just happy to be told how to play the game.

I also realised that if you take away “pace”, the game of rugby is extremely hard. That’s because you normally advance the ball by going forward. If you can’t go forwards, you pass backwards. With no run-up possible, there’s little or no momentum at the tackle. Overall, the challenge is to find some form of go-forward.

To win this game, in a 5m area, the players should use lots of different passes, lateral movement and quick steps. But also, they can exert their physicality, bump off tackles and manipulate defenders in the contact area.

Essentially, they must work a lot harder in support. Once they have passed the ball, it’s likely they will have to move backwards first. And, they will need to communicate more accurately.

Sometimes a player might find themselves in space, but a simple pass is blocked by defenders. A simple “pass” or “yes” won’t help the ball carrier thread or loop pass through to that attacker.

These are challenges that the players find hard to solve. There’s no room for lazy skills. There’s plenty of room for inventive thought. On a cold November evening after a day at work, that’s not always what they want to do.

Reflection for new sessions

My realisation on “pace” didn’t come for another few seasons. That’s experience for you. However, what I’ve changed for these sessions is the way I communicate the potential outcomes.

First, I say this is going to be a tough game. Any team that scores a try will have done well.

Second, I ask the players to recalibrate their success criteria after a few turns in the game. They might say that retaining possession is important or they need to go forward. It’s up to them to action what they suggest.