Balance your session to suit different needs

01 Games

Games are natural discriminators of ability, where each player can find their level. On matchdays, a scrum half will be a better passer, a prop stronger in contact and a winger quicker over 20m.

However, in training games, these players can use their strengths for the good of the rest of the players, relying on their team-mates where they are not so strong.

Don’t think that games are just “touch rugby” because that can only work for a few players. Use contact situations or games within scenarios to test players. Look for games that push players to their own limits.

On page 4, Gavin Blackburn uses drop-off touch that helps work with players of different abilities.

02 Challenges

Before a session, see if you can give private challenges to individual players. Weaker players will have simpler challenges, such as completing a front-on tackle, while stronger players will have a more difficult task like getting team-mates into the game. It might even be about accuracy or leadership.

03 Pressure

Pressure to perform techniques reveals true ability. You can give players windows of achievement to aim for. For instance in a 2v1 handling activity, you can say: “First, work on your strong hand pass. If you have cracked that, try the weaker hand. Then, try passing with just one hand.”

04 Break-out groups

If you have enough coaches, use break out groups during the session. Pull out three or four players of similar ability to focus on a particular skill while the others continue the main session. They work on that skill for two minutes before returning to the game. 

Use Russell Bolton tackling activities on page 6 to cover all four interventions: games, challenges, pressure and break-out groups. You can grade the players so you might have a tough-tackler group and a beginners’ breakout group.