Positional awareness

The 10 has to know where to stand for the pass. So improve your back-line alignment based on what defence they’re facing: play flat if the defence is on the back foot, or deep if it’s on the front foot…

Against a set defence, the 10 must stand deeper to give his backs space to run moves. If the defence is retreating, he can attack the gain line.

1. Set up four attackers v three defenders as above, with a feeder on the sideline.
2. The attackers (red cone) and defenders (blue cone) line up level with cones either side of the middle cone.
3. They don’t spread out any further than the middle of the box.

1. Shout out a colour. If it’s “blue”, the defence is put on the back foot and if “red” the attack is on the back foot.
2. For “blue”, the defenders drop back one cone while the feeder runs forward one cone and passes to the back-line when they’re ready.
3. The defenders don’t advance until the ball is passed.
4. The 10 should align flat because it’s front-foot ball.
5. Now play.

1. For “red”, the tables are turned.
2. The attackers drop back one cone, to work off the back red cone, whilst the defence advances two cones – to work off the red cone where the attack started.
3. The feeder passes in from the back red cone to a 10 who must align deep.
4. Now play. Use touch tackling.

TECHNIQUE

• Know what move/play you’ll use from each cone.
• Align quickly.
• Start your run from the 9’s pass, not from the inside man.