The coaching manual tells us (or certainly it should) that there are two types of defence – organised and disorganised. An attacking team needs to disorganise a defence to then penetrate. Some players look outstanding against a broken defence and yet are seemingly becalmed by an organised defence. Carlos Spencer (the former New Zealand fly half, 10) and Brian O’Driscoll (the Ireland outside centre, 13) are two such examples.
Of course, I’m not saying that Spencer and O’Driscoll are poor players. Players at all levels find it difficult to play against a strong defensive line. The reason is that they have little opportunity to find even the little space they need to weave their magic.
And herein lies the problem. Let’s say you have a player who can be a great game breaker. Do you give them the ball and expect them to achieve the break every time they receive it?
More realistically, teams need to disorganise a defence before they can expect to use the game breakers to the best effect. This means using tactics to probe defences with big runners, or stretching defences by playing the ball wide. However, the best tip is to keep your backs, and more essentially the game breakers, “on their feet”.
That is, don’t let them go into rucks and mauls or take up crash balls. Instead, let team-mates work off them until the chances appear.
If you’re looking for more ways to make the most of your game breakers, then my Rugby Attack! manual could be the answer. Containing 27 pre-prepared plays, Rugby Attack! will help you produce co-ordinated attacks that suit your team’s strengths and target weaknesses in the opposition.
Let's consider planning our technical and tactical awareness to exploit a narrow defence. In other words, if there's an opportunity to attack when the attack has more numbers than the defence. In the simplest terms, that might be a 2 v 1. These sessions consider 3 v 2s and 4 v 3s and how and when to use the miss pass. MORE
Develop running angles and passing at pace, with a try after three passes as the goal. Passing “chains” rarely run in straight lines. A series of passes might have players attacking from different angles. They require different types of pass. MORE
Get players to attack defenders in close or wide situations. They will have to see where to run and change angle sharply at pace to adjust. Players need the confidence to change angles, especially those players who are not used to sprinting and conditioning. MORE
Mix up forwards and backs in attacks from rucks by running a box formation. Have two players at the front and two at the back. The ball carrier has multiple options to pass to when he attacks the line. MORE
Use this activity to put more decision-making pressure on the ball carrier and supporters. Make it a high tempo session with lots of goes, and feedback on the run rather than halting the exercise. MORE
This small-sided game is ideal to work on players kick chase and keeping the ball alive in attack. You can use this as a standalone skills game or have it as a platform to launch a bigger game of touch and pass from. Thanks to Simon Parsons, Women and Girls Director of Rugby for Tunbridge Wells RFC and Kent U15s Girls Head Coach for this activity. MORE