Get your attackers making decisions about how many players are needed to exploit an attacking situation.
Mark out a 15m x 10m area and divide it into three 5m channels. Number the channels 1, 2 and 3.
Put five defenders on the line facing channel 2 and five attackers with a ball on the opposite line facing channel 1.
You call out how many defenders are needed, in this case “two”, and that number run into channel 1.
Attackers then need to communicate with each other and decide how many players they need to score a try at the far end of the channel. That many attackers then enter the channel and attempt to score. Defenders use full tackling to defend their line.
After five seconds, shout “change” and the attackers run to the start of channel 2 – you then shout a new number of defenders needed and they enter channel 2 and the drill repeats.
You will need
A 15m x 10m area split into three 10m x 5m channels
1 ball
Cones
Bibs
Got more players?
Set up another 15m x 10m area and run another game alongside
What to tell your players
“Use passing and offloads if there are low numbers of defenders.
“In contact, look to clear out the threats”
Do you have a breakdown policy? If not, you should. A policy helps guide players' actions at the breakdown. Alongside accurate skill execution, it can help to win the race to the space over the ball after a tackle. MORE
Improve your players’ footwork before contact and how they protect the ball, so they retain possession. An excellent breakout exercise during a normal session.
The attacker should dominate any contact whether to offload or wait for support. MORE
Need to build up players' contact confidence or create more physical sessions? Here are four tried-and-test methods that help players understand how to adapt. MORE
A ball carrier on the ground aims to hold the ball while another player tries to rip it away. If it is ripped, the ball carrier attacks to win 1 v 1. If they lose their grip, the player on the ground pops up the ball to their team-mate, who aims to score 1 v 1. MORE
Avoid slow ball at the tackle or even losing the ball by making every ball carrier far more active on the ground. Use these two exercises to build up players’ ball placement skills under pressure.
After the tackle is made, the farther away your player can place the ball from the defence, the harder it is for the opposition to disrupt it. Encourage good placement habits with these exercises. MORE