Contact confidence is one of the most difficult things to teach young players because they have different approaches. Work on falling onto the ground and keeping control of the ball.
The first group of players jog out and fall to the ground, placing the ball
The next group moves forward to pick up the ball and they go forward and repeat
Start at jogging pace and build up the speed as players become more confident. Ask players to carry the ball in either hand or both.
Develop by asking the players to fall on either side or on their front/back BEFORE placing the ball back
Have a competition between two players
The first player who gets to the ball must fall on it and place it correctly
WHY USE IT
If a player is comfortable falling to the ground after a tackle or onto a loose ball it will give him the confidence to fall as he will know what the outcome will be.
SET UP
Eight cones in two lines of four. The cones are placed in 2m lines, 10m apart. A player on each cone, four balls.
HOW TO DO IT
Four players jog 7m with a ball.
They fall and present the ball back and the four players at the other end run out and pick it up, repeating the exercise in the opposite direction for the next line of four players (see picture 1).
This can be developed by getting the players to fall at different angles but still presenting the ball back (see picture 2).
Once players are happy with ground contact, get them to race in pairs to a ball, fall on it and place it correctly (see picture 3).
TECHNIQUE
Start off jogging or walking, then falling down and presenting the ball before building up to running at pace.
Once confident falling and presenting, the ball can be held in left, right or two hands.
If the ground is too hard don’t do it as it will not work and it will affect confidence.
Dominating the collision in attack will lead to better ball presentation and increase the of a clean and speedy recycle. Use this exercise to improve – it starts with a cone-flipping race. MORE
Young players are often wary when it comes to taking contact, either with the ground or when on their feet. Use these exercises to boost their contact confidence and ability to manoeuvre their body. MORE
Get your rucking players coming to the breakdown from different angles – replicating what happens in a match. And make sure they read the tackle situation to know how to protect or challenge for the ball. MORE
Make sure your players take off when they arrive at the tackle contest – they should “land” first and then drive up. This activity will reinforce the correct technique and put your team on the front foot. MORE
To help your team dominate the contact area, players need to be low and able to drive forward. Get your players to work in strong body positions by taking up the shapes of gorillas, and then driving through. MORE
No matter how a player is tackled, placing the ball back is a matter of timing. Once it’s placed, it’s fair game for the opposition – so keep active for longer in the first of our core series on winning the ruck. MORE
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Like other disciplines, rugby has a jargon of its own.
Unless the meanings are explained they can be meaning-less.
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Anxious about coaching rugby to children? Maybe you're already coaching, but sometimes struggling to get your points across at training?
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