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Create Superheroes at the ruck to win quicker, cleaner ball
Use superhero memes to help your players understand their roles to create better ruck ball.
Ideally, we want to avoid a ruck. However, this isn’t always possible, so we need to make sure we are successful at that ruck.
So, what does a successful ruck look like?
- LQB ball: that is, Lightening Quick Ball
- Committing and engaging defenders
LQB is only helpful if the defence is committed to the ruck and is also disorganised. We have to “pin” defenders to the ruck or go forward at the tackle to make this effective.
How do we help players to reach these two goals. We give clarity on the roles to help the players by asking:
- Who are you?
- What do you have to do?
- How do you do that?
To make it easier to understand the job and the task, I believe there are three key players involved in the breakdown situation, I give them superhero names like Hulk, Flash and Mr. Wolf.
THE HULK
WHO ARE YOU?
HULK, the ball carrier, the most important one.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO?
The one who has to create the foundations for a successful ruck, by winning the space behind the defence, putting them on the heels.
The ball carrier must smash them like HULK does.
HOW YOU DO IT?
Landing after the tackle, the Hulk must stay square, avoid the body rotation caused by the tackler, land with the ball under thier chest hiding the ball.
Like a turtle, if the Hulk hits the ground on their back, they are dead. The ball is exposed and easy to steal for a jackal.
Once on the ground, the Hulk needs to recoil and placing the ball in the best possible position, lift it or pop it when it’s possible for the halfback.
Ball presentation should be the opposite side of the tackler.
THE HULK IN ACTION
- Smashes through the defender
- Lands square and on the ball
- Recoils and places back towards their team
THE FLASH
WHO ARE YOU?
FLASH, the first support.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO?
- The FLASH aims to win the race against the ball’s threat.
- Anticipation is the key word to make them understand their task.
- They are like a bullet: one bullet, one player.
HOW YOU DO IT?
With good anticipation they can tackle the tackler, clearing the area and putting HULK in the best and easiest position to present the ball, producing an LQB with 1+1 man ruck, taking one defender out.
Their target is the ball so they must hit ball’s threat, not only hitting but holding defender, taking them out of the game.
In some situations, they can latch on the carrier and holding them up in order to gain as much ground as possible.
The FLASH is a bullet, over the ball, and at the threat
Related Files
MR WOLF
WHO ARE YOU?
MR WOLF, the second support.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO?
- The one who must solve the problems.
- Another bullet needed?
- They become a bullet.
- Ball is available? They can pick and go,
or they can pick and pass.
HOW YOU DO IT?
They must read and understand the situation. In other words, where is the threat to the ball and what can they do to create LQB.
THE WOLF reacts to where the next threat is to decide whether to fire a bullet, pick and go or become a roof
HOW TO COACH
HULK
Use activities to work on the landing, chesting technique, start with an easy and comfortable position:
- On their knee dive like to score a try, hold that position for a second, then recoil.
- After the recoil you can ask for different ball presentation, or place, lift, pop.
- Add a tackler (on their knee too). HULK must try to land square, winning the space behind the tackler, hiding the ball and then ball presentation on the opposite side of the tackler.
Progression
- The carrier on their feet against a tackler on their knee.
- The carrier on their feet against a tackler on their feet.
- Add a first support player.
FLASH
- Starting beside HULK, they go over the ball after the tackle.
- Their target now is the ball, they must work to get their hips over the ball.
- Change their starting position to make it more challenging.
- Add a jackal (a defender going for the ball).
- Their target now is the threat on the ball, they must win the race vs jackal.
Progression
- Add a second support player and a third defender.
MR WOLF
They must read the situation after the HULK and FLASH action.
Ball available? They can pick and go, pick and pass. Flash needs help? They become a bullet. Ball needs a roof? They become a roof, standing over the ball.
TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS
The evolution can be 3v3 live.
Then, create games to stimulate players in finding this specific ball presentation, for example touch rugby where the player touched must dive, chesting and recoil instead of roll the ball..
The FLASH can tackle the tackler to give the ball carrier a better chance to place the ball
Filippo Frati
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