Get players managing the ball so it’s available to be ripped away by a team mate or passed
Set up a 5m square area. Put two attackers, one with a ball, on one side of the area (one on each corner) and two ruck pad holders together in the centre on the other side.
When you say “go”, the ball carrier runs at one of the ruck pad holders and, in the last 2m, passes to the other attacker who runs on to the ball at pace and tries to smash between the two ruck pad holders.
Players attack and defend in different partnerships, in 30-second sets.
Develop with the initial ball carrier following the supporter into contact and driving him from behind to add extra power.
Or develop with the initial ball carrier going round the pad holders to take a return pass from the support player once he has broken through the pads.
You will need
A 5m square area
1 ball
Cones
Ruck pads
Got more players?
Line up attacking players on the two corners so they can run through the activity quickly (remember to change the pad holders, too).
What to tell your players
“Stay on your feet” “Take small, fast steps through the contact area”
More and more teams are doubling up on the ball carrier, with another attacker latching (binding) on to drive him through contact. Here’s a simple exercise to develop the skill. Two players taking the ball into contact bound together means more power and weight, plus the non-ball carrier can protect and support quickly. It’s a good play against an organised defence. MORE
Use “box rucks” to create different challenges for players to react to. In each case, the players can readjust to the situation to make a difference to secure the ball. MORE
Help players develop their skills around completing a low "chop" tackle. Once the contact is made, the tackler has to recover and contest for the space over the ball. The activity is clearly introduced with the key points, a demonstration and then the use of micro-coaching from the players to build a clearer understanding of their roles. It finishes with a small contact decision around jackling or competing for space. MORE
Develop your players’ decision making at the post-tackle so they can steal the ball or prevent the ball from being stolen. By using a points scoring system, the players start to understand the risk and reward elements of going for the ball at the tackle or driving over. MORE
In this session, we are going to combine the work we’ve done in the previous two sessions to check for understanding and finally build more of a live rucking situation. To do this we will use two elements from previous sessions to check for understanding (part three from sessions one and two) and to ensure safety is still paramount. MORE