Get your players to lean forward into contact to make sure they can drive through
Mark out a 5m square area. Put two ruck pad holders at the end of the area about arm’s distance apart.
Have a ball carrier start at the opposite end of the area and run first at one ruck pad holder and then drive through the gap between the two. He aims to smash through and out the other side.
Have the ruck pad holders start further into the box so the ball carrier has to accelerate quicker, as if he is taking a late pass near to the gain line.
Develop by putting three attackers in a 8m x 6m area, being fed by another player. Facing them are two defenders. The ball is passed directly to the middle player who aims to break through the defenders. If he can’t, he can offload or go to ground. The support players can take an offload or drive the player through contact or win the ruck.
You will need
A 5m square area and an 8m x 6m area for the development game
1 ball
Cones
2 ruck pads
Bibs
Got more players?
Set up more 5m squares and play further games alongside.
What to tell your players
“Take short steps”
“Accelerate quickly into contact”
“Keep low into contact”
A simple session to start with, but very intense, “pressure contact” works on reacting quickly to different contact situations and making good contacts.
The players need to be secure in their body positions in contact, so it works well after a technical session on body profiling in contact. MORE
Use this session to build players’ understanding of how to keep going forward in the tackle.
Collapsing in the tackle gives the defence more opportunity to steal or slow down the ball because it is more difficult for support players to get in behind the ball carrier. MORE
Improve the players’ mauling skills so that can keep going forward in contact and still retain the ball if they are held by a defender.
In contact, the ball carrier needs to stay on their feet because they will have to give up the ball if they go to ground. They also need to drive forward to make it easier for supporting players to drive in and support them. MORE
Attacking the space between two defenders in a close proximity means a good chance of a double tackle. Instead, attack one defender and beat just them.
In a tight defence, though the space between the defenders seems more attractive, it means that those two players step in to double team the ball carrier.
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"With the return to rugby, I’m really worried that my team (U13s) will have forgotten lots of things about rugby. In particular, I’m trying to work out when and how to introduce contact and tackling."
This question came from a coach in Gloucester and is typical of lots of concerns around this area of the game.
It is true that the players will have "forgotten" lots of skills.
Here's how I would approach this situation. On the next page are two tackling exercises to support training.
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