Develop your players’ skills around the tackle area so they can retain possession if there’s no chance to offload the ball. It requires accurate execution and you have a chance to observe whether your players can achieve this.
Players react quickly to a tackle to protect the tackled player against the first threat. It focuses on the first support player being the player who last passed the ball.
ACTIVITY
Put three players (A, B and C) with the ball at one end of the channel.
Get them to walk up the channel, passing to each other in rotation.
When you shout “tackle”, the ball carrier passes to the next player. That player goes to ground and presents the ball.
The non-passer runs around and comes in to challenge for the ball on the ground as an opponent. In the meantime, the last passer gets over the ball to protect it.
Once you feel the ball has been won or lost, you shout “break” and the next three players come forward
DEVELOPMENT
Add two players, who run down either side of the box. When you shout “tackle”, one runs in to make the tackle, while the other challenges for the ball.
The ball carrier takes the tackle, with the other two players protecting the “tackle ball”.
TECHNIQUE
A long, pencil placement from the tackled player.
The supporting player coming square into the tackle situation and going over the ball.
The challenging player getting his hands over the ball if he can.
Don’t teach falling over. Teach the players to bounce themselves and therefore the ball off the ground and back into the game. It reduces the fear of falling by making the players embrace the ground as part of a skill for continuity. MORE
Most controlled mauls are formed at lineouts. Open-field mauls carry more risks for the attacking team, but it’s still worth considering it as a tactic. Here’s how… MORE
The ball carrier uses a strong fend to create space and time to pass the ball to their supporting player while the defender aims to disrupt. They then turn the corner and repeat MORE
Retain possession in a two-man tackle, so your supporting players can help protect the ball. It should reduce the chances of the opposition using a choke tackle to hold up the ball carrier and create a maul. MORE
The battle that takes place after the tackle is one of the most underappreciated areas of the game. The 5 F’s give you some ideas as to what to develop in players to gain an attacking advantage in these scenarios.
In many instances, we see the attacker as a passive participant in the tackle until they get to the ground. However, in a number of games, it’s frequently the actions of the attacker in these scenarios that can make a difference to the result. MORE