Set out a 15m square area. Have three attackers holding ruck pads on one side, facing three defenders on the opposite side.
When you say “go”, the ruck pad holders walk forward, while the defenders jog forward. The defenders make a solid front-on tackle, going from low to high into the ruck pad holders.
Develop by changing the attackers’ angle of run, getting them to cross over as if switching, or looping round each other.
The three defenders have to react and adapt to the attackers’ movement while still using the dip low and drive up and through technique, and making solid impact in the tackle.
You will need
A 15m square area
3 ruck pads
Got more players?
Rotate attackers and defenders frequently, or set up another area if you have enough ruck pads.
What to tell your players
“Stay balanced”
“Dip low and drive up”
“Get your arms around pad and player”
Front-on and side-on low tackles can bring down ball carriers quickly. In this tackle template, here's what the defender should do to complete the tackle effectively. MORE
Get your ruck defenders into the right position then create an awareness of the ball and the attacking threats in this simple ruck warm-up exercise. MORE
The type of tackle a defender might use depends on the space either side of him. Practise this activity to work on the defender’s decision-making in the set-up, footwork and tackle execution. MORE
