Get your players used to getting back on their feet and challenging for the ball after making a tackle
Put three red cones on one side of the area, and three cones of different colours on the opposite side.
Put an attacker with a ball on the middle red cone and a defender on the middle cone (in this case yellow) opposite.
Call a colour, for example “green”, and the defender moves to that cone and waits for the attacker to start running to the opposite side. As soon as the attacker moves, the defender can move and make the tackle.
Once the tackle is made, call another colour, for example “blue”, and the defender gets to his feet and runs to that cone as a new attacker comes on. Meanwhile, the original attacker moves out of the area to wait for his next turn.
Each defender makes 4 or 5 tackles against different attackers before swapping over.
You will need
A 3m square area
Coloured cones
1 ball per attacker
Got more players?
You can line up attackers ready to come on, or set up another playing area alongside.
What to tell your players
“Hit him low”
“Drive through the tackle”
“Get back on your feet quickly”
Improve your players’ awareness of how to move together as a defensive line.
A defensive line needs to know who’s covering who and then double up if they can to make a tackle. MORE
Improve your touch rugby games in training to develop some of the key principles to make your players better defenders. Here are some ideas to change the way you set up and play. MORE
If you are able to train, then you will be aiming to improve your players’ skills and tactical appreciation around specific areas of the game.
If you are in lockdown, it’s a chance to hone your session planning in readiness for your return. MORE
One of the most difficult things to teach a group of players is their ability to change from a defensive mindset to an attacking one effectively. Here is an activity that does just that.
Make the players think that they need to defend as an organised unit and then be able to attack at pace when the ball is turned over. It’s not going to be easy. MORE
Here’s a headline that’s not going to get your players back to training quickly: Tackling and Fitness Training. However, as we focus on safety and reducing the exposure to a concussion, all the most recent data suggests we need to have better-prepared players. In particular, the fitter the player, the stronger they are, and more... MORE
Following on from last week’s defence exercise, replicate moving across to the pitch to defend from a slow or quick ruck. It’s a matching up then coming forward exercise.
Defenders have to scan what’s in front of them whilst running across the pitch to get to the next ruck. They have to number up and adjust quickly. Once the ball is out, the outside defenders must close down the space in front of them. This session develops these ideas. MORE
