Kicking tactics outside your 22

Here are three options for your kicking game from between your 22m line and the half way line.

Pick and kick

From a scrum on the left side of the field, use an 8 pick and go. From the second phase, attack the midfield again. The aim is get to your 10m line (inside your half) and centrally positioned. This opens up both sides of the pitch for the kick.

The defence generally will have to spread out to prevent attacks on either side. The defending wingers will have to decide whether to stay up or drop back, and it is possible that one or both of them may be out of position for the kick.

What's more, with the wingers spread out, the full back is likely to be isolated in the middle of the field.

Any kick should now look to work down the "tram lines", between the 5m and 15m lines at the side of the pitch.

Box kick

On the right side of the field, the scrum half can use a box kick to land the ball between their 10m and 22m lines. This tactic can be used from a scrum, but it is safer following a catch and drive at a lineout.

From a scrum, 9 needs to use a right-footed kick, otherwise he is likely to be blocked by his opposite number.

It is a better tactic from the second phase, if their winger has come up to defend the blindside. For instance, attack the blindside from a right hand side scrum, say using an 8-9-14 move.

Here the 8 picks and goes right, passes to 9, who passes on to 14. This drags in the blindside defence, creating space behind them from the ensuing ruck.

At the top professional level, a box kick should have a hang time of about five seconds. That's enough time for a winger to run 30 metres from a standing start. In training, practise box kicks with the wingers chasing to gauge the sorts of distances your players can use.