Lockdown planning: Preventing quick ruck ball sessions

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.

In Lockdown planning: Quick ruck ball sessions, we focused on applying pressure on the defence. Now, let’s plan for the other side of the ball. France’s defence coach, Shaun Edwards says that it is his main metric for success: slowing down ruck possession.

To enhance learning, you are better off focusing on an “arc” of learning for a specific area. This means spreading out the training over a number of weeks, rather than dedicating one session to this.

Here’s a four-week plan for preventing quick ball from rucks, but you can split this up into more sections if you want.

Objective: Apply pressure on the attack to make a mistake or kick the ball by preventing quick recycling of the ball from the tackle.

Week one: Tackle technique – tackling in pairs

Week two: Counter rucking

Week three: Defensive organisation around the ruck

Week four: Reorganising ruck defence

Let’s say you dedicate 15 minutes each week to the activities and assuming you have warmed up before the start of contact, you could use a mix of games and drills.

Each session may include all of the skills from all of the weeks. However, each week focuses on the specific skill, the reasons why it is important and how the players could improve their own contributions.

The mix depends on the skills of your players. Here are four ideas to help.

• ABvC training game to create a strong dominant tackle system
• Ruck defence reload
• Double up in defence
• Clever counter rucking

ABvC training game to create a strong dominant tackle...

in Rugby drills, Small-sided games

Create a heads-up defensive system where the players are far more aware of the situation in front of them. That means they know if they can commit to a dominant tackle, or have to hold their position to ensure the attacking team can't exploit gaps. MORE

Ruck defence reload

in Defence, Rucking & Mauling, Rugby drills

Make sure your defence is in place quickly so they can come forward to make snare tackles and poach the ball. Define roles for players around the ruck so they can race off the line and cut down the opposition attack close to the ruck. MORE

Double up in defence

in Defence, EasiCoach

Encourage players to reposition themselves in pairs to close down an attacker and stop his progress MORE

Clever counter rucking

in Practice plans, Rucking & Mauling

Ball recycling at the breakdown can be so quick that some attacking sides only commit a couple of players. A quick-thinking defender can spot a poorly positioned attacker and push him off balance or disrupt quick ball. This session will teach your players when to counter ruck. MORE