The ball is often fumbled or passed poorly as players get used to handling. That means more ball on the ground. Help your players recover the ball and play away.
A moving rugby ball isn’t an easy thing to pick up. And once gathered, the new ball carrier has to make decisions on what to do next. Use this session to work on techniques and options.
Roll a ball into a small box.
A player (the picker) comes forward to pick it up.
He then runs forward again and out of the box to pass to another running player who was waiting in front of that new box.
The idea is that the picker has to run forward as soon as he gets the ball, and the other player has to time his run based on the pick up.
Develop by adding a tackler at the end of the first box.
Now the support player is behind the picker. The picker has to beat the tackler and offload the ball if he can’t.
Develop further by working in a larger box and playing 2 v 2 where one player from each team comes forward when you roll the ball into the box (and towards one of the players).
As soon as the ball is touched, the other two players enter the game.
Denis Betts, former head coach of Rugby League side Widnes, spent four years as a rugby union skills coach at Gloucester. Here he shares his thoughts. MORE
Build your team’s offloading skills in a game-related way so the passer and receiver can start to understand their options.
We know a simple offloading game can devastate defences. The players need the skills and the confidence to know how to offload and when to offload. MORE
Execute core skills under pressure in a competitive environment where players have to handle and support well when they are tired.
This will take time to work. Be patient! MORE
A session ideal for pre-season or in-season if you need to reconnect your players with their handling skills and pace onto the ball.
Accurate passing is essential to maintain a flowing attacking move capable of exploiting mismatches and space. Look at the detail as well as the outcomes.
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Though we like players to pass on the run, for younger players it’s good if they can run, stop and pass to make sure they keep a move flowing and bring other players into the game.
If you want to create a bit of width in your game, use this exercise to create opportunities to move the ball wide. MORE
A fun game which forces players to push their passes hard towards the target, improving their accuracy and pass strength. One group aims to intercept a pass with their own ball (the “skeeter").
This activity encourages hard passes to a target, so will create better passing habits.
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