Develop your players’ 1 v 1 rucking skills in a low impact environment. This is one of my favourite challenges as a “breakaway” to work on my footwork through the contact.
Speed to the tackle area is crucial, but once there, you need to stay on your feet and be effective. This dynamic exercise keeps the players thinking because the situations are very variable.
Put a ball carrier on his front between two other players also on the ground.
They can be facing towards, away or even on their backs, to keep the situations varied.
The ball carrier rolls and places the ball towards one of the players.
Immediately, the other players get to their feet to compete for the ball. Keep swapping the players around and between groups.
TECHNIQUE
Drive the feet through the contact to generate momentum from a standing start.
Stay on the feet through the contact.
If the attacking player gets their first, he should take the space over the ball, not stop at the ball.
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. MORE
Here's my analysis of four different scrum half passes. Each one has their own style and is effective in its own way. Use these clips to inform your own coaching and share with your 9s to help them find improvements in their passing. MORE
Get players to attack defenders in close or wide situations. They will have to see where to run and change angle sharply at pace to adjust. Players need the confidence to change angles, especially those players who are not used to sprinting and conditioning. MORE
Develop the skills to cover an attack which might be outflanking your defence. This activity works on the choices to come forward or track back. If your team is in danger of being outflanked in attack, what do they do? In many cases, teams sacrifice territory by scrambling backwards across the field allowing them to... 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
Make a negative into a positive. For example, "I need to see everyone's eyes on me" is better than "Some of us aren't paying attention". Immediately we are focusing on doing something well. We are avoiding "not", "don't" and "stop". Instead, we are firmly stating where we want to go. That's why I'm thinking forward to 2021. Framing it positively, I'm looking to do more good actions. I'm not looking back on went wrong, why it went wrong and stopping myself doing what went wrong. MORE
