Use the spider crawl to create better body profiles at the ruck. It keeps the players low and able to drive up as the opposition threats arrive.
If the player is spider crawling, they are able to bounce up and meet the opposition. When they stop moving forward, they have to come up off their hands to show they are supporting their own bodyweight with their feet.
Put a ball next to a cone and a player on his front near the ball.
When you say go, he gets up and spider crawls over the ball and then the cone before getting onto two feet.
Repeat with players lying at different angles.
Then have two players competing against each other from a lying down position.
Use two uneven columns of players to fill in the next pair so there’s a chance to work against different players.
Finally, put a player on each corner of the box and a ball in the middle.
Shout out which two players will compete for the ball and they race to win the space over the ball using the best technique.
TECHNIQUE
Hips pointing up the pitch as they crawl forward.
Light on the hands.
Drive up when there’s contact.
NOTE: The tackle gate is the back foot of the tackle. A player must approach the tackle from behind the ball, and behind the player closest to his goal line.
Present the ball more effectively in the tackle and your supporting players will have an easier task to help to retain possession. It will also give your 9 cleaner ball to pass away from the base of the ruck. There’s a simple tactic for good attacking rugby: disorganise an organised defence. A defence is organised... MORE
Quick ball placement allows for quick rucks and chances to attack when the defence is at its most vulnerable. Use this activity to build up the essential skills. MORE
The maul is a dynamic contact situation which occurs mostly from lineouts. There are lots of “coach” theories on how to set up and drive forward from a maul, some of which you might use. Now add the science to help you work out what works best for you. MORE
Use this series of exercises to build up simple skills for rucking. It starts with low impact techniques before upping the level of contact in a breakdown contest.
Contact needs careful management. Skills should be honed before they are put into bone-on-bone situations. MORE
Plan for decision-making at rucks. First three sessions for technical, then a four-week planner and then four specific decision-making ruck attack sessions. MORE