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.
To create continuity, your players need to understand their support roles at the tackle contest. They also need to practise being innovative for when it goes wrong. MORE
Make quick, accurate decisions at the ruck with the role of the first support player based on the incoming threat from the nearest defender. The first support player has to judge the tackle situation to decide on his role. This is best trained through game-like activities where there are lots of possible outcomes. MORE
Making quick, accurate decisions at the ruck will help create quick ball. The role of the first supporter at the ruck is based almost entirely on the threat of the nearest defender. Here is how I define the different options and ways to coach those options more effectively. MORE
Improve your players’ rucking skills by building up their contact techniques around ball placement, trying to steal the ball and protect the ball from a steal. MORE
Use this ruck scenario builder to develop heads-up attack and defence. Defenders have to match up, deciding whether to stay in the ruck or defend other threats. The attack has to win the ruck and the decide how and where to attack. The messy start means that plans have to adjust quickly. MORE
