Lightning quick hooking

Scrum halves and hookers need to be on the same wavelength. The timing of the put-in and strike have to be perfect to ensure clean ball every time at the back of the scrum.

A clean strike at the scrum means the ball is available before the opposition back row is ready to react. Work on your 2 and 9 put-in connection.

1. The hooking player (2) leans against one of the goal posts in the “engage” position with the scrum half (9) standing 1m metre away.
2. Set out cones behind the hooker outlining channel 1, channel 2 and channel 3.

Channel 1 – through the left-hand lock’s legs to the left foot of the number 8
Channel 2 – outside the right foot of the left-hand lock to the middle of the number 8’s legs
Channel 3 – though to the number 8’s right foot

1. Before the hooker strikes the ball you call the number of which channel the hooker is to strike the ball.

1. Develop by using a put-in into a controlled 3v3 scrum.

TECHNIQUE

The scrum half puts the ball in the same way consistently to develop efficient striking because the hooker will grow to know where they need to get their foot to strike it.

The hooker strikes the ball by sweeping with his foot rather than actually knocking it back. Sweeping gives a better chance of it going where the hooker wants it to because the sweeping action is controlled.

The ball should flow rather than bounce into the specified channel.

ALSO TRY: For a channel 2/3 ball, using a bent knee sweep helps direct the ball behind the hooker’s standing foot. A strike with a straightened leg sweep helps channel 1 ball.