Most modern rugby coaches use games as the basis of training, yet this hasn’t filtered down into a lot of forwards unit sessions – there are still too many ‘drills’ and unopposed lineout plays.

Here is how I have tried to bring in the ideas of fun and movement to improve my forwards, focusing on lineouts.

Typical lineout session

I don’t do many full lineouts in a session.

Instead, I concentrate on players getting the little bits right. That means putting them under pressure at the right times.

There is a careful balance, here. You must match up the pressure capabilities to the level of player you have.

For example, with my U18s rep side, we will be quite competitive, quite quickly. With less able players, I will take it slower.

However, there needs to be pressure.

Pressure: Increase it by focusing on being accurate or beating the opposition.

Accuracy: Completing a number of repetitions.

We can create pressure by overloading the players. For example, we might want to complete five accurate lifts in less than a minute.

As the players get tired, their accuracy might falter. You judge the amount of the overload depending on the level of players.

Opposition: Winning the ball

We create pressure by putting the players into game scenarios.

You can modify the opposition by giving them more or less time to set up.

Player power

The more the players can take control of their learning environment, the more they will be motivated to progress.

Here are some ways I use:

• Box size: The players set out the parameters for training. For example, the size of the playing area, or the area in which they will perform.

I give them the cones and they put them down. I will challenge them to make it smaller or larger depending on what outcomes I’m looking for.

• Technical feedback: I will set out some core principles for better play (see the box).

When they are training, I will ask them what is going well and what might they do better. They can reference the core principles, but they must then decide how they can improve.

Breaking out

Lineouts can be practised in one long session, in breakouts, and as one-offs.

Sometimes, you will spend a good 15-20 minutes on one aspect of the lineout, building it up from first principles.

Compress that into five minutes at a later date, because the players will be used to what’s coming. This can be a breakout session.

However, you must also recognise that, in matches, lineouts are one-offs. You can’t go back to practise it if it hasn’t worked out the first time.

Work into your training a moment when players face a lineout they must win. They won’t have another chance for some time.