Front-on and side-on low tackles can bring down ball carriers quickly. In this tackle template, here’s what the defender should do to complete the tackle effectively.
Most tackles are neutral or passive. That means that the tackler concedes some ground after the impact. That’s not a bad thing, as long as the tackle is completed and the ball carrier goes to ground quickly.
Even at the top level, unless there are two tacklers to one ball carrier, most tackles are aimed at bringing the ball carrier down fast.
When you see the best players in action, their technique is pretty much the same:
Head up and eyes open.
Body active and ready to drive forward.
Impact with their shoulder.
Finish with a tight grip between their arms, shoulders, body and head.
For activities and techniques to improve precision in the tackle try out…
If the tackler can win the first part of the impact, they can manipulate the ball carrier – slowing down possession or even winning the ball back. Here are four ways to make a bigger impact… MORE
Use these two activities to work on the tackle impact and grip for a front-on and side-on tackle. They’re good exercises to use before more intense tackle work and can form part of your warm-up. MORE
"With the return to rugby, I’m really worried that my team (U13s) will have forgotten lots of things about rugby. In particular, I’m trying to work out when and how to introduce contact and tackling."
This question came from a coach in Gloucester and is typical of lots of concerns around this area of the game.
It is true that the players will have "forgotten" lots of skills.
Here's how I would approach this situation. On the next page are two tackling exercises to support training.
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Improve your players’ awareness of how to move together as a defensive line.
A defensive line needs to know who’s covering who and then double up if they can to make a tackle. MORE
Make sure your players use the right footwork to power through the contact area and then manipulate the ball so they can offload or present the ball cleanly.
Though power and aggression are important in the contact area, the ball carrier also needs to be technically accurate to ensure good continuity. MORE
Work on good setups and movement, jumping and organisation in your lineout pods with this dynamic activity. It should mix up roles of your players.
Let players try out different roles, even if it’s not perfect. That allows players to realise what works for all those involved in the lineout lift and jump. MORE
Introduce players of mixed ability to contact by building up the skills through games and questioning.
I’ve found that using this progression of activity, the players develop contact skills together. You can adjust the pitch sizes and timings to suit your players. MORE
This session will help players highlight their core skills under pressure. It works especially on short passes when the ball carrier is running “offline”.
Offline means the passer is either running towards the intended receiver or away. MORE
