We want to improve all the players’ skills in equal measure, but there’s never enough time. Instead, work on specific core skills to match the roles and responsibilities of each position.
PASSING SKILLS
ALL PLAYERS
HOOKERS
LOOSE FORWARDS
Three to five metre lateral pass
Clearing passes (that is a pass from the ground)
Pop pass
Short passing in traffic (especially forwards)
Long pass after sweeping from a lineout
Five to eight metre long spiral pass
SCRUM HALF
FLY HALF / CENTRES
WINGS / FULL BACK
Long clearing pass on both sides
Good decision making factor in all passes
Five metre plus spiral passes on both sides
Five metre plus spiral passes on both sides
Wide pass in a counter attack situation (after receiving a kick / running across field)
Pass back inside (with one arm while fending) when running next to side line
PASSING TRAINING IMPLICATIONS
BACKS
Backs can concentrate on long passing at pace.
The receiver should be taking the ball flat out.
FORWARDS’ CONNECTION
A 9 can practise his clearing pass.
Forwards can practise their short passes and changes of angle.
After a base standard is reached players can be extended by using different widths for grids and channels. This means the players can be doing the same drill but with different circumstances. Time allocated for different positions can be different.
Allocate players certain roles in passing drills. For instance, a drill may be started with a half back making a clearing pass. For certain handling skills, like the hooker’s throw and the half back (9) pass, I would timetable special sessions.
TACKLING SKILLS
ALL FORWARDS
ALL BACKS
Dominant defender in tight situations
Good foot speed in order to readjust in both defence and attack situation
Cover players three to four metres wide of the ruck
Phase defence, getting into position at the side of rucks
Defend the pick and drive
Low tackling
Front-on tackling
Second man in (gang tackle)
Tracking from the side of rucks (following the ball carrier to make a tackle)
Tackling, getting back on the feet and competing for the ball (jackling)
Defending in tight situations
Defending a wide situation
Low tackle
Impact tackle
Front-on tackle
Cover tackle
Decision-making on when to commit to the tackle
Tackling, getting back on the feet and competing for the ball (jackling)
TACKLING TRAINING IMPLICATIONS
There are some non-negotiable skills in tackling, but after that your training should look to replicate the roles of the backs and forwards tackling.
When coaching tracking (following the ball carrier before making the tackle) thought should be given into width of grids and starting positions of both attack and defence. Outside backs should practise tracking in wide spaces, whereas tight forwards generally work in tight situations. So the same drill may be used with different grids for each position group.
All players must be able to low tackle but different positions must have time practising different types of tackles based on where the ball carrier is coming from. For instance, a pick and drive tackle is needed from the base of the ruck.
Develop tackling drills to include decision making. This is because players need to choose which tackle to use and which player to tackle. In particular, tackling practice for backs must be extended so that they are in defensive backline situations. That means coming up against an attacking backline from set pieces or from quick second phases.
Put your slow ball ruck plays into more game-like situations. This wrap play exercise is a good starting point, and you can then use it to develop other tactics.
A wrap play turns slow ball into quick ball and allows your 9 to recycle it at pace. MORE
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Expect higher standards from your players, no matter what level they are. Do this by creating one focus for the session, a principle of play they must keep to all the time. MORE
Improve your training sessions with behaviour ideas from top teachers. Jade Pearce, author of What Every Teacher Needs to Know and Dan Cottrell show you how in a rugby context. Doug Lemov, writing in Teach Like a Champion 3.0, says: “The purpose of [preventative and positive classroom behaviour management] techniques is not so much to... MORE
Use great footwork and leg drive to break through defences while ensuring support players are on hand to take a quick pass beyond the initial contact.
Get the ball carrier to run the right angles to attack the gap between defenders, smash through the tackle and then offload to their support players. The support players will learn the best lines to receive the offload. MORE