Full back touch rugby to help with kick returns
in Kicking & Catching, Small-sided games
Running back a kick will be an important part of any team’s attacking play. Use this game to work on the chase and the kick-return in open play. MORE
EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
Don’t just play a game in training, make sense of it for you and your players. London Irish Academy Coach Development Officer, Rhys Davies develops “All Blacks touch”.
One team are the All Blacks, they only have one phase to score. The other team have unlimited touches.
The game can be touch or contact, depends what you are trying to focus on.
Alternative rules of when that one phase is over can be:
The All Blacks always restart so they have an opportunity to try to tactically apply pressure through a kick on a certain area, for example a short kick, a long kick, low kick or high kick.
You can give the All Blacks the option to rip the ball out of the attacker’s hands when they are in defence.
Remember that both sides can kick.
Double figures on each side would be ideal, but not necessary.
The youngest year group this works with is the lowest age group of kicking.
The All Blacks have to think about ways to score without losing the ball in the “tackle” or tactically pick areas in which to play the game – kick long and apply pressure.
They also to think about ways to get the ball back. We want them to be constantly thinking tactically about where they are on the pitch to help them better understand the decisions to make – run, kick or pass.
Questions to challenge the players
Questions to challenge the players
Download a printable session reminder sheet here: All Black touch session reminder
Examples for skills zones to use when you want to focus on an element of the game. Click on the links for more ideas.
Here are some options to run the session.
Lifts – Can the tackled player lift the ball off the ground after contact? Can they lift the ball to their support player in contact?
Tips – Can the ball carrier make a short pass to the supporting player just before contact.
Width – Can the attacking team stay spread out across the pitch?
Support line – The runner running towards the opposition try line in close proximity to the ball carrier.
Space behind – The space behind the defence which can be exploited with kicks.
Mismatch for speed and pace – Someone with more speed the opposition player in front of them. For example, a winger v a prop.
Numbers on feet – More players on their feet on the field, which means those who are not on the ground or wrestling in a ruck.
Painting pictures – What the attack sees or then tries to create with their plays. The defence is bunched together or spread out across the field or has players looking to cover kicks.
Space traps – The defence showing the attack opportunities (space) to attack, different to what they would normally see to fool them into a false sense of security.
Fill the field – Spreading out across the field.
Double hit – Two players from one team involved in a tackle.
Self-organising – The players, not the coaches, resetting themselves in attack and defence before and during game play.
Here are some examples of other games which help players work on support and continuity.