EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
Play games where there are 360 goal lines or multiple angles to score from, so every player in attack and defence has to be moving and communicating off-the-ball to help score or prevent scores.
Two towers
Set up
Two tackle tubes and one ball in a 30m by 17m box (inside 22m area and between the 15s).
How to play
> Split into two teams of no more than seven a side. Give one team the ball.
> To score, the ball has to touch an upright tube. It can either be kicked at the tube or touched onto the tube, but cannot be thrown at the tube.
> Players can run and pass in any direction.
> It’s full tackling and if a player goes to ground a player from the opposition can grab the ball from any direction.
> Players cannot push over a tube or push someone against tube.
> Turnover the ball if a player goes out of play.
Developments
> Have two balls and teams can score against any tube (probably needs two referees).
> Play with three teams and three tubes. Stop the game when a team scores.
Checkers
Set up
Five 5m boxes inside a 30m area. Adjust according your players.
How to play
> Split into two teams. Give one team the ball.
> The ball team have one minute to score as many points as possible.
> To score a point, the ball team needs two players with a ball each inside one of the boxes.
> The defence can hold an attacker. They can also hold the ball onto the attacker for three seconds, but must then release them.
> Attacking team can run and pass in any direction.
> If the ball is knocked out of the box by a defender, throw another ball into an attacker.
> The defenders cannot tackle the ball carrier.
Developments
> Add another ball for the attackers.
> Allow kicking.
> Play over a massive area – great for fitness.
in Passing & Handling, Rugby drills
Use this power pass exercise to work on both passing and passing out of the contact. The variability of how the attacker is held back increases the learning outcomes as players face new passing challenges. MORE
in Contact, Passing & Handling
Don’t teach falling over. Teach the players to bounce themselves and therefore the ball off the ground and back into the game. It reduces the fear of falling by making the players embrace the ground as part of a skill for continuity. MORE
“The supporting player starts in front of the ball carrier, while the defender has his back to the attack. When you shout play, with the supporting player walking forward and the defender out of position, the players will have to think quickly to come up with winning solutions.” MORE
in Rugby drills, Scrums & Lineouts
Improve the movement and coordination needed for lifting the catcher at the kick off. MORE
in Rucking & Mauling, Rugby drills
Mauling is a powerful weapon and you don’t have to be a big side to use it. A great tactic is to set up a maul from the back of a ruck to create go-forward and tie in their defenders. MORE
in Rugby drills, Tackling
I’ve been talking tackling to plenty of coaches in the last few weeks. That’s not unusual. Therefore, I wanted to share with you one of my favourite tackling “drills”: High pressure tackling reactions. I say drill because it’s a 1 v 1 exercise. MORE
