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Attacking tactics for different-sized teams
Whatever a team’s style, players must know where to play to and how to get there to create gaps in a defence.
If you have a good back line, and perhaps a small, fit pack of forwards, then you might choose to play a wide, high-tempo game.
Likewise, if you have a big carrying pack, and little pace in your back line, you may want to play a closer carrying game, getting your forwards to carry a few more phases before you attack with your backs.
Either way, you need to have a plan of where to attack and when, so the players know what to expect, and their potential roles.
Wide game and split the pitch
In a wide game, your tactic may be to attack both sides of the pitch, either with a wide-then-wide-again attack, or a game where you look to split the pitch.
A wide game maintains players in the 15m channels, mixing backs and forwards to retain possession.
To play a split-pitch game, you would look to work to the middle of the pitch, so the defence has to defend both sides of the ruck.
With their numbers split, they can’t afford to over-commit when they race up, reducing their line speed and possibly putting them on a drift defence, which gives you the opportunity to attack wide or run at drifting defenders’ inside shoulders.
- Wide game 1: Keep moving the ball across the field, touchline to touchline, to spread out the defence. Gaps will appear in the middle, or wide, as forwards get exposed.
- Wide game 2: Attack into the midfield and split the defence. With fewer numbers, the defence slows its line speed and has to drift. Now attack wide at their weakest point.
Around the corner
Of course, you can carry on playing to the edges of the pitch, with the ball continuing to be played the same way from each ruck.
The forwards keep coming ’around the corner’. The defence has to keep shifting across, chasing around to be in position.
In the first instance, the defence might run out of numbers or not get into position fast enough.
A very fit team will eventually prevail in the latter parts of the game, with quick ball around the corner overstretching the defensive resources.
Wales, in their more successful recent past, might be an example of this type of attack. Using their superior fitness, they aimed to exhaust defences and make breaks later in the game as opposition teams tired.
Related Files
- Play the same way to beat them round the corner: Teams like Wales, in the past, liked to play the same way from rucks, relying on their superior fitness to beat the defence around the corner. As the defence struggles to make the line, they can exploit the spaces with their ball players and quick runners.
Danny Wilson
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