Rugby: Side-stepping the opponent

Develop a team of untouchables! Improve your players ability to swerve and sidestep past opponents with this evasion and agility footwork skills plan

Players line up and approach the pole which the coach is now moving side to side.

Once the player gets reasonably close, drop the pole to one side, the player must then react and sidestep in the other direction, working away from the defender.

Using shorter strides when they get close, they step to one side with the POWER STRIDE, and off that leg they change direction in the other direction, anything from 30-90 degree angle changes is sufficient.

Players need to work their way up the cones, moving from one leg to another, winding up by bending at the knee and hips, and exploding off to the other direction.

Divide your players into two groups and set up two lines of cones about 3m apart.

Each cone should be 1.5m apart in a straight line.

1. The player in front must go through the cones evading from one side to another
2. return and give the ball to the next player to go
3. They are done when the ball is back in the hand of the player which went first

Each player needs to pass through the grid and they end with the ball back in the hands of the player that started.

2 players start on opposite end of a 5x5m block

1. On the whistle they run down the line, turn the corner,
2. The player with the ball must try and beat the defender with his feet