Rugby: Speed Pass

Player, with the ball, should make a fake pass. After the dummy pass their objective should be to change pace and direction as quickly as possible to leave their opponent standing and attack the empty space they will have just created.

Involve a ball in your warm-up. Get players to pass the ball around their head to flex the neck and shoulders.

Slowly rotate the shoulders backwards. Reverse and rotate the shoulders forwards.

Raise one arm at shoulder height and pull in front of the body. With the other arm, flex the elbow in font of the other arm. Pull the flexed arm into the body.

Bring both arms in front of the body. Flex both arms, so that the elbows are tight against the lower chest area. Bring both elbows together and also both hands. Keeping elbows amd hands together, push arms out form the body. Hold for 15 seconds and repete.

Raise both arms up to shoulder height. Keeping both arms straight, start with arm just forward of shoulders. Bring both arms back behind shoulders as far as possible. Hold for 15 seconds and repete.

Start lying on the ground (in a down press-up position) run out to the 1st set of cones and then run backwards to the start and do one press-up. Quickly get back up onto feet and run out to the second set of cones, turn around and run back to the start and do one press-up. Quickly get back up on feet and run out to the 3rd set of cones. Turn around and run back to the start, back into the starting position.

Set up as shown in diagram Groups of 3 in 10 x 10m grid. 1 Ball per group. Coach to call Left or Right to ensure no collisions.

Simple game for players to work on their ability to side step and beat opponents 1 v 1. The defender starts with the ball on one coned corner of the playing area. The defender passes the ball to the attacker standing on the opposite cone. The game is then a 1 v 1 and the attacker must side step the defender to reach one side of the squared area.

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 line up and approach the pole and evade to a side. 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.

 The aim of the drill is to develop speed and agility.

The aim of the drill is to develop speed and agility.

Set up a running slalom for your players to run through at the end of their training. It should be approximately 10 by 5m in size. Slalom through the blue cones From the final blue cone players run backwards to the 1st red cone Then run forward out to the next red cone, then backwards again (repeat pattern until final red cone) Quick turn around the final red cone and then sprint to the end of the course Jog back to the start line and repeat.

8 in each group. 6 in the playing area and 2 outside it. The six in the playing area play a 4 v 2 against each other trying to pass the ball as many times as possible without getting tagged. The two players on the outside pass the ball to each other 25 times at which point both practices stop. The two players change places with players from the other practice.

Sit with left leg straight, bend the right leg, then cross right leg over left leg. Use your left elbow to push against the right knee. Rotate your upper body to the right pushing with the left hand and arm. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Equipment Required: Bump Pads, Balls, Cones. On GO, players A, B & C start running but A & C switch sides behind player C and run around the cones. Player C takes a pop pass from the feeder and drives on in to the contact pad where he turns and looks to pass to either A or B who are crossing back behind him.

Two lines (1 line working, 1 line resting). The first line moves up 10 meters (2 cones). Upon reaching that cone they drop to the floor and quickly regain to their feet. The line then retreats back 5 meters (1 cone). The line sets in defense with one foot forward. The line is then ready to move up another 10 meters (2 cones) and continues the drill. When the line has reached the last set of cones, the players turn around and sprint back to the start.

3 players line up in a straight line, approximately 10m apart, each standing opposite an agility pole. The ball is passed by a scrumhalf to the first receiver The reciver runs straight at the pole and passes the ball to the next player who does the same. Play continues until the third man has completed the exercise