Rugby: Building the Contact

Players down on 'all 4s'. Position heads to the left slightly, binding in underneath the shoulders in the chest area. Keeping hands on the floor, rock backwards and forwards.

Once players' individual position is correct on the machine, progress to 1 on 1 scrummage on the feet. Facing each other in a squat position, touch (with hands on each others shoulders), heads to the left, and engage.

Pass gets given to the attacker who has to run down the grid. When the tackle comes in the player with the ball has to present the ball. Tackler has to get to feet quickly to get the ball and pass it back the the initial passer of the practice . Next two player go. After each go the players swap sides.

Ball. Groups of 3+ 2 attackers line up infront of a defender.  The 1st attackers takes the ball into contact  The defender makes a low chop tackle. The 2nd attacker resposibility is to clear away the tackler from the contact area and look after the ball. Progression : Add second defedner with a tack;e nag to test the stability of the clearer. 

Small playing area, for 1 v 1 tackling. Players line up in two lines adjacent to the coned area. Coach shouts go and the front two players run round their end to end up facing each other. The coach passes the ball to the attacker who runs at the defender, and the defender tries to take them down.

Set up the practice as shown inside a 30m x 30m Grid. 6 Shields and 1 Ball. Player 1 carries the ball before passing the ball to player 2 who bursts through the shields. Once through the other side, 2 passes to 3 and receives a return pass before bursting through the next set of shields Once they are through the last two players with shields can move and try and block the runners. Player 2 has the option to pass to either player or go it alone.

Front Rows coming together. Each prop touches the opponents upper arm and then pause before the front rows meet. The sequence should be: "Crouch, bind, set". Coaches should replicate this call when practising to help players develop their timing and to assist the Referee

Building a 3 person front row. Hooker forms 1st, standing with shoulders lowered and knees bent to about 3/4 height. Arms up in the air in a 'flying' position. Props then bind underneath the hookers arms, with their inside arms around the back of the hooker.

Let the front row bind together first. Second row binds together between their hips and shoulders, making sure that their hips are tight together. Second row arms go around the outside of the props, binding onto their hips nice and tight. Second row then comes off their knees to engage.

This is the second exercise in a series of three that can be put together to form a contact conditioning circuit. The circuit can be sets of 30 seconds of hard work followed by 30 seconds of rest. Swap in this circuit for your usual fitness routine to give the players something a bit more interesting and transferable to a game.  Alternatively, this would be a great exercise to include as part of a warm up. Players work individually, picking up a tackle sausage and driving it into the ground.  Repeat for the whole 30 seconds. This exercise will develop your players core strength, which is immensely important in most areas of the game. Moreover, this exercise simulates how players will have to maintain power in a game. For example when going from making a tackle to then contesting the ruck. 0.40 - What is the purpose of these conditioning circuits? 

The basic scrummage shape, with the player on their knees. Poor position: arched back and chin on chest. Good position: back 'hollowed' with chin off chest.

Using a ball to check if body shape is correct.

The aim of the drill is to develop good techniques to remove a threat. 

Work in groups of four  2 players lie next to the sausage pads, with a ball wedged between them On the coaches whistle, players take turns in bouncing up off the floor as quickly as possible to compete for the ball

tackle sausage  Place 2 sausages perpendicular from eachother in a T shape.  Have one player line up a couple meters away from the bag.  Conditioning drill, the player does reps of clearing the bag, running back to the line, doing a down up and going again. 

2 teams.  Half pitch  Ball  - A normal game of touch, however with conditions.  - When a touch is mae the attakcer must go down and complete a long placement. - The toucher must run and touch own tryline before continuing play.  -A Second attacker must come over in a short period of time and secure the ball.  - If a defneder manages to gewt to the ball before a attacking player secures it, it is a turnover. -Then play away. 

Move 90 degrees round covering the ball and holding with one hand. Outreach to present the ball with both hands. Stay on your front at all times. 

Setup: Set up with 4 players with pads, and four players facing them about five metres away. There should be enough space between the players to ensure that they and the players making the hit are safe. The rest of the players fall in behind the leading 4 players who will be making the first hit. Each group of four will go together. The players holding the pads should do so with one hand on each strap, not with one arm through both straps as this exposes them to a lower arm fracture on a big hit. Have more than one group if necessary, as you don't want to have players waiting for more than 20-30 seconds between hits. Start slowly to get the technique right, and build from there. Tell the hitting players to raise their elbows 90 degrees or more. They will notice that their shoulders get bigger. Demo this with another coach if necessary.

Setup: Set up with 4 players with pads, and four players facing them about five metres away. There should be enough space between the players to ensure that they and the players making the hit are safe. The rest of the players fall in behind the leading 4 players who will be making the first hit. Each group of four will go together. The players holding the pads should do so with one hand on each strap, not with one arm through both straps as this exposes them to a lower arm fracture on a big hit. Have more than one group if necessary, as you don't want to have players waiting for more than 20-30 seconds between hits. Start slowly to get the technique right, and build from there. Tell the hitting players to put their hands behind their backs and make a hit on the pad using their shoulder. Remind them to keep their head up and to place their head to the side of the pads. Demo this with another coach if necessary.

The aim of the drill is to develop a strong profile, protecting the ball