Rugby: Contact and Support

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. 

Bags  Min 12+  Ball There is a working group of 4 in the middle of 8 differnt bag holders working in 2's.  The group of 4 must pick and drive into a difffernt group of bags each rep.  The group of 4 work on there contact skills of leg drive and staying on feet, then clear out work.  Work for 1 min then swap.

A coach or scrum half feeds a ball carrier who should be running onto the ball. The ball carrier should run towards the tackle sausage and use footwork and a hand off to move past the tackle sausage towards the first two tackle bags. The player should aim to hit the gap between the two tackle bags and power beyond the contact. Those two players then drop the bags and follow the original runner in support. The ball carrier then hits the bag, goes to ground and looks to lift the ball up to one of his support players.  The next player then hits the last tackle bag, goes to ground and presents the ball. The next support player clears away the bag to secure the ball. This drill works on a number of skills (running onto the ball, hand off, footwork and hitting gaps, communication and support, clearing out a ruck) in continuity which means its more game realistic and trains players to not only perform the individual skills, but also to be thinking about how the skills link together and what their next job is.

*AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON* Start with a sausage pad horizontally on the floor. Players should get low to make a shoulder on tackle with the sausage pad. Encourage players to drive through with the legs to push the pad forwards. Drag the pad back into position and repeat.

Groups of 3  Sausage  Ball 1 player lines up opposite a standing sausage, wrestles it to the floor, landing chest ontop of the bag.  A 2nd play holding a ball puts the ball down on the right side of the sausage as if it was an attacker placing it.  The first play wrestling the sausage, bouncers up and competes for the ball (remeber to release)  The 3rd player once the ball has been placed tries to clear the player competing for the ball.

Key factors: Shoulders above hips. Keep square Chin off chest

The aim of the drill is to develop good techniques to protect the ball and stay in a strong position. 

*AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON* Players hop around on one foot and gently bump off one another. The focus is on a getting a slight nudge between players and landing properly on one foot.

2 players pair up, site back to back and lock arms together.  The coach tells each player to lean a side.  when the coach blows hs whistle they players wrestle to get there shoulder to the gorund the coach said.  Once one player has won, you must reset and start again.

Hooker lets the scrum half know that he is ready for the ball by tapping his left hand on the props back. Scrum half then puts the ball into the scrum and then the hooker strikes it.

Both players jog out at the same time. When the players meet the red player tackle the white player and then both players get back to their feet and jog to the back of their lines before the drill continues.

Get in pairs and players start in a press up position. Players hold onto opposite arms whilst still in the press up position. The aim is to remain balanced and work to pull the other player over

Start the session with a game of single Tag rugby.

1. Crocodile roll  Crocodile roll is one technique to repmove threats from a breakdown. Most useful for smaller players to move larger ones.  Require control, power, accuracy. Identify if croc roll is the right technique to use.  Target the defenders upperback/lower neck region.  Initate the clear out by big shoulder contact into that area, set feet wide, then bearhug the defender  Use momentum and rotate hips downwards, maintain strong grip and roll palyer off the ball.  Finish movement on top of player and compete for ball.  2. Smash  If player is slow to attack ball smash may be the best option. Here clear the defender out the way and remove the threat using normal rucking technique. 

Basic tackling skills. Tackler to start in a low position. Tackler to position their head behind the player, squeeze their arms around the player an drive in forward off their knees.

Groups of 3/4 1 Tackle Sausage. 1 Tackle bag.    1. Tackle Bag conditioning. Players align 6m apart, one side with tackle sausage. Work for 1 min constantly tackling and carrying sausage back and forth with partners.  2. Tackle and Roll conditioning.  Same as before but introduce roll after making the hit. Roll with bag to escpae collision area. then same as before, pick up the sausage and run. 3. Add Defender A 3rd player is introduced, holding Tackle bag who acts as a attacker clearing out the ruck. The Defender must bounce up and clear the tackle bag player coming over the ball, then same as before.  4. Tackle, Roll, Clear  All 4 stages togther now, adding a roll in before clearing out the attakcing player with tackle bag.     

The aim of the drill is to encourage the tackler to challenge for the ball after the tackle with a supporting player (+1) to clamp on his inside to reenforce the contest.

2 sausages 1 bag  1 ball  Step 1 - Low chop tackle on the sausage.  Step 2 - Bounce! Track back, chest to floor, do a high.impact bag hit.  Step 3 - Run around the bag, pass the ball of the floor, complete a live leg tackle on the attacking player. Next player starts when first player finishes. 

Lay a sausage pad flat on the floor. Working player take a couple of steps in close, sinks their hips and drives the tackle pad forward.