Rugby: Clear out drill basics

Master the ?Smash? and the ?Roll? rucking technique so that when the pressure is on and a clear decision needs to be made, clearing the ruck becomes second nature to your players.

Contest for every ball and cause a turnover with this session by focussing on both defensive and attacking breakdowns. Work on the jackal and bounce in defence and attack at break down with the smash and crocodile roll.

• 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. 

• Groups of 2
• Bags
• Balls
• Contact conditioning 

1. Body height clear out work

In there groups, do contact hits on each shoulder. Stand 2m apart and take turns doing hits against bag

2. Crocodile role

One player lies on top of a tackle sausage (long way round), the group of 4 take turns swapping roles of being tackled and tackler. Focus is the crocodile role.

3. Clear out.

One player stands over the top of tackle bag competing for the ball. Other player arrives from 2m away to clear out the player, to prevent the threat of stealing the ball.

3. Bounce and compete

Players lay either side of the a ball. When whistle goes, both players bounce off the floor, one competes for the ball while the other focuses on clear out or crocodile role.

Do 3 sets of 2mins. Repetitive drill.

• Ball 
• Tackle Suits 

Players around the outside pass the ball around with eachtoher until coach blows his whistle. 

Whoever has ball in hand then attacks the defender in the middle. 

The two players closest (1,2) become the clear out players with the attacking player with the ball. 

The 3rd layer on the outside becomes the Jackler, after the player in the middle has made a low chop tackle. 

Groups of 4 and two groups of defenders with contact pads. 1 ball per group.

1. The ball carrier drives into the contact pads and presents ball backwards. Player 2 binds on, face to face and secures ball, player 3 binds on the other side to form a front row.
2. All attackers bind together and drive defenders back 2-3 metres. Player 4 takes ball out at back and runs back around cone with players 1-3 in support.
3. Repeat going back the other way until all attackers have practised each role.