Rugby: Contact: ruck conditioning

Set Up: 3 players one in tackle suit one with ball one tackle bag The player in the tackle suit crouches or kneels next to tackle bag which is representing an attacking player. The suited player tackles the bag and the player with the ball places it next to tackle bag to simulate the tackled player placing the ball. The suited player then returns to their feet and gets ready to compete for ball with the third player who clears out suited player the win the ball.

2 people are on the tackle shields or 2 on each side about 5 metres apart facing each other, there is a ball carrier standing in the middle of the two defenders with one or two attackers. Ball carrier runs into defender/s and places the ball, the supporting player/s must clear away the defenders. Each attacker must have a go at hitting the defender and placing 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. 

Progressive exercises to improve clearing out at the ruck Lay a tackle tube on the floor with another tube on top, angled into the air, with a ball on the floor in front of the first tube CLEAR: The player starts lying flat on the ground in a press up position, before angling their run and tackling the top tube ROLL: Same set up, but the tube is tiled the opposite direction. The player runs round and wraps their arms round the tube before rolling away to the right with the momentum of their run.

Players split into pairs and line up in as many lines as you require Balls should be set out 2 yards in front of the player at the front of the line The first player holds a tackle bag side on and falls flat to the floor with the bag, just behind the ball The player gets into the rucking position over the ball and drives out over the ball for five yards.

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.

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.

Repetitive drill aimed at improving the clear out of a defender at the ruck Players are split into groups of three, two attackers and a defender. The defender wears a padded bib/vest The ball carrying attacker moves towards the defender who makes a passive tackle causing the attacker to go to ground and present the ball as if in a ruck in a match The defender then attempts to ruck over and jackal the ball The second attacker then comes in and attempts to clear out the defender.

3 players (one in tackle suit, one with ball) and one tackle bag. Player in tackle suit crouches or kneels next to tackle bag. Suited player tackles bag, player with ball places ball next to tackle bag, suited player returns to feet to compete for ball. The third player now clears out suited player.

Players work in groups of four against two defenders (holding tackle bags) who are stood inside the channel. The attackers run around the furthest cone into the channel and ruck to push back the first defender stood over the ball. Once the ball has been gathered the attackers run towards the second defender and form another ruck (ball carrier should turn before contact is made). Once the bag holder has been forced back players carry the ball over the line.

Each station has two tackle tubes perpendicular to each other in a T shape. The tackler tackles the bottom of the T, while there is a player with their knee(s) at the top of the T pushing their weight into the tubes. The tackler must arrive very low to tackle the tube, and use their momentum to lift the bag and clear out the defender, using the bag to do so.

Two teams of five players each One attacking team and one defending team Defender tackles attacking player to the floor Attacker presents the ball Defender rucks over uncontested and takes the ball Defender then passes to an attacking player and the phase starts again from the beginning.

Players start face down, on the coach's whistle players get to their feet to contest the contact area. Red player 1 and the blue player should be closer to the ball so that they reach it quicker and present a target to be cleared away by the supporting red defender. As the second red player reaches the ruck they should bind with their team mate to contest the ball, with the aim of disrupting the ball.

This clearing technique is used to remove defenders who have latched onto the ball and are in a low body position. One player is bridged over a tackle tube with their hands on the ball, in a strong stable position. The player is braced for pressure from the front, but vulnerable side on. The rucking player should tackle the opponent, by wrapping their arms round the torso and rolling them away from the tackle tube.

Defenders must use two hands to tag the ball carrier and have the body position as if performing a tackle Once tagged the ball carrier goes to ground in a strong position and places the ball long. The defender holds a position over the ball carrier. The next closest defender performs a push up along side the tackle. One player from the attacking team must ‘win’ the ball by positioning themselves strongly over the ball carrier and in a position to clean out. A halfback can clear the ball to continue the attack.