Rugby: Footwork and handoff

Vital skills to beat a defender and get the football.  Ball is needed. Players must do it at full speed. Key players low and the ball in two hands.

To vary the exercise, you can call out 1 and 2. This means that 2 players come from the ball carrier side and one from the other side. To change again, you can get one player from ball carrier side and 2 from the opposite cone.

To practice rucking, 1st man hits and presents, 2nd man clears and 3rd picks. Body positions are key (low to high), players work hard to present ball long and to get back in the game.

Can evolve drilled by having 3 versus 2 in the wide channel. Start off with defenders being passive in order for attacking success and to develop their hands some pressure.  In small channel; ball presentation and defenders now more active in wide channel. Make sure skills are performed accurately (long presentation on floor).  Offloading in the tackle in the short channel is time.  Make sure the support players come at speed and close to the offloader.

Great the large numbers, variety of skills in small areas and can be advanced/simplified for all abilities.  Groups of 3, 3 channels.  2x5 m channels  1x15 m channel in the middle   To evolve drill, have paths on the floor and players to off load. Keith is depth and communication.  Make sure depth and quality of handling is high.  Targets, follow-through and ball put in front runner.

When the coach shouts change, the other 2 players work.  Make sure both left and right hands are worked  You can develop the drill by practising one-handed offload pass.  Catch with 2 hands, passed with 1.  You can advance the drill by adding more players.  Coaching points  try to make sure they time their runs  get the players to run different lines off each other.  Always make sure they are realigning basing the play (just like a game).

Excellent way to improve speed of feet and hands.  Developed concept of hands up, follow-through and working hard to realign.

Players work 45 seconds at a time before rotating.  Play made tackle and drives the pad back. The player then goes on the floor, pops up and turns to counter ruck the other part (who has moved right behind him).  Groups of 4.  2 pad holders.  One worker.  One resting  45 seconds before rotating positions  This can be done without pads with body acting as resistance.  Keep back straight.  Hits square  Driver legs (short fast steps)

Develops lines of support, vision, footwork and offloading.  If a player is touched, he must go to the floor and off load.  Anyone who touched the attacker in defence, must also go on their stomach before defending again. The key is speed and getting the attackers to get through the defensive line.  Once defenders are drawn in, then attack space outside with quality lines, hands and passing.  The team that scores then attacks the other way.  8 aside in a 40 m x 40 m great but can change size and numbers.  If the ball hits the floor, turnover.

Excellent drill to get players working off the ball to create depth while not turning their backs.   Groups of 3 or 4.  Cones- spaced 10 m away.  Distant of past changes depending on ability level.  Players must time their runs.  Always be at full speed when moving forward.  Make sure past technique is strong.

Excellent way to develop the different rucking techniques.  Works concept of leg drive, body positions in contact, ball placement and desire to get go forward ball.  Pad holder roles ball  1st man down and up into contact  2nd man clear  3rd man picks  1st player pumps legs and ends up long and is active on the floor.  2nd man is low and drive beyond the ball.  3rd player stays low and powers away.  2nd man may have to and Leach on.  The idea is for them to work on getting going forward.  Keep changing handball is taken by the 1st player.

Grid size is 10 m x 10 m.  3 pads  3 attackers.  No passing allowed.  Attackers try to get across the grid without passing using good footwork.  If tackled go down, next player can pick up all clear.  Pad folders look for work and try to get players out of grid.  If attackers are hit, they go to ground and presentable properly.  Add more pads better they get at it.  The attackers on the floor must get up quickly and back in the game.  All must be explosive.  When clearing, attackers must get beyond the pool and get defenders out of the game.

Excellent way to involve large numbers and fitness.  Develops understanding of working hard when on the floor, communication and skills in contact.  4 pads  4 balls   Groups of 3  1st play hits (Drives and presents),  2nd play clears  3rd picks.  3rd player picks and get back into the middle, they then go to another free pad.  Important ball carrier hits low, ball into hands and drive legs. When on floor, vital and he is active  As for player should come low to high and drive defended beyond the ball Important players work hard to get off the floor. Do this around 1 min before swapping to build fitness.

Any number of players can be used. Make the distance between each pass shorter for lower ability groups.  Excellent develop ability to move ball wide at speed.  Developed ability to pass a full speed, in different positions and under pressure.  The runner provides super competition and feedback to players.  Past ball down the line quickly then realigning using full width. End man fall down on the 1st cone and then goes round the 2nd came to become the defender.  30 m in width and 5 players. Realign early using whole width and path while at full speed.  The aim is to get the ball to winger in Cone zone before defender gets there.

Split your players into two teams and line them up behind four cones. The side with the ball sends out two players in a 2v1. The opposite side must communicate so that only one player runs out to defend against the 2 attackers. Defenders must talk to decide who is going out to defend. If two defenders run out to defend then all players on that team must perform 10 press ups to reinforce the importance of communication in defense.

Develop speed to break down and attacking skills.  When the player was touched, laid down and presents properly (turnover if it is not done properly)  Next play clears (Low and in a strong position).  Third player is the 9.  The team that will win is a team that can get the player over and the 9 there are the quickest.  Develop anticipation of when players are going to tackled.   Any player that touches an attacker must go on their stomach before returning to the game.  40 m x 40 m area, a decided ideal.  The team that scores keep hold of the ball and attack the other way.

Players work in groups of 3 around the cone in a single file and must quickly realign to receive a pass each on the outside shoulder. Once all players have received the pass they pass to the next group - drill continues in this way.

Set up one small grid (5x5m), one medium grid (10x10m) and one large area (15x15m). Players work in groups of 3 with one ball. Coach shouts out the name of a square (large, medium or small) and players have to realign quickly inside the coloured square. The idea of this practice is that players understand how to use the full width of the pitch and realign quickly.

Exercise get players to understand the changing amount of time they may have on the ball.  Groups of 3 or 4  players based around 5 m apart  Each line account is 5 m apart and must be the same colour  When the coach shouts out a new colour then players have to realign my cone. Players on the green Cone never move.  Speed and holding depth is vital.  Hands up and being aware of space in front of them is key.