Rugby: Getting Low in the Tackle

• 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.

• Groups of three, the aim of the exercise is for the second defender to contest the tackle.
• One player starts with the ball, standing still.
• A defender is on one or both knees preparing to tackle the attacker.
• A second defender is stood ready behind the first defender.
• The first defender wraps their arms round the attacker and tackles them to the floor.
• The attacker presents the ball as if to the scrum half.
• The second defender rucks over (contesting the tackle) and should steal the ball.

Set up a wide pitch, with cones on the half way line plus an extra box on two opposite corners. These corner boxes are the prisons for tackled/tagged players.

The aim of the game is for players to run into the opposing team's area and grab a ball to bring back into their ball area in their half.

However, if a player is tackled/tagged while in the other team's half they must go and stand in the prison square.

Players can be released from prison by being tagged by a team-mate. Once released they must walk around the outside of the pitch back to their own half before rejoining the game.

• Groups of 3.
• Progression.

1. Wrestling 

Players link up, one arm under & one arm over each shoulder. 

Players then pick a side to wrestle to, then give a count down and fight to force opposition on the side they chose to wrestle to.

2. Tackle on Knees 

Each player takes turns to complete tackles on there knees. 

3. You can make this fun and competitive by counting how many tackles a player completes in a certain amount of time.