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 2.

• Everyone find some space.
• Stand opposite your partner.
• One of the players (attacker) use footwork and move arround.
• The other (defender), try to keep as close as they can to the moving player.
• The attackers claps at a point of his choice, this is when the defender makes a shoulders on contact.

• Low Impact.
• Shoulders on.