Rugby: Low Tackle and Clear | Contact Conditioning Circuit Exercise 3

• Set up a 5mx5m grid
• Work in fours - two attacker and two defender
• The ball is fed from a player from the 1st defending player who also holds the tackle pad and will simulate the ‘jackal’ threat player in the 2v2
• The first attacking player receives the ball and engages the pad holder and passes to the second attacking player
• The second attacking player engages the second defender (tackler) and bounces out to a weak shoulder
• The first attacking player (inside clear out) and the 1st defending player (jackler) then try and race to support
• The inside clear looks to support the attacker and clear out the jackler

This is the second exercise in a series of three that can be put together to form a contact conditioning circuit. The circuit can be sets of 30 seconds of hard work followed by 30 seconds of rest. Swap in this circuit for your usual fitness routine to give the players something a bit more interesting and transferable to a game. 

Alternatively, this would be a great exercise to include as part of a warm up.

• Players work individually, picking up a tackle sausage and driving it into the ground. 

• Repeat for the whole 30 seconds.

This exercise will develop your players core strength, which is immensely important in most areas of the game.

Moreover, this exercise simulates how players will have to maintain power in a game. For example when going from making a tackle to then contesting the ruck.

0.40 - What is the purpose of these conditioning circuits? 

• Groups of 10+ 
• Tackle bags 
• Cones

step 1 - players perform a down up - chest to the floor. 

Step 2 - Players make a double shoulder hitbetween 2 bags opposite.

Step 3 - active player moves down the line to hit the next group of 2 bags.

At the end players start again, aim to do 2/3 min sets then swap the bags. 

Set up the practice as shown inside a 30m x 30m Grid.

6 Shields and 1 Ball.

Player 1 carries the ball before passing the ball to player 2 who bursts through the shields. Once through the other side, 2 passes to 3 and receives a return pass before bursting through the next set of shields

Once they are through the last two players with shields can move and try and block the runners. Player 2 has the option to pass to either player or go it alone.