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Rugby: Wave After Wave

Your tips and session ideas have really brought some interest back...

Eifion, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

The front line of players run towards the other side of the grid while passing the ball down the line. When the last player in the line receives the ball the line form behind runs through and receives the ball to continue to the other side of the grid.
The first wave should realign behind the second wave, when the second wave has the ball.

COACHING POINTS

Remember, select the coaching points that you feel are best suited to your session and training goals. Your own coaching points are also important!

Ball carrier predominantly carries the ball in two hands to maximize passing and offload options.
Passes over short distance do not need to be spin passes.
Passes are weighted correctly in terms of speed, distance, and position.
The receivers hands are out.
Passes are efficient and draw the ball across their body in one motion, when quick hands is the preferred option.
Pop passes are used when giving an inside or outside ball.
Players should, at some point, feel free to be creative and experiment.
Don't get hung up on mistakes, they happen - get over it! Give your players the freedom to make mistakes and to learn from them. The next pass is the most important pass, you as the coach need to adjust players passing style etc.
Encourage a high tempo and a culture of working hard, but having fun.
Players communicate with one another using the 3 E's: efficient, effective, encouraging.
If defenders are introduced: Players should work together and draw defenders away from the space they wish to attack.

PROGRESSION

Don't stop the players being creative with this! Let them be creative, discovering inside and outside passes, flick passes to support players, switches etc. Lets see what they think is possible!

Progression 2: A skill is not a skill until it can be preformed under pressure, so add some. You might think about introducing one, two, three and then four defenders. At this point all that creative magic should happen as players play what they see, and use the waves to provide support.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Beat The Runner:

Divide your players into groups of five, with one player acting as a running. Each grid will need a runner. The runner starts on the runners cone.
You might wish to have two groups of five at each grid, and to have a quick demo before sending all the players to their own grids.
Keep your player briefing, brief!
The first five passers attack the runners line, passing the pass down the line as they go.
The runner sets off as soon as the first ball carrier starts to move.
The aim of attack is to score a try in the corner, beating the runner - so quick hands.
Each player should realign following their pass, there will be two attacks for each group before they move the ball onto the next group.
After the first attack the runner goes to their cones on the opposite side of the grid ready for the next attack. The attack begins when the first players picks the ball off the ground.
Don't forget to change the runners.
Move the runner cones in to progress the exercise and to put the attack under more pressure.

Warm Up

Pass and Follow:

They pass the ball around either clock wise or anti clock wise, you can decide to change the direction youself at any point during the exercise.
After the player passes the ball they have to follow their pass, touching the cone of the player they passed to - then get back to their cone before receiving the next pass.
The tempo of this exercise should be high.

Warm Up

Quick Hands - Warm Up:

Within a group there are two groups of 4 attackers and one chaser/scrum half.
At the middle point, marked by a cones, the scrum half moves the ball to the first attacking line.
The scrum half firstly tracks the progress of the ball, as the exercise progresses - the scrum half should apply more and more pressure to the ball carrier - working up to the point of becoming a full on defender.
When the ball reaches the opposite end of the grid, the last player in the line sets the ball down.
The scrum half then feeds the ball to the next attacking line, fulfilling their own role within the exercise.
The opposite attacking line should realign in preparation for the next attack.
The tempo of this exercise should be high.

Warm Up

Diamond Geezer:

In fours players are moving up a channel. The support runner (blue player in the animation) calls themselves into the line, receives a pass, offloads and repeats down the second channel.

Ideally you would like your players to form a diamond: a ball carrier, support running left, support running right, and a support runner behind who can come onto the ball at any angle.

When the first group leaves the first channel, the second group should begin. That way there will always be activity.

Players should change their positions in the diamond.

Warm Up

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