Rugby: fending

Set up: 8 defending players Tackle Suits, one ball carrier and four support players. The drill: Ball carrier enters grid 1 via gate followed by support players. Defenders tackle ball carrier and the ball carrier presents ball. All support players work to clear defenders and free up the ball. Ball is picked by remaining support and carried out of grid 1 into middle grid via gate repeat through middle grid into grid 3.

The aim is that when the coach signals the start the defending players will spread across to the other side of the field quickly and defend the entire field width. Explain to the players the importance of spreading out and defending in a line. Game Organisation and Rules The aim of this game is to get the defending team to understand the importance of spreading out in defence. This game is aprogression of Line Tag. Set up a narrow rectangle approximately 10m wide x 5m long. Split the players into 2 even teams and get them to face each other on opposite 10 meter lines. Explain to the players that 1 team will be attacking and their task is to get across the opposition line without being tagged (2 handed tag). The defending team are told to line up at one corner of the field and when signalled by the coach they are to attempt to tag the attacking players before they get across the line. As the game develops the attackers will naturally start on the side furthest away to the defenders, to stop this place the fastest runners on the side closest to the defenders. Explain to the attackers about the idea of changing running gale to step the defenders. R1

Line of defenders - 5m apart in staggered formation tackle shield.Individual players move down the line, fend off each tackle in turn - right then left etc.

Players line up together along the line of the 1st set of cones. On the signal of the coach all the players advance to the 3rd set of cones (20 meters away), making sure they all keep together in a straight line. The players then retreat 10 meters to the 2nd set of cones, making sure they stay in line. From the 2nd set of cones the players then advance a further 20 metres to the 4th set of cones and then retreat 10 meters back, to the previous set of cones.

3 grids: 10x30 Number of players: (up to 14) Number of balls: start with 2 (add balls depending on age and ability of players). Each team in a 10x10 grid with a grid in between them. Punt ball into other teams area. Ball must aim to land inside area. If team defending kick drop the ball - other team get a point.

Make sure your warm-up area is marked out before the players arrive. Depending on the number of players you have at training, mark out several warm-up grids. The size of your grid is a suggestion, but around 10 meters x 10 meters. The bigger the grid, the easier it is for the attackers - they have more space. The smaller the grid, the easier it is for the defenders. Break your players into two groups, pads and passers. One third of your players will be passers; the rest will be on the pads. Have one team quickly demonstrate the game to the other players. In each grid have four players on pads, and two passers. You could have more passers; I'll leave this to your judgment. The job of the players on the pads is to put pressure on the ball carrier, to surround them and stop them from passing the ball. The players on the pads are also trying to force the passers to make mistakes e.g. drop the ball, throw a bad pass etc. The passers have to move the ball around the grid, avoiding the pads. Passers can pass the ball in any direction. Players on the pads should have a little fun, and within reason push the passers around a little. You can award points for each successful pass, and points to the defending team on the pads for every occasion when a ball carrier is surrounded or the ball carriers make a mistake. Don't forget to change the players around, and to give players on the pads a go at passing the ball under pressure. Law Variations: You could insist that passers have only 3 second to make their pass, or risk losing a point to the defending team.

4 blue players must try and defend with shields two gates from the attacking red team. The ball carrying player must meet the defending players and then go to ground and place the ball. Once this has been done the attacking side must form bind together and ruck the shields out of the way - to 'come through the gate'. The final red player to come through collects the ball and runs anti-clockwise to the next gate and the next set of defenders to repeat the drill. The two original defenders must now move to defend the other side of the grid.

5 attackers - 10 defenders (or 2 to 1 ratio dependent on numbers) Start slowly with ruck ball Defenders cannot steal ball Attackers recycle ball Defenders realign Coach calls tackle made Coach controls speed of ball available

Teams of 3 one team with ball. Start with both teams on their own goal line. Team with ball attempts to scoreDefending team allowed 1 on 1 tackles. When tackled, both players get to feet and ball carrier restarts game with free pass. Knock on, forward pass, in touch all result in turnover ball and free passChange attacking team after each score.

Line of defenders - 5m apart in staggered formation tackle shield.<br />Individual players move down the line, fend off each tackle in turn - right then left etc.

Set Up Line of defenders - 5m apart in staggered formation tackle shield. Individual players move down the line – fend off each tackle in turn right then left ...

Set up two 1m wide gates of cones (green and red) either side of a feeder, with a line of attackers opposite (5m away). Have a number of defenders (3) lined up behind the feeder.The first player passes the ball to the feeder then moves forward and receives a short return pass from the feeder. On receiving the return pass he uses footwork to go through one of the gates with a support player going through the other gate.Once through the gate the ball carrier puts in a fend on the first defender and passes the ball to his support player.They go on to attack the two other defenders and try execute 2 vs 1 scenarios to get to the end of the drill

Set Up <br /><br />2 players, 1 ball<br /><br />Start with ball carrier with a straight arm onto the chest of the defender. 20 sec of work: ball carrier tries to maintain arms length away from defender. Players must stay on their feet.

Ball Groups of 3+ 2 attackers line up opposite a defender.The defender makes a low leg tackle on the atttacker. The attacker being tackled tries to get arms free and perfom an offload to the supporting runner.

Set Up Between 3 to 15 players - 1 to 4 ration of ball to players - players spaced no more than 5m apart Players catches ball - falls onto back and pops ball off one or two handed to free player

Set Up 3 sets of 2 defenders each with 2 tackle bags placed 10m apart down 15m x 30m channel - 3 attackers Attacker with ball in centre with 2 support players set 5m back to left and right. Attack runs at bag using footwork on approach to off set defenders fixes on one defender and smashes through hole attack carries ball in 2 hands off loads left or right receiver repeats on next pair of bags

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.

Step 1: Both the attacking and defending players complete 2 chop tackles on the tackle sausages. Step 2: The attacking player picks up the ball, and attackes the opposing corner where the defender is coming from.

Set Up 15m x 30m channel - One defender two attackers one behind the other 5m apart Lead attacker runs at straight at defender. Attacks space left or right takes tackle and off loads to support player running down opposite channel – that is attackers attacks left – support player goes right

Groups of 6+ Ball3 Attackers line up opposite 2 defenders. The ball carrier takes the ball hard up to the line. A trialer runner stays hidden behind ball carrier.The 2nd Reciver does an out to in line of running (acting as the short crash ball) The trialer runner runs an arking line out the back (acting as a out wide option) The Defence make a decion whether to bite on the short runner or wide runner.The ball carrier tries to make the right option of what ball to give.

The players stood behind the line work the ball up through the channel in groups of 5. As they progress up the area they work the ball left and right. Defenders are placed on cones which have been given a number. As the group work their way up the channel the coach could call <em>1</em>. At this point one player from cone <em>1</em> runs out to defend. If a call of <em>1</em>, <em>2</em> is made then one player from cone <em>1</em> and <em>2</em> come out to defend. A call of <em>2</em>,<em>2</em> means two players from cone 2 come out to defend and so on... The diagram shows a call of <em>4, 1.</em>

Groups of 3.  Ball One player performs a tackle on his knees.  The ball carrier works to manage the contact area by using footwork/fend.  Aim is try work aorund a question mark shape - to get line of sight to support runner.  Try to keep to hands on the ball before giving the pop/pass.  Support runner must tempo run to time his suport line correctly come in narrow so the pop isnt hard.

This is a basic 2 v 2 drill to allow players to progress from a simple 2 v 1. In a channel no wider than 10m, 2 attackers have 5 attempts to score a try on the red cones. Left attacker makes swerving run to left of defender, before making an inside pass. The right attacker starts run towards oppo defender before stepping in to take pass and bringing the right defender across. The left attacker immediately changes direction to take a flat run and scissor pass before beating the right attacker on the outside

Mark an area 15m wide and 20m long.3 Attackers vs 2 Defence vs 2 DefenceHave the 2 lines of 2 Defenders 5-7m apart The 3 Attackers beat the first 2 defenders and then attack and beat the 2nd line.If an Attacker is touched by a Defender then they have to pass the ball. Stop every 2-3 runs to do stretches for a minute. To reset the play:The last 2 Attacking players to touch the ball become the second line of defense. The 2 Defenders from the original first defensive line move forward and with the other leftover Attacker they become the new Attackers.Make sure every player has a few rotations in Attack and Defence.Get the Attackers not to start in the same position every time.

A drill to practice decision making and finding space between defenders.Set up a line of three defenders with tackle shields (roughly 2m apart), with one defender 2/3m behind the middle defender (blue - see diagram).Roughly 5m opposite the defenders set up three attackers, one opposite the middle defender with the ball and one either side of the ball carrier (red - see diagram).When the ball carrier starts running towards the defenders the defender behind moves in to fill one of the defensive gaps. The attackers must successfully select the space and pass the ball to the player to run through the gap and score. PROGRESSION:Defenders put more pressure on attackers.All players must touch the ball. The third attacker must get through their space as a support player.The ball starts on one side instead of in the middle and players have to call whether the space is the first gap or the second gap, in which case the ball carrier should through a miss-pass.

Drill to practice decision making.Set up a grid 10m wide and 35m long with cones at the start (yellow), 5m (orange), 15m (blue), 30m (red) and 35m (green).Have 2 defenders with pads at 5m, one defender at 15m, one defender at 30m and one 'full back' defender behind the try line.3 attackers start with the ball at the start line (yellow). The ball carrier attempts to break through the two padmen at 5m (orange) who can only move laterally. The ball carrier should try and offload once through the padmen.Once the attack beat the padmen D1 (blue) can cover across to defend, but he can only move laterally between the cones. The attack pass the ball to a support player to beat the defender.Once D1 is beaten D2 may cover across to defend, but can only move laterally between the red cones. The attack pass the ball to a support player to beat the defender.Once D2 is beaten D3 can come forward to defend and pressure the attack to try to stop the attack from scoring. D3 cannot leave his line until the attack have made a pass to beat D2.Defensive players sprint outside the grid to the try line once they have been beaten.The defender should commit to tackle one attacker. PROGRESSION:Start with defenders making a two-handed touch and then progress to D1, D2, and D3 making a full tackleD3 tries to stop the attack scoring a try by &quot;holding up&quot; the ball carrier

This is a basic 2 v 2 drill to allow players to progress from a simple 2 v 1. In a channel no wider than 10m, 2 attackers have 5 attempts to score a try on the red cones. The attackers try to create space and beat the defenders by running good support and holding lines.

Players line up and approach the pole and evade to a side. Using shorter strides when they get close, they step to one side with the POWER STRIDE, and off that leg they change direction in the other direction, anything from 30-90 degree angle changes is sufficient.

This is a basic 2 vs 2 drill to allow players to progress from a simple 2 v 1. In a channel no wider than 10m, 2 attackers have 5 attempts to score a try on the red cones. The attackers try to create space and beat the defenders by running good support and holding lines.

The scrum half starts with the ball. They pass to the first red player who then passes to the second red player who then passes to red player three into the free space To start with red defenders must only defend against red 1 and 2.

Once the coach has kicked the ball in to start players play a normal rules game of touch rugby. The only difference is with the scoring: 1 point for a try - plus 1 x bonus point for an offload within 10 metres and 2 x bonus points for offload with 5 metres of the try line. If no passes within 15 metres of the try line then the score does not count.

Groups of three1 ball per groupDefender can choose any line as a start point.On the word GO, 2 attackers attempt to score a try (1 point) by handling and evasion skills

Four players per group inside a 10m x 30m Channel. Requires 10 cones and 1 ball. Two players start outside of the grid with two players inside. One of the outside players passes the ball to one of the inside players before both of the outside players (defenders) run through the red gates. The two inside players (attackers) have to try and cross the try line before the defenders can tackle them, if the attackers are too slow they will create a two 2 v 1 situation.