Rugby | Contact Skills

In pairs. Each player grabs one end of the tackle pad. The players wrestle to grab the tackle pad from the other players grasp. Repeat a couple of times.

The aim of the drill is to encouragement the tackler and a supporting player (+1) challenge for the space on the tackle.

The aim of the drill is to encourage the tackler to roll away from the tackle and get back on to his feet. 

Contact Defence The aim of the drill is to encourage the tackler to challenge for the space over the ball after the tackle.

2 Teams  Ball  Bibs  Tackle touch is a contact game that focuses on technique rather than the power of the contact.  The game is a normal game of touch, however when a touch is made, both ball carrier and defender put their chests to the floor.  They then bounce back up, for the defender to make a low chop tackle.  This takes out alot of the power of the colision and means the defender can focus more on technique. 

Sausage  Cones After you have completed the bounce motion, you can bounce and fire.  Fire - is by any means effect there breakdown and slow the ball down - when you realise you cant steal the ball.  Jackal - stay on and win the ball over the break down.   Players line up on the cones  the first play makes a tackle on the sausage get s up and becomes the defender. (jackal) the second player listens to the coloured cone the coach shouts and goes around that cone before trying to clear the (jackaler)  The jackaler makes the decion to Jackle or Fire through the break down depending on the speed of the arriving defender. 

4 players +  cones  ball.  Cones laid out on 5m chanel other 10 chanel.  3 Players line up passing ball up and down the line, when coach says now they pass it to the player stood opposite in the 5m chanel.  The player then attacks down the 5m chanel. The player opposite makes a chop tackle, bounces and competes. for the ball. (Tackler becomes clearer). The 2 other players then try to clear the player off the ball. Decinign whether to fire or steal ball depedning of spped of clearer off the floor.   

*AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON* Put six cones out around in a circle. One player starts with the ball at the top of the circle. The attacker runs forward and the defender must make the tackle from the angle they're starting from. The defender gets back up, retreats to the next cone and makes another tackle from a different angle.

The players in their groups of 3 stand between the lines of the inner square with the working group stood inside the other players. The first group of 3 begins by running across the grid passing the ball. When they reach the centre the ball is put down an they then run at the players with the pads (on their left) each pushing their player to the outer square. The players then swap. The pad players run across to the tackle bags and push and tackle the bags to the outer square. Players swap again now the new 3 players (third group) run to the ball pick it up and take the ball turn right to face the 3 players on the 12 o'clock side of the square and run into contact for the ball carrier to present the ball. This ball is then picked up by the 3 players being pushed back and the drill starts again. Keep the tempo of this exercise high. Note: You can change the position of each activity within the training area - but that will impact on the instructions to coaches. Players can basically go in any direction, but they do need to communicate and work as a unit. Don't get to hung up on where players should be going, or in what order.

Groups of 3  Ball One Player lies in a Long placement on the floor.  Another player (Jackaler) comes over the top of the player, to compete for ball.  Another player pushes, pulls and tries to make the player off balance. 

This is the first exercise in a series of three that can be put together to form a contact conditioning circuit. Alternatively, this would be a great exercise to include as part of a warm up. Your players should work in pairs. One player lays with his back on the ground and the other lays across him facing down. The player with his back on the ground has to work really hard to get back to his feet against the resistance of his partner. This exercise will develop your players core strength and ability to manipulate the body in order to get back to their feet. This drill is simulating aspects of the game such as having to roll away after making a tackle.