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Rugby: Hit The Gap Drill

Great site and excellent drills. Easy to understand and apply in training....

Tyrone, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

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.

COACHING POINTS

Identification and communication of space between players.

Decision making - watching where the defender is moving and passing the ball accordingly.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Mid-Space attack:

There are 4 cones in a rectangle , 2 red and 2 blue. The 2 defenders stand within the square, and on the coach's call, they must go and touch the called colour cone.

As the coach calls it the attackers can go.The ball starts with the attacker in the middle.

His aim is to attack the space in between the two players, and execute the first opportunity that presents itself. either one of the players will move in on him, therefore opening up space for the support runner on that side, or both will commit to him, or none in which case he is through!

Decision making

Race to cone - 3 v 2:

One ball and 6 cones.

15m x 15m.

Setup the practice as shown. The first two players run up to the half way line of the grid and place the ball down before continuing their run to the end of the grid before turning around to defend.

The remaining 3 players (attackers) can go as soon as the ball is placed down and then they play a 3 v 2.

Decision making

Colour Cone Attack:

Drill to practice attacking from different positions.

Set up a grid roughly 20m wide and 15m long with three defenders (yellow) and four attackers (blue). Within the grid place a number of different coloured cones.

The attack start with the ball and the coach will shout the colour of a cone, the attack must touch the ball on that cone before they can attack. Once the attack have touched the ball on the cone the defence can start to defend.

PROGRESSION:

To start with the defence can only move laterally along the try line, then are allowed to move off the try line.

Decision making

2 v 1 into 3 v 2:

Drill to improve short space and wide space overlap play.

Set up a grid 15m wide, split into a 5m channel and a 10m channel, and 10m long (see diagram).

4 attackers (red) line up along one side, A1 and A2 within the 5m channel opposite D1(blue). A3 and A4 line up in the 10m channel opposite D2 and D3.

A1 and A2 run a 2v1 against D1 in the 5m channel. When A2 receives the ball they run out of the 5m channel into the 10m channel and into a 3v2 situation linking with A3 and A4 attacking D2 and D3.

D2 and D3 can't move until A2 enters the 10m channel, and to start with can only move laterally along the try line.

DISCUSSION:

If players are struggling to execute the 3 v 2 situation, widen the 10m channel to 15m and once they have success at this width bring the channel back to 10m wide.

PROGRESSION:

D2 and D3 can move off the line to put pressure on the attack once A2 enters the 10m channel.

Decision making

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