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Rugby: Another Defender Bites The Dust

What a fantastic tool. I've found a few drills that are unfamiliar,...

Wes, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over.
The attacking team gets unlimited touches.
A player is touched only when the defender has made a two handed touch, you can change this to one hand if you wish.
Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders.
Defenders who make a touch go to the touchline where an assistant coach will have an activity waiting for them, doesn't have to be fitness related - a passing activity will be fine. They stay there until the attack scores.
As each defender leaves the pitch, the attacker has an increasing advantage in terms of numbers and available space.
If a player is touched: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack.
The defence must remain onside following a touch. Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack.
If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters.
Don't forget to switch the teams around and to count how many defending players are on the pitch when the attack scores.
he winning team is the team that can score with the most defenders on the pitch.
Tries only, no conversions - keep the game tempo high.
There is no kicking.

COACHING POINTS

You don't have to focus on all of the coaching points listed here, just choose the points that are relevant to your session. Or you might have your own coaching points, and that's ok as well!

Players work at a high tempo, playing the game at enough speed to develop their skills further.
Attackers identify space and change he point of attack.
Ball receivers hands are out.
Communication between attackers and defenders is efficient, effective, encouraging, and timely.
Attackers use contact to remove defenders from the game.
Attackers employ creative attacks, possibly drawing on attacking moves or techniques from previous training sessions.
Defenders employ the drift defence as their numbers reduce.
Attackers cut the drift.
Attackers quickly change the point of attack away from traffic.
Passes are weighted correctly in terms of timing, speed, and distance.
Attackers come onto the ball at pace, using changes in foot speed, sidestepping etc. to avoid contact.
Attackers show evidence of playing what they see and hear.
Leaders, lead in voice and by their actions!
Attackers show evidence of shaping the game, and thinking about what will happen next!

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Alcatraz: Jail Break:

This is a great warm-up for defensive and evasion sessions, or it might even be a warm-up that helps you reinforce coaching points made during a previous session. The best bit is that it's fun and relevant to all ages. If you're coaching tag rugby, change the warm-up exercise from contact to tags.

One team runs clockwise round the inside of the circle with the other team running anti-clockwise around the outside of the circle. The circle in this case is marked out using blue cones, but you can use whatever colour you like.

When the coach shouts 'Jailbreak' the players inside the inner circle try to 'escape' to outside the 10m x 10m square (yellow cones). The size of the square and distance from the circle is a suggestion, play with it a little and let us know your variations!

The inside team scores a point for each 'jailbreaker' - swap over. If you have an odd number of players give the defenders the extra man.

Warm Up

All In Touch:

The following are the laws for this game:

Equal number of defenders and attackers.
Use bibs to identify both teams.
Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over.
The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over.
Change this to suit your training goals. When an attacker is touched they: stop running, turn and present the ball to a support player who wait for the entire defence to gather in around the defender that made the touch.
Following a touch all defenders must gather in and be connected by touching another defender.
Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence restart the game.
If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters.
If the defence does not get in quickly, the attack can gain 10 meters. Judge this depending on your player's fitness.
There is no kicking.

Warm Up

3 Touch Kick:

Split your players into two teams, giving one group of players a set of coloured bibs to set them apart, and quickly tell your players the following laws:

We will be playing a rugby league style touch. When touched: set the ball down, stand over the ball, allow the scum-half to move the ball away from the point of contact.
The defenders should stay on side following a touch, and should not compete for the ball.
Any infringements in defence should result in the defending team conceding 10 Meters or possibly giving 1 or more extra touches to the attacking team. I'll leave this to your judgement depending on your team's age, skill level, and your session target/s.
The attacking team can sustain three touches before they have to kick.
Their kick should be as it would be in the game: a kick to touch, a kick for territory, or a kick that can be regained e.g. a grubber kick.
The defenders should behave as they would in a real game.
Quick put in's from the touchlines replace lineouts.
Defenders who take the ball from an attacking kick should counter attack.
A forth touch results in a turn over.
The Scrum Half has a maxium of 5 seconds to move the ball from the point of touch.
A ball kicked directly to touch from outside the attacking teams 22, or where the ball has been taken into the 22 by the attacking team and then kicked into touch - will result in a turn over with play starting on the five meter line closest to where the kick was made. The defence should be 10 meters back.
A ball kicked from inside the attacking teams 22 can go directly to touch, as long as the attacking team did not carry the ball into their own 22 before the kick. The resulting put in will be to the opposition from where the ball has went into touch. Quick put-in's are enoucraged, if not possible the ball is played from the 5 meter line with the defence 10 meters back.
Give points for quick put ins that work.
Feel free to play with any of noted laws, let us know the law variations that work for you!

Warm Up

3 Second Touch - Touch Rugby Variation:

Split your players into two teams, giving one group of players a set of coloured bibs to set them apart, and quickly tell your players the following laws:

Keep the law briefing, brief! Get your players moving as quickly as you can.
When touched a player has three seconds to make their pass, and they can keep running (reduce or increase this time depending on your coaching goals/targets). They don't need to set the ball down - just pass.
You could change three seconds to three steps, change depending on your goals and the skill level of the players.
No forward passes - normal rugby laws should apply.
You might decide on 5 touches before the ball is turned over, but more or less is ok. Also - you might decide on unlimited touches. It all depends on your targets as a coach, and your players age and skill levels.
Change the laws as you see fit, and let us know the variations that work for you.