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Rugby: Beat The Runner

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

Wes, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

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.

COACHING POINTS

Don't feel that you have to focus on all of the following coaching points, pick the ones that best suit your session goals. You may also have some of your own!

The tempo of the exercise is high.
Players get going as soon as possible.
The runners starting distance is enough to challenge, but allow the attack to experience success.
Decrease the runners starting distance to provide greater challenge and build the skill.
Quick hands being used to move the ball down the line, while attacking at speed from depth.
The pass is flat for the player to run onto.
The pass is to where the player will be, rather than where they are.
Receivers hands are out.
Communication is efficient, effective, and encouraging.
If mistakes are made, players focus on the next opportunity and you as a coach focus on the correction.
Players might dive for the line if necessary.
Passes on the left need to be as good as they are on the right.
There is no such thing as a strong passing hand, just one hand that we have used a lot and one we haven't used enough!
Players follow through with their pass, with hands pointing to where the ball is to go.
Passes are weighted correctly in terms of speed, length, and distance.
Spin passing is not used over short distances.
Passes are sympathetic to the receiver.

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Sevens Speed Session

Attack the ball with speed and practice operating at pace with this week's foot-speed and handling skills session

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Agility Slalom - Race:

Start with 2 players on the centre cone, each with a ball, and facing each other.

On the shout "GO", they both run backwards to the first cone
They then side step up the grid to the second cone
Next players run through the slalom cones back to the start where the ball is passed to the next players
Next players can only go when each player has received a ball (to ensure each race is fair).

Agility & Running Skills

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

Leave No Man Behind:

Players start in the bottom right corner and on the command sprint as a group before doing 5 press ups.
They advance as a defensive line, moving as fast as the slowest player.
They never leave a player behind.
They then side step (push as a defensive line) left to the next set of cones to do 5 sit ups before sprinting to do press ups. The group follow this routine until the end before the next group go.

Warm Up

Agility Slalom:

The first player runs around the red cone and back down to the start of the slalom. There the player zig-zags up the slalom, then back down before running around the second red cone and down to the second group of players where the ball is passed to the next player

Important no more then a max of 3 players per slalom to make sure that there is lots of activity.

Agility & Running Skills

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