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My number 10 has a habit of running across on first?
My number 10 has a habit of running across on first phase ball thus our backs lack any go foward ball most times. Any ideas how we can remedy this habit will be a great help.
Let him learn the hard way and get someone to smash him at training. Alternatively you may want to find out why he runs laterally. Is he trying to develop gaps (he probably thinks he is), hoping the defense will lose alignment; does he trust his ability to make the pass running forward; is there poor comunication from the 12. You may want to put him at 12 in training to illustrate the impact that he has when running laterally.
Another solution would be either to run more switch moves with the 12 or 13 to take advantage of (or at least mitigate) this penchant for running laterally. Otherwse, you can instruct him to stand flatter to the scrum-half and act as a pivot i.e. pass more from a stationary position.
Try aligning him with his outside foot (furthest away from the ball) and his upper body are aligned so that his outside shoulder and hips are turned towards the passer (effectively he is two thirds facing that way). Ensure that when he sets off he pushes off the outside leg first- this should make it impossible for the first line of run to be lateral. If necessary set cones out in practice to mark his line of run. Allow him in training the odd lateral dart so long as runners are coming onto the ball at pace on a switch/pop/ or he is going to run a dummy. Make sure those around him (coaches/players) reinforce positively when he does it right (and players make it plain when he doesn't that they aren't happy). If he persists in running laterally, move him to another position (probably not 12/13 as he will just do the same but one/tow men further out) - say wing/ full back- and explain why.
It could be the pass he's receiving from the scrum half, if he subconciously feels like he's being led across the pitch he'll naturally follow the lateral path. Focus on getting him to 'attack the ball' i.e. go towards it rather than following it. Otherwise he might be trying to avoid his opposite number, if he doesn't feel comfortable running directly at another player who's prepared for the contact, in the space he's being given. Depending on what level he's playing at, lining the flyhalf up deeper will give him more space/time to be decide what to do without him having to move to the side, it'll also enable your scrumhalf to make a more direct pass back to him, rather than a pass that might lead him to the side.
This has always been a problem in English (and Irish) Rugby.
The French deal with it at a very early age - 8-10 - by (a) doing all learning at full speed, not our habit of doing it at a walk, then a trot, etc and (b) by teaching players at that age to run towards the passer with both hands outstretched towards the ball. I watched Villepreux teaching that way at a coaching workshop at Morley RFC in the early 80's - it revolutionised my coaching.
Have the 5/8 to stand a bit wider and deeper, angle on a 45 degree towards the scrum half. This will do one of two things:
1: he will be automatically forced to run on an angle towards the pack and away from his centres, allowing him to straighten and hopefully stop the lateral run;
2: he till have to run onto and towards the ball, as if he is receiving it running away from the scrum half this will encourage him to run on that lateral run. So by having him deeper and wider he will have to attack the ball rather than go with the flight.
Hope this makes sense.
Alternatively yes smash him at training by having the defensive line up flatter than normal, say 3-5 meters off side. This should not give him enough time to dance like a fairy across the paddock.
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