EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES

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A rough diamond shape with the ball carrier at the front means that he can offload or go into contact with confidence. The diamond does not need to be perfect and is only really close to a ruck. Get your players used to picking up this shape to enhance continuity.

Warm up time: 5-7 Session time: 8-10 Development time: 10-15 Game time: 15-20 Warm down time: 5-8

The main difference for those who are not used to the diamond shape is the positioning of the inside support player and the player in behind. The player at the front of the diamond needs to call when he is taking the ball. The other players then fill in quickly.

When the ball carrier takes the ball towards the defence, he chooses his options based on what he sees in front of him. He might use footwork to beat a defender and offload, attack one defender with a team mate latched, step and pass before contact, or simply attack the gap, go to ground with the others driving over for either a quick pass out or a pick and go (see picture 2).

Put three ruck pad holders (or tacklers in suits) in a 10m gap beside a ruck pad. Get four attackers to come around the corner and set up in a rough diamond shape (see picture 1). They then take the ball from the feeder and drive into (see picture 2, fig 1) or through (see picture 2, fig 3) the ruck pad holders ) or they can take contact and set the ball up for a ruck (see picture 2, fig 2).

Keep repeating the exercise with a different player taking up the head of the diamond each time.

Four attackers coming round the corner into the channel to form a diamond shape, with a player at the front taking the ball into the ruck pads ahead of him. Label players A, B, C and D and make sure they rotate their roles so are not always doing the same job in contact.

Make one of the defenders “live” so he can go for the ball.

Start the attackers from different points so they have to organise themselves as they arrive.

1. To latch on and drive. 2. To take contact, drive out the ruck pads and set up fresh ball. 3. Step through and offload.

Put three defenders in both halves of a 20m x 15m box. Put a feeder in the middle. Put four attackers in one half and three in the other.

The feeder gives the ball to the first four attackers in a diamond formation (see picture 3).

If they don’t score in that corridor or form a ruck, the feeder passes the ball back into the other half (even if the ruck is on the far side).

One of the attackers from the first four has to see if he can recover himself to help the other group. Repeat until there is an error or a try is scored.

Where two sets of attackers recycle the ball one way and then the other. Give each attacker a different letter (A-G) so they change their roles and all get a chance to front up the diamond.

in Contact, Passing & Handling, Rugby drills

Use great footwork and leg drive to break through defences while ensuring support players are on hand to take a quick pass beyond the initial contact. Get the ball carrier to run the right angles to attack the gap between defenders, smash through the tackle and then offload to their support players. The support players will learn the best lines to receive the offload. MORE

in Attack, Fitness & Conditioning, Rugby drills

For 10 to 20 seconds, your players become the fastest players in the world. They must race at full speed onto every pass, creating a sense of go-forward. Don’t worry about mistakes – just react, realign and attack. Play to the limits of what your team are capable of. Control the speed by throwing in new balls when things slow down. MORE

Develop your players’ contact skills by creating a bottom-up approach to ensure they are accurate first and foremost and then able to apply the skills in different situations. We follow the approach of top NZ coach, Tony Hanks. MORE

Develop quick thinking under pressure to ensure the players make good and accurate decisions in contact. Once the first defender is beaten, the attacker has to decide whether they can offload the ball or have to take contact.  MORE

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