Breakdown Tips!

Australia are dominating the breakdown. Coach Nathan Grey explains why the breakdown is so important and provides some tips

USA Sevens - Learn The Rules Of The Ruck

With less players the breakdown is much cleaner in Seven's and knowing the laws and being accurate in your skills wins matches. Mike Friday clarifies what can be a complex area and why many coaches focus on this facet of the game

Sevens - Uncovered - The Breakdown Specialists

The breakdown has become a significant area for coaches and players to focus on. All players now need the technical skills and the intensity to compete at the tackle area and if players are poor in this area teams will be exposed. Some teams will select a specialist in this area and combine his skills with tackle technique from other players so that they work in units to turn over possesion

Dean Ryan: Turnover Ball

Dean Ryan expresses the importance of turnover ball.

Jackling 1v1

Jackling can be a great skill to win the ball or simply slow down the attacking play. If you notice your players getting overwhelmed in defence, try this drill out!

Lions 09 - Double-tackle

A good practice to work on stopping an effective ball carrying player

Attack from turnover

Attacking play from a turnover

Double-tackle Technique

Double-tackles are useful against a team who like to offload. Leg drive can put them on the back-foot.

Turnover session - Learn to Jackal

This drill encourages players to contest for the ball while staying on their feet.

Progress to include reaction to a tackle and focus on getting on your feet quickly

Conor O Shea - the Turnover

Conor O Shea discusses the importance of turnover ball and why coaches and players should work at this regularly

Turnover session - 4 Linespeed

In this exercise, the emphasis is on linespeed in defence. The purpose is to put pressure on the attacking team to force an error and create the turnover opportunity.

When an opportunity is acknowledged, players flood the breakdown to gain possession, before moving the ball away quickly

Side tackle and into the jackal

This is a core skill for making a successful tackle and then getting back into the game and competing for the ball as quickly as possible. The key with this drill is to prevent the ball carrier from having the opportunity to present or play the ball.

Tackle 1v1 into jackal

The ability to tackle effectively is a core skill. This drill develops the players ability to tackle and then get back on their feet and play the ball - the jackal technique. Remember to release the player on the floor first BEFORE you play the ball again.

Tackle bag drill one hit & support

support has to read whch bag is being tackled and get to be in support by reading the situation

Sir Ian Mcgeechan - the turnover

Sir Ian Mcgeechan discusses the importance of the turnover and how it creates winning opportunities

Geech - Lions Coaches were Years Ahead

Were the Lions coaches ahead of the game. The 1997 coaches discuss tackle techniques that are only being implemented now

Turnover session - 2 Games

A full contact game, conditioned with channels on either side of the pitch. The attacking team must get the ball to both channels before they are allowed to score a try.

This is to spread the attack out, and create more opportunities for turnover ball to occur

Lions - Defence & turnover practice

Winning the ball back after the tackle is essential

Turnover session - 1 Game to start

A full contact game, conditioned with channels on either side of the pitch. The attacking team must get the ball to both channels before they are allowed to score a try.

This is to spread the attack out, and create more opportunities for turnover ball to occur.

NB - Please ensure players have completed a full upper body warm-up before going into this full contact session.

Turnover ball - Attacking from flat

This quick practice runs through how to attack straight from a turnover.

Tackle bag hit then into 3 v 2

This drill is a good progression from the tackle bag relay into a game related decision making exercise.

Tackle square into 1v1

This drill works on the ability of the player to recover from contact and make decisions under pressure, both in attack and defence.

Clear the defending player then into 3 v 2

This is an excellent extension of a basic clearing out drill that allows the defenders to suddenly counter-attack, creating situations where they have to make game like decisions.