Coaches - Rugby Drills Coaching Library

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Ruck Clearing Exercises

Two crucial clearance techniques - the saddle roll, and the duck and clean. It's important for players to practice these at length, under pressure, under fatigue, and with an element of decision-making in order to best re-create a match situation.

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One of the challenges we face at the breakdown is when we've got guys are already on the ball. So they've already gotten to really good position. Okay there like a limp it over the ball. It's really difficult for us to then to come in and clear that player away. One of the things we want to look at is what we call a saddle roll or rolling players away. Okay, so we're coming in. He's already almost on the ball we get in and roll him off. If you run if you soon as he comes off one foot what has he got to do? He's got to let go of the ball. Okay, so we're not trying to hit him too hard. It's about technique. Okay has in Rolling off quickly. So what I'm doing for this exercise, I'll make the attacker come further away. And you're the defender when I say go just get on the ball Jamie down you come in Rolling off ready go. Good. Okay, put the ball back go. Okay, good. Okay, just one observation here is that the attacker the guy looking to roll is actually coming in wide do we do that in a game? I mean, we can't enter we can't enter the side of a rut but we are generally supporting from this from this angle very rarely. Do we all line up one behind each other and coming from that side? So it's that in here and a late-round. Okay. So the so the attacker from here you go straight to the ball, but then just slightly alter your approach. Okay. Ready go. Nice good. So what Jamie did there was just make a late adjustment you weren't coming in offside. It was just a later judgment go. Nice Jack. We've got a player on the floor, which is the first sausage and the next one. This guy is the second Defender. So he's either coming in to clear in that position. So if he's in that position, what are we looking to do? Hit him and clearing out the way okay if he's also managed to get in. opposition we're going to roll him away. So essentially that's what we're going to do. Ready go. In low driving off a nice good. Okay. So let's make sure we complete if we're going to complete what do we do with this guy get him down. We want the wood Defenders on the floor go. Great work Jack. Okay, that's how it's done. Yep. Go good. Okay. Right. So what we'll do now. Yeah, absolutely. We'll switch it over. So we're now going to roll. Let's go. Tuck and roll perfect. Good good speeds, Jamie go. Okay, so this time. Progression what we do is that you'll make the decision. Which way it's going to go. Okay? Wait wait until you up when I said go you then put it in which way you want to go go. Nice good. Okay. So what I'm going to do actually to make this a bit more realistic, okay. I'm going to actually bring you right up here. So you got to make a really late decisions on the floor here Jamie. So in late adjustment, so you're coming in properly. Go. Good. Go. Good job. Okay, so if we're going to progress this then put the bag to the side. We could obviously run this with several groups so you can have three or four groups with a coach on each on each station. So we make this Li go. Nice, go. Good work. Ready go. What I'm doing I'm going to say go as the guys approaching go. Judge good, what the carbon? Go. Last one go. Can I bend get up and make him work for making both players work? Yeah hard work guys. Okay. So these groundwork exercises you do two or three you do them properly the hard work what you don't want to be doing or what you want to be cautious of is doing them over and over and over again. We're spending two or three goes each quality done. It's about quality not quantity.