Skill Practice Description • Ideal practice for when defences break up later in games or with counter attack decision making. • Attackers stand in front of a numbered cone and ball. • The coach calls a number and all attackers must run around their own numbered cone but whichever number was called, that ball becomes active. • At the same time a colour is called for the defenders and all defenders must turn and run around a cone of that colour. They must however choose different cones. • If a touch is made, the teams swap over roles. • If a try is scored, the attackers stay the same. • First to five tries wins. Key Coaching Points • Spatial awareness • Communication • Quickness of attack at a disorganised defence • Skills to attack space • Footwork and evasion skills • Scanning skills • Decision making • Importance of getting behind defenders Relevance to the Game • Great for coaching counter attacking disorganised defences from different angles. • Any player can be ball carrier and communication is vital as is decision making in identifying space and the best way to attack it successfully • Cones can be placed to shape different types of defence. Organised or scattered
Skill Practice Description • The playing area is marked out in 5m channels. • When defending, players must stay within their channel throughout the game. • The attack must look to penetrate the defence by creating and preserving space. • The defence must use a two handed touch. • There is a 5 tackle turnover rule and once possession is turned over, the defence must get into a channel as the opposition can attack immediately. Key Coaching Points • Support players to hold their opposite number as long as possible before cutting a line to take the pass. • The defender can close the space as far as the edge of their own channel. • If the support player cuts too early or the ball carrier does not move their defender enough, the support player will be touched/tackled. Relevance to the Game • This game will help develop the footwork and running lines to effectively move defenders in order to penetrate the tackle line.
Skill Practice Description • Within a game of touch the coach can at any breakdown - call blitz, drift and the defenders must run and touch the appropriate line. • The coach may also give players numbers in order to call specific defenders to leave the defence line which will create the need for defence to realign quickly. • Attackers must face the other way and attack when the ball is rolled from behind them. • On the coach’s call, the attack turn and the closest attacker picks up the ball and plays. • This ensures the coach can vary each player’s role and make the defence react. • Coach can then develop game by giving a visual clue to the defenders thus making the attackers react to an unexpected type of defence. Key Coaching Points • Visual Acuity-Looking for space. • Spatial awareness. • Highlighting defensive systems and attacking them appropriately. • Decision making. Relevance to the Game • This game is excellent for visual acuity and attacking differing defensive alignments. • Spaces are created by the leaving defenders, which the attackers have to identify
Skill Practice Description • Play 7v7 in the game area but mark different scoring zones along the try lines (use coloured cones). • Mark 5 metres in from each try line with red markers and if a try is scored in either of these areas then it will be worth 8pts. • The next two 5 metre zones moving inwards would be worth 5 pts and the rest of the try line worth 3pts. • This should challenge the ability to outflank or penetrate in order to build a score. • It may be that the defenders primarily defend in the outside channels leaving the middle with more space. • The attack can then take advantage of this new situation, scoring in the middle zone. • Thus identifying the weaknesses of the defence. Key Coaching Points • Spatial awareness • Communication • Quickness of attack at a disorganised defence • Skills to attack space • Footwork and evasion skills • Scanning skills • Decision making Relevance to the Game • This game challenges the decision making of both attack and defence. • If for example a turn over occurs, which score area does the attack target? • Which area does the defence cover and defend first?
Skill Practice Description The objective of this game is to develop the ability to execute the 2 v 1 with consistent efficiency. • The attacking team initially has at least one extra players in order to create an advantage. • There is a channel on each wing in which only 1 defender and 2 attackers may enter at any time. • The attack works the play to get the ball into the outside channel then execute the 2 v 1. • With the extra players, the attack can also develop opportunities to penetrate the defence and so the game in not relying on lateral moment and still incorporates the principles of ‘go forward’. • The progression is to remove the cones and see if the players can still take advantage of the 2 v 1 without the conditions set within the channelled areas . • A further progression would be to even the numbers of each team. Key Coaching Points • Running lines to condense and hold defences in order to outflank. • Running lines in order to disrupt and penetrate the defence line. Relevance to the Game • Attacking players often fail to fix defenders effectively and may drift or over elaborate. • This game will assist in angles of run that fix the last defender
Skill Practice Description • Two teams play normal touch rules. • 5 touch turnover. • When a touch is made, the game pauses and all defenders need to close in and place a hand on the shoulder of another defender. So all the defenders are bunched and in contact with each other. • The coach calls ‘play’ and the attack restarts. • The progression may be to leave one defender out of the bunch, which may provide a different challenge to the attack. • Then leave two defenders out of the bunch and slowly release the conditions to see if the attack can consistently identify opportunities to outflank or penetrate the defence. Key Coaching Points • Peripheral vision and general awareness. • Intuitive decision making. • Communication • Support and team work. Relevance to the Game • This game is designed to challenge the observation and decision making ability of the attack. • For the defence, it challenges the ability to cover quickly with both drift and sweeping defenders
A good Defence is about players working in units and staying "Connected". This exercise develops the skills required to improve a players understanding of what to do and when to do it
Practice being overloaded in defence. This game teaches your players when to be patient in defence and when to go for the tackle.
Another conditioned game that will test your players' fitness. This requires all defenders to perform a 'down-up' after each touch, before re-aligning. As players become tired, more gaps will appear, testing the defence even more.
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