Rugby Drills

This drill coaches players the lines they should run when receiving the ball in order to maximise the chance of them breaking the gain line. Use a tackle bag to simulate where the ruck and offside line would be. The players line up as if they were going to come "around the corner" to receive the ball. Players should run an L shaped running line to get across the first defender and then footwork to get through the second defender. Progression (0.49) - Add an extra pass to the drill For the first receiver the drill is exactly the same in terms of the running line. Then there is a second player on his outside shoulder who uses the same running line to beat the second defender. The first receiver has a choice (1.19) - whether to go through the gain line and pass or pass before he gets to the gainline. What is the gain line? The gain line is an imaginary line in rugby parallel to the halfway line that is the back foot of the breakdown or the defences offsideline.

Offensive players (blue), line out in one deep line while the defence (red) line up opposite in a straight line, slightly inside player from the player that they are marking. The offence will attempt to pass the ball across the line at speed. Defenders will move up to stop them but do not tackle, simply press. This teachers the attackers to pass under pressure, as they try to pass across the line without making any mistakes.

Keep your player briefing short, and get the ball moving around the circle as quickly as possible. First have the players move the ball - clockwise around the circle, passing off their right hand. Then switch it, and have the ball move anti-clockwise around the circle, with the players passing off their left hand. Once the players have gotten into a rhythm of passing the ball, tell the players the following. The player holding the ball will become a runner, their job is to pass the ball and then to set-off in the direction the ball will be traveling, trying to get to their starting position before the ball does. They win if they make it back before the ball. The players win if they can get the ball back before the runner. The passers cannot miss-pass, the ball must travel through every set of hands. Each player in the group should have the chance to become a runner. Change the direction of the runner and the ball half way through. You might decide that the runner has to do a press-up or two, if they don't make it back ahead of the ball. And you may also decide that all the other players need to do the same if they do not get the ball back before the runner. You can further develop this game by making the circle bigger. This will push the runner and will increase the length of the pass required between each player. Just ask all of the players to take one or two steps back.

Groups 5  Balls  Cones  Sausages. 1. Chanel Fix  Attack sausages lined up one behind eachother.  they must use footwork to step to a side of the sausage and then give a pass before running into/past it. Attack inside shoulder of the bag to fix defender. 

Players make a semi circle around the coach, about 3meters away. The coach will have a ball in their hand at all times. One player will also start the drill with a ball in their hands. Player with the ball will pass to the coach who will use the ball in their hands to deflect it to one of the players in the circle. The receiving player will need to catch the ball and pass it back to the coach who will again deflect it to another player. If a ball is dropped by a player, they will have to go to the bottom of the semi-circle. The goal for players is to catch all balls that come their way and end up at the top of the semi-circle.

The aim of the drill is to develop mechanisms to unlock defences in open play The first defender/feeder starts with the ball at a cone set up on the touch line five metres out from the try line Set another 2 cones 15 meters up on the same touch line. Two players (defenders of the 3v2) start from here once the 2v1 is completed. Set 2 cones on the try line 5 metres apart to create the start position for the two attackers and the attacking channel for the 2v1 The ball is fed from the first defender, with the attackers completing a 2v1 The defender joins the two attackers to create a 3v2 Two attackers then become the two defenders for the next repetition of the drill

groups of 8 +. Cones  Balls.  Bibs   1. 1v1 in 5mx5m Grid. Players line up opposite eachother on a grid, Attacker has to score over the line (running for the corner),  while the defender has to not let him/her score on the indside of him/her. Scoring around the outside is not bad.  2. Add a 2nd Attacker. This forces the defender when to make a decision to drift onto the outside attacker. If the defender pushes to ealry they score on the inside. Too late they score on the outside (Not the worst outcome).  3. Drop Out Touch. (Drift Focus)   This game is a normal game of touch rugby, however whenever the attacker is touched the defender who touched him/her must run back too the try line and stay there until play has broken down.   

Drill to test defenders reactions to situations. Set up a 15m x 15m grid with 3 defenders (blue) and 4 attackers (red). All start on the side with the green cones, and jog towards the side with the red cones, defenders about 5m infront of the attackers. On the coaches call the defenders turn to defend and have to adjust to the attack.

Players start in the bottom right corner and on the command sprint as a group before doing 5 press ups. They advance as a defensive line, moving as fast as the slowest player. They never leave a player behind. They then side step (push as a defensive line) left to the next set of cones to do 5 sit ups before sprinting to do press ups. The group follow this routine until the end before the next group go.

Divide your players into groups of five, with one player acting as a running. Each grid will need a runner. The runner starts on the runners cone. You might wish to have two groups of five at each grid, and to have a quick demo before sending all the players to their own grids. Keep your player briefing, brief! The first five passers attack the runners line, passing the pass down the line as they go. The runner sets off as soon as the first ball carrier starts to move. The aim of attack is to score a try in the corner, beating the runner - so quick hands. Each player should realign following their pass, there will be two attacks for each group before they move the ball onto the next group. After the first attack the runner goes to their cones on the opposite side of the grid ready for the next attack. The attack begins when the first players picks the ball off the ground. Don't forget to change the runners. Move the runner cones in to progress the exercise and to put the attack under more pressure.

Here the player needs to have slightly bent knees, and ensure that he is leaning slightly forward with a straight back, giving him space to swing and pass the ball. The player with the ball swings the ball back and forward with a straight arm with force, releasing the ball into the opposite players' hands. The ball is now being passed from left to right. The player receiving should be waiting for the ball, both hands out, fingers soft and pointing 45 degrees up from the horizontal.

2 players face one another and stand about 5m apart. The ball is cupped in one hand (not gripped). The player with the ball swings the ball back and forward with a straight arm with force, releasing the ball into the opposite players' hands.

8+ players  Ball  Players stand at equal distance away at differnt points along the grid. One working player runs in the middle of the channel.  The players on the outside pass the ball into the running player. The Working player must complete 2 sets of passing - 1 run off each hand. 

Keep your player briefing short. Tell your players the following.... Pass the ball left, clockwise for 2 passes. Then right (anti-clockwise) for 1 passes. Retain the ball and flick it to the player behind you. Attack, at speed, across the grid. You will take a pass from the ball carrier on your left before finishing with a pop to the player in front of you. The pattern of this exercise can be a little confusing at the start, but when your players get the pattern there will be no problem. Start off slow and build from there.

3 attackers against two defenders with contact pads. Ball carrier takes ball into contact turning before hitting pads and presenting the ball. Next two players bind on either side and drive the maul to the end of the grid to score.

<p>• The aim of the drill is to develop reaction catching skills.</p>