Rugby: guard the ruck

5-7 players run around in a rectangle shaped grid. They must move very fast within it awaiting the whistle, but they are not allowed to touch the other players. Once the whistle goes they must occupy the closest cone to them, facing the coach. Then they must shift, heavies to the inside and speedsters to the outside. On the next whistle they then press in one line.

The player with the ball keeps it secured under one of his arms. The opposition player then works hard for ten seconds, trying to reach and get the ball from the opponent, who is holding onto the front of their shirt with a strong arm.

4 players stand on the corners of a 5x5m grid, and one player in the middle (the piggy). They play piggy in the middle until the whistle goes.On hearing the whistle: The player with ball in hand is pillar aka 1. The rest of the players FOLD in and become 2,3,4 and 5 in the defenesive line. Once they are set, they call hold hold and press off the line.

Players line up at least 2 or 3 behind a cone. The ball starts at one end with the player running up to the cone in front of him and passing to the next player waiting on the cone. As a player has passed he must quickly run around the grid and fall back into position. The Ball is constantly within the grid moving from right to left.

Set up 4 grids of about 8-10m by 5m. 3 players start on the first grid, working from one end to the other, covering the 5m distance. The aim is to stay in one straight line as they go up, and also keep themselves evenly spaced Once they have achieved that, they fall back into the next grid diagonally across and back. Now there should be 6 players on the line, and they all work together to come off the line, as one. Players continue working like this, until they reach the end of the grid. Once the coach blows his whistle the line may press off.

<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set up a 5mx5m grid<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Work in fours - two attacker and two defender<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The ball is fed from a player from the 1st defending player who also holds the tackle pad and will simulate the ‘jackal’ threat player in the 2v2<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The first attacking player receives the ball and engages the pad holder and passes to the second attacking player<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The second attacking player engages the second defender (tackler) and bounces out to a weak shoulder<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The first attacking player (inside clear out) and the 1st defending player (jackler) then try and race to support<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The inside clear looks to support the attacker and clear out the jackler<br><br><br>

Simple quick hands down the line. Players line up in fours. A coach or player feeds the ball in and players must hold their depth and use quick hands along the line.

<span style=&quot;color: var(--color); font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;&quot;>Set up a large square with a cone in each corner. Three attacking players start along one side of the square with two defenders in the middle. You can increase the number of attackers or defenders as you wish. Attacker always try to attack across the square. Once the attackers reach the other side of the square they pop the ball to the attackers on the side of the square and not in front of them.<br>

The drill starts with two teams of equal players playing a standard game of touch. Whenever a touch is made, the defender immediately joins the attacking side and acts as scrum half. This creates an attacking overload. Players must try to score a try by exploiting the overload in the least amount of touches. The drill resets after a try is scored.

The aim is to the defensive situation to keep changing the defence gets used to drifting or pressing. The aim of the attack is to realign using the full width, get the ball out of the breakdown quickly (no matter what position you play), seeing space, communicating options and reading the defence. Can be done with any number of players but best suited to around 7. You will need 7 cones, 1 ball, a 40 m area, attack of line and try line. Players passed the ball quickly down the line. When the ball gets halfway, the coach shouts out a number. Number reflects the number of defenders. The end player puts down the ball by pad, then the 2 defenders get onside (beyond defensive line) and defend against the other attackers. The defenders need to work together. Stay tight and use the sideline extra defender. Drifting from the inside and pushing up and out. Attack looks to use, player pace and beat the drift. Important defence talks and understand what they are doing in the changing circumstances. With 4 attackers and 3 defenders, defenders might look for a blitz defence or up then drift. Scrum-half can break so defence must defend at guard. Attack should be looking up and reading the situation. If we have an overlap then as a unit we must understand how to fix defenders. You must start to add a kicking option to advance the drill. 8 players, you can have a forward runner offering a shadow line of 10. He is involved in the passing down the line but is on a separate cone in the front of the 7. This fits in with the patterns and philosophy of attack. You might get the forward to press ups or other exercise to replicate fatigue.

5 attackers - 10 defenders (or 2 to 1 ratio dependent on numbers) Start slowly with ruck ball Defenders cannot steal ball Attackers recycle ball Defenders realign Coach calls tackle made Coach controls speed of ball available

Two lines of four stand back to back with the ball on the right hand side of each line. On go they both sprint 15m whilst passing down the line and then turn to run back whilst returning down the line to the player who started with the ball.

This is a quick drill to prime your players in your defence organisation on the short side and its an opportunity to ingrain you defence principlesThe aim of the drill is to develop your teams good habits in defending the short side whilst changing the attack picture continuouslyAfter each set, player resetSet 4 cones up in a square 1m apart 15m from the touch line, this will mark the break downDefending players line up on the far side of the ‘ruck’ and these players will be players who will ‘fold’ on the coaches call3 or 4 players will act as attacking players2 other defending players are positioned 5 meters back from the gain line and on the touch line.These players need to connect with the players folding around the ruck

Two teamsMinimum three passes before scoringAll players must be in the 'player zone' to score a pointOne touch turnoverPlayers can pass in any direction

<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>A quick drill to focus the players before going into a session or at the start of a match day warm up. <span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The aim of the drill is to develop early hand-catch, quick and accurate transfer of the ball to a support player.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set 4 cones 3-5 meters apart on the 5 meter line. This will mark the starting point for your players. <span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set up cones opposite on the try line<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Ask your players to line up behind each cone.The ball carrier runs out to the cone opposite and passes to the next playerOnce the player on the end receives the ball, the drill changes direction and the ball goes back in the direction it came from<br><br><br>

The aim of the drill is to develop mechanisms to unlock defences in open playThe first defender/feeder starts with the ball at a cone set up on the touch line five metres out from the try lineSet 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 2v1The ball is fed from the first defender, with the attackers completing a 2v1The defender joins the two attackers to create a 3v2Two attackers then become the two defenders for the next repetition of the drill

<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set up a 8 channels of cones 5 metres apart<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>A group of 4 players start on the side line, and all players need to work around the nearest/corner cone.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The first player with the ball will run into the nearest channel of cones (lane 1) and all the other players will work around the corner cone and filter into the proceeding channels<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The 1st player passes the ball as soon as the 2nd player gets into the 2nd channel. The ball is passed down the line of 4 players until the 4th players receives the ball.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Once the 4th player receives the ball, the ball is placed down and all the players work around to get into their respective channel to repeat the process.<br>

<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Set up: the cones as shown with a cone 10 meters each side of the posts on the try line. This will mark where the ball will be passed from (feeder) preferably from a scrum half.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Divide the group into 3 and ask them to stand in single file behind each cone.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The ball is fed from a position alternately from either side of the post. This will encourage the players to scan, communicate and to be expectant of the ball.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The players on the cones opposite the posts will either be the 1st receiver or the BANG option runner. The BANG runner is always running an out to in, or up to in line to fix the 2nd defender.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The players on the middle cone will receive the ball in the BINGO (pull back) option outside the ‘outside’ post or just in behind the BANG player.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The BINGO players should run and an arced run to receive the ball outside the outer post. The BINGO player should try to straighten up prior to receiving or on receiving the ball.<br>Progression:<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Get 2 players or coaches to stand in front of the posts with 2 different coloured cones in their hands on their hips.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The cones will represent the ‘hips’ of the 2nd defender.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The aim is to encourage the 1st receiver to scan, look, and make a quick decision (choice of pass) depending on what the defender is doing.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>If the 1st receivers sees the ‘inside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned OUT and make a short pass to the BANG runner.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>If the 1st receivers sees the ‘outside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned IN and make a PULL BACK pass to the BINGO runner.

The realignment and depth hands drill is a quick drill to focus the players in sharpening their alignment and depth before a session. You can spend as long or as short on this drill as you need. The aim of the drill is to develop the speed at which players realign themselves, to support their early hand-catch, quick and accurate transfer of the ball to a support player.Set a 5 cones 1.5 meter apart in straight line. This will mark where the players will start the drill fromSet 4 cones at a diagonal in line with the starting cones from one edge. This will be the cones that the defending players need to retreat to before coming up to pressure the attacking players.The first attacking player needs to step back 1 meter and will receive the ball from the first defending player who has also stepped back 1 meter to his designated coneDivide the group into 4 attacking player and 5 defending players, there should be a free attacking playerThe ball starts with the defending playerOn the coaches call, all defending players need to work back to their designated cone and then come forward in a straight line to their opposite attacking playerThe attacking players set their own depth to ensure they have time to catch and pass effectivelyOn the coaches call, the first defending player will move back to their cone, once they get to the cone they pass the ball to the first attacking player, and then the first defending player tries to put pressure on the first attacking playerThe attacking players try to get the ball to the 5th player without being ‘touched’ by a defending player

Set up: Set up the cones as shown with a cone 10 meters each side of the posts on the try line. This will mark where the ball will be passed from (feeder) preferably from a scrum half.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>Divide the group into 4 and ask them to stand in single file behind each cone, 3 attacking groups, 1 defending group.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The ball is fed from a position on the try line (10 meters from the post). <span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The players on the staggered cones opposite the posts will catch and pass the ball using the correct technique.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The player on the defending cone will move forward once the scrum half passes the ball to apply pressure on the middle attacking player.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The players on the middle cone will receive the ball with a live defender in front of them.<span style=&quot;background-color: transparent;&quot;>The 3rd receiving player needs to receive the ball at pace and run as close to the outside post as possible.