Backline Communication

The key to good backline defence is communication. A player needs to cover all of an opponent’s attacking options. A common mistake is when players get caught “ball watching” when the ball is still back at a breakdown. This can lead to overlaps, and mismatches. It is important for players to observe any formation changes in the opposition backline and communicate this to thier own players.

Key points to get across to your players when coaching defence

• Tackling technique is important, particularly at youth level coaching proper tackling technique is key
• Use your speed to close down an attackers space
• Use control and balance when approaching the attacking line
• Support your outside player`s inside shoulder.
• Put pressure on the player you are marking
• Don’t be afraid to adapt or change defensive patterns, to stop the opposition reading your plan
• If you commit to a tackle, make sure you commit the attacker to a decision

Where’s your head at?

Defence is a mental game.  You often see at junior levels young rugby players showing fear of tackling larger players. Coaching this fear out of younger players is an important aspect of teaching defence at younger levels of the game. If your players won’t tackle, they aren’t going to win games. Fear can be coached out of younger players with experience. They soon see that bigger players fall harder, and if you work on their fitness, and technique there is no reason why an aggressive small team can’t steam roll a much larger side.

Formations

It is often a good idea to explain your defensive plan in terms of formations. The following are a few basic formations used in our modern game, some of which originated from Rugby League.

Slide Defence or “Up and Out”

Slide defence is all about marking up and standing inside your opponent giving them space outside you. This encourages opponents to slide towards the sideline. This is a good tactic if you have very fast backs, as your players need to have the wheels on their opposition.  It works as your are encouraging opponents to use the outside space, but at the same time you are using your speed, and the side line to limit their options.

Up and In

For an “Up and In” defence you stand and mark up on the outside of your opponent, limiting their outside options, and driving them back towards your forwards. This is a good plan when you suspect your backs are slower than the opposition, and where you have a much bigger forward pack. This formation encourages more action in tight where your forwards operate.

Up and Decide

The “Up and Decide” formation is a combination of both the above. Where the first 4 players from the ruck mark up on the outside, forcing close play to stay tight. This closes down space for those players hitting the ball up. However, if the ball is spread wide, outside backs mark up on the inside of their opponents, and use slide defence, speed and the sideline to limit their opponent’s space.

Drills

Some great drills for coaching defence from our Rugby Coaching Videos section:

1v1 Tracking Square

Continuous Defense

4v3 Moving Defenders

Image credit: Suewells10

Science

A warm up in rugby is very important as it increases your body and muscle temperature. It also helps to activate muscle groups and stimulate the nervous system to increase joint mobility. This prepares players for the tough physical activity of rugby while lowering the risk of injury.

What should players do?

The following video is a good example that looks at some of the options for warming up players for a game of rugby.

Summary

• Light jogging to loosen things up
• Increase intensity – do some stretches
• Work some basic skills increasing intensity

A cool down routine is also very important to help muscle and joints to relax. It helps player’s avoid muscle cramp and is a good team exercise to work on togetherness after a game regardless of the result.

Aim: Ball retention and timing onto the ball by supporting runners.

Description:

Coaching Tips:

Make sure the players are running from depth and taking the ball at pace from the flyhalf. Get the players cleaning effectively through the contact point and ensure the player going into contact stays on his feet until support arrives.

Aim: Develop explosive power from the deck and defensive leg drive.

Description:

Coaching Tips:

Emphasize speed onto and off the ground. Ensure correct body position with the drive. Straight back, good shoulder, not arm, contact, and bent legs.

Aim: Effective clean out technique and ball skills.

Description:

Coaching Tips:

This drill creates the opportunity to correct clean out technique and ripping technique. Ensure the low body position, soild shoulder contact and powerful leg drive are evident on the shield clean out.

Get the player who is ripping to work hard to get off the deck quickly and attack the ball aggressively and that they roll out of the rip the correct way.

Aim: Used for a warm up drill or general SAQ and ball skills.

Description:

Coaching Tips:

Short sharp steps accelerating from cone to cone.
Good low body position when placing and picking the ball.
Accelerate into the ball when picking it up.

Aim: To develop cleaning out technique at the break down / ruck and ball skills under pressure.

Description:

Coaching Tips:

Get the fanning players to work hard laterally so they can run straight onto the ball but still have width. Maintain depth on attack.

Aim: To develop rugby specific fitness and ball skills.
Description:

Coaching Tips:

Support from depth and keep the ball in the middle to create left and right attacking options.

Category: Fitness
Objective: To assess fitness levels of players
Gear: Audio file (free download) Or Tape Or Cd + Cones
Players: Whole team

Shuttle Set Up

The recording is typically structured into 23 ‘levels’, each of which lasts around 63 seconds. Usually, the interval of beeps is calculated as requiring a speed at the start of 8.0 km/h, increasing by 0.5 km/h with each level. The progression from one level to the next is signaled by 3 rapid beeps.

Bleep Test Video:

Advantages: Large teams can perform this test all at the same time – using the free audio file provided the costs are little to none.

Disadvantages: Practice and motivation levels can influence the score participants attain. As the test is often conducted outside, the environmental conditions can also affect the results.

What results are good for a Rugby Player?

To give you a guide as to where you are compared to the pros – At their prime:

• Neil Back – 16+
• Martin Johnson – 14
• Jonah Lomu – 10
• Graeme Bachop – 19

To play in the US Rugby team you need at least 13.

Download Free Bleep Test Audio File:

Category: Passing
Objective: To improve ball handling skills.
Gear: 1ball, 10 metre grid (can use cones or anything to mark area)
Players: 2 teams of 4 to 6

1. Each player in a team is given a number.
2. The ball must be passed between team members, but the rule is that it must be passed in order. i.e Player 1 must pass to 2, 2 must pass to 3 etc.
3. The game is like Piggy in the middle but as a group.
4. The defending team must try and break play down. If the player with the ball is held, or if a pass is dropped the ball is turned over.