positional skills handbook - somerset rfu skills handbook.pdf · positional requirements general...

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POSITIONAL SKILLS

HANDBOOK

3

CONTENTS

Preparing yourself for rugby ................................................ 4

Prop ...................................................................................... 6

Hooker .................................................................................. 8

Lock .................................................................................... 10

Flanker ................................................................................ 12

Number 8 ............................................................................ 14

Scrum half .......................................................................... 16

Fly half ............................................................................... 18

Centre ................................................................................. 20

Wing ................................................................................... 22

Full back ............................................................................. 24

Notes ................................................................................... 26

Welcome to the Positional Skills Handbook.

With the England team asworld champions, thisbooklet is aimed at helping you to developyour rugby skills, whatever level you play at.

Due to the nature of the game,contact is frequent. You will need toensure that you condition yourbody to cope with the manydemands of rugby. This includesattention to improving:

• Strength (developing yourmuscular bulk);

• Speed (developing movement ofyour limbs);

• Flexibility (developing themovement range of your joints);

• Stamina (increasing the amount orlength of time your muscleswork);

• Power (developing the explosivestrength in your muscles).

You should ask your coach or PEteacher for advice on improvingyour fitness relative to your age andplaying level.

WARM UP

Before any physical activity (matchor training session), it is essentialthat your body is prepared forexercise.

Follow the tips below to help youperform to your ability and helpkeep you injury free:

• Wear warm clothing to start with;• Begin with gentle jogging

(preferably with a ball) to increaseyour body temperature;

• In between jogging, stretch all ofyour muscle groups;

• Ensure you hold the stretch foraround 10-15 seconds beforehaving another jog;

• Gradually increase the intensity ofyour jogging;

• Stretch and hold any muscles ifthey feel tight.

COOL DOWN

Cooling down your body afterexercise is equally important aswarming up. Gently reducing yourheart rate towards normal andstretching your muscles again willhelp to keep you flexible andprevent your muscles becoming‘stiff ’ over the next couple of days.

You will also find that you may be

able to stretch further than you didin your warm up. This is becauseyour muscles have been used andare warmer. It is a good idea tohold your stretches in a cool downfor 15-20 seconds, so that youbecome more flexible, and lessprone to injury.

KEY SKILLS FOR RUGBY

All players, whatever your position,should acquire competencies in thefollowing skills:

• Ball delivery;• Receiving;• Tackling and defending;• Contact;• Running agility;• Kicking.

In modern rugby, running agility isessential. You would benefit fromundertaking following activities:

Quick stepRun through the ladder,putting both feet in everyhole along ladder length.

SidestepRun sideways along the length ofthe ladder, putting both feet inevery hole.

5PREPARING YOURSELF

FOR RUGBY4

POSITIONALREQUIREMENTS

GENERAL

To scrummage, both props must beextremely strong in the neck,shoulders, upper body and legs.They should relish one-to-onecontact. In the lineout, they shouldbe able to support or lift the jumper(if allowed) to prevent theopposition winning the ball.

In today’s game, props need to beable to handle the ball, deliverquality passes, support play andtackle well.

SCRUM

Loose-head - the player who wearsnumber 1 and scrummages on theleft hand side of the front row. Hisjob is to ensure the scrum does notmove backwards and support thehooker by holding up his opponent,which allows the hooker to see andstrike the ball. He has to resistpressure from the opposition andhave a stance that allows the ball togo to the back of the scrum fromthe strike.

Tight-head - the player who wearsnumber 3 and scrummages on theright hand side of the front row. Hisjob is to ensure the scrum is solidand does not move backwards, andsupport the hooker by holding asquare-on position. With bothshoulders in contact, he can provideadditional pressure on theopposition’s scrum.

PRACTICES

SCRUM

• Practise scrummaging (on amachine and against opposition)whilst supervised;

• Practices should includeindividual work, work with thehooker, and work as a front row.

LINEOUT

• Practise correct supportingtechnique for lineout jumpers(U16s and above);

• Practise blocking and bindingtechniques to protect the ball andjumper.

RUCK AND MAUL

• Practise correct, low drivingtechniques - make an impact withyou shoulders, drive powerfullyfrom the legs through a series ofshort steps.

CONTACT

(opposed 1 v 1 in groups of 4)Equipment: 1 ballAim: to practise diving and mauling

Prop, P, passes the ball to player A,who catches and holds the ball intohis chest. P drives into A andshould attempt to wrestle the balloff him. This should be repeated onplayers B and C. Ensure A, B and Cstay high enough to allow the propto adopt a lower position. Theresistance provided by theopposition in the wrestling shouldbe such that the prop has to workhard to win the ball but is able tosecure it in a few seconds. Repeatas appropriate.

CONTACT (opposed 1 v 1)Equipment: nilAim: to develop neck and shoulder strength

Player A should adopt a press-upposition but on his knees. Player Bshould position himself in the fullyextended press-up position with hisarms bound around A.

• B tries to lift A by driving fromhis feet and lifting from his head.

• B tries to resist downwardpressure by A.

PROP6 7

P A B C

P P

2-3m 2-3m

A B


GENERAL

The hooker is a key team member;one of the spine of the team - 15,10, 9, 8 and 2. He tends to be theco-ordinator at the scrum andlineout. The hooker can play asimilar role to the flanker due to hisrole as thrower at the lineout. Thelineout is a key area of possession,and if the hooker throws the ball in,he must ensure that it is accurate toenable his receiver to maintainpossession.

SCRUM

The hooker grips his props underthe armpits and pulls them towardshim; the props should bind aroundthe hooker to ensure that they act asone solid unit.

The hooker strikes for the ball(usually with his right foot) andpropels it through the loose-headprop’s legs at the right pace anddirection (usually channel 1 or 2).

The hooker may also try to putpressure on his opponent when it isthe opposition’s put in; he does thisby either driving on him, or strikingfor the ball - sometimes called ‘astrike against the head’.

LINEOUT

The hooker is the team’s flanker atthe front of the lineout, who is ableto clear up any spilled ball or attackwith ball in hand.

PRACTICES

SCRUM


• Practices should includeindividual work, work with theprops, and work with the scrumhalf on:- Timing of the strike of the ball,

speed of the strike, and direction(channel 1 or 2);

- Body position for the strike, andfor the eight-man shove.

LINEOUT

• Practise accurate throwing (e.g. atorpedo throw);

• Always practise using a target(e.g. a rugby post, a mark on awall, a player);

• Try and work under matchconditions (e.g. three short shuttleruns, and throw the ball in andrepeat);

• Key factors when throwing theball are:- Hold ball in front of chest in

two hands in a flat position;- The throwing hand supports the

ball underneath on right handside of the ball (if thrower isright handed);

- Spread the fingers along theseam of the ball;

- The non-throwing hand rests ontop, on the left hand side of theball;

- Take the ball back over the head,with the right hand now at theback of the ball, and the lefthand at the front;

- Keep the eyes focused on theintended target;

- Throw ‘soccer style’ with powerderived from a quick action.

SPEED AND ANGLE OF STRIKE

Equipment: a support for the right armAim: to practise striking quicklywith the right leg and co-ordinatingtiming

• From a supported sitting position,with the right arm taking theweight of the body, the hookershould strike, on a given signal,towards the left as on his own put-in.

• With the scrum half putting theball in as required, the hookershould vary his strike to channelthe ball (use only the left prop,hooker and scrum half at thisstage).

• Add additional front row playersas necessary and emphasise thecontrol needed on striking tochannel the ball. Eventually, theopposition front row should applyweight at varying heights.

9HOOKER8


GENERAL

The lock is a key ball winner inmany areas of the field, butparticularly in the lineout andrestarts. As the locks tend to bebigger players, and are difficult totackle, they should be competent atrunning with the ball in hand.

SCRUM

The lock, as an individual, musthave an excellent scrummagingtechnique which contributes to thetotal effectiveness of the scrum as aunit. The locks provide the‘powerhouse’ drive of the scrum,and therefore have to work closelywith their props to optimise thedrive. They should develop a strongbind through the props’ legs (oraround the hips for U12s), pullingthe prop on to his own shoulder.The two locks should also bind sothat they pull each others’ hipsclose together, and have a flat back,ready to drive.

LINEOUT

The locks tend to jump to retrievethe ball in the lineout. Locks needto develop their ability to jumpfrom a stationary position, ormoving forwards and backwards.They should be expert at catchingthe ball whilst in the air in a varietyof situations (e.g. one-handed, two-handed, in front of the jumper, orarching backwards to catch alooping ball). Locks also need to bestrong in the arms and upper bodyto resist competition in the air forthe ball from opponents.

RESTARTS

Similar to the lineouts, the lock,being one of the taller and strongerplayers, should seek to catch theball from his own and opponents’restart kicks. They should practisetrying to take the ball as high aspossible, by either catching, orcatching and playing the ball backtowards his players.

PRACTICES

SCRUM


• Practices should includeindividual work, work with hisfellow lock and with the frontthree and back row on:- Body position, dynamic driving

position - flat back, legs indriving position.

LINEOUT

• Practise jumping going forwards,backwards and straight up,leading with the left foot and rightfoot;

• Practise catching the ball in theair with one hand and two hands;

• Basketball is an excellent gamefor developing handling andjumping skills.

JUMPING (individuals unopposed in groups of 8)Equipment: 3 corner flagsAim: to develop height in jumping

• Three corner flags should be heldas hurdles, at an appropriateheight off the ground to suit thejumpers, by three pairs of players.The corner flags should be heldparallel to the ground on top ofopen, upturned palms and to be,say, 1 metre apart or at a distanceto suit the jumpers.

• The two jumpers, working singlyor as a pair, should jump sidewaysoff both feet over the hurdles,extending their arms fully, movingalong the three hurdles and backagain. Repeat as required.

11LOCK10

To suitjumpers

Corner flags held as hurdlesspaced 1 metre apart


GENERAL

Flankers form part of the back rowof the forwards. They may play leftand right of the scrum or ‘open’and ‘blind’ of the scrum. Togetherwith the number 8, flankers are theessential link in ensuring that playmaintains its movement forward -they retain possession, recycle theball and give the team continuity. Indefence, they are key players inwinning possession fromopponents.

SCRUM

A flanker’s first role at the scrum isto push and add stability to thepack. If the flanker is on the side ofthe put-in, he should be helping tocontrol the ball, if required, when ithas been struck by the hooker.Once the scrum is over, flankersshould be first away to supportplay. On opponents’ scrums,flankers should add to the eight-man drive and be up quickly todefend once the ball is played.

LINEOUT

The flanker’s role in the lineout isvaried. One flanker, often thestronger of the two, helps tosupport or lift a jumper, whilst theother, often the quickest and bestball handler, stands at the back ofthe lineout to support the attack andsweep up. In defensive lineouts, theflanker at the back will look to putpressure on the opposition backs.

DEFENCE

In defence, the flankers mustpressure the opposition insidebacks. At the tackle area, flankerstry and disrupt possession by eitherstealing the ball on contact,stepping over the ball and drivingoff opponents (if it is grounded), orby picking the ball up.

CONTINUITY/OPEN PLAY

A flanker should ensure that he isin support of play as often aspossible. He should be a competentball carrier, able to manage contactin the tackle area, and ensure thatpossession of the ball ismaintained.

PRACTICESSCRUM


• Practices should includeindividual work, and work withthe front five and back row on:- Body position, dynamic driving

position - flat back, legs indriving position;

- Back row moves and ploys.

LINEOUT


• Practise blocking and bindingtechniques to protect the ball andjumper;

• Practise jumping techniques asper a lock.

OPEN PLAY

• Practise running with the backsand number 8 to learn:- Backs’ timing and alignment;- Support play and decisions at

the contact area.• Practise playing the ball before,

during and after contact;• Practise supporting the ball

carrier - when to receive a passand which running line to take;

• Practise falling on loose ball andplaying the ball off the floor.

CONTACT

Equipment:3 balls, 4 corner flags/conesAim: to practise tackling

Attackers A, B and C shouldattempt to score, in turn, betweenthe flags at either V-W or X-Y.Flanker, F, must try to prevent ascore. Attackers should set off asthe previous player either scores oris tackled, and should carry a ball.

13FLANKER12

AB

C

F

10m

8m1m 1m

X YV W


GENERAL

The number 8 is usually a ballcarrier, with good quality runningand handling skills, and an aggressivetackler. As a key decision-maker, heis part of the spine of the team - 2, 8,9, 10 and 15.

As part of the back row, he shouldwork closely with his flankers toprovide the essential link thatmaintains a forward movement ofplay. The number 8 must retainpossession, recycle the ball andgive the team continuity. Indefence, he is an important figurein winning possession of the ballfrom the opposition.

SCRUM

In the scrum, the number 8 bindsthe locks together by having hisshoulders against each player,whilst his arms pull them inwards.As he drives, this helps to transmitall the force in the scrum forwards.The number 8 has to control theball at the back of the scrum withhis feet, whilst maintaining hisbinding on the locks. He may needto transfer the ball to his right footto allow his scrum half to pass theball without interference from theopposite number 9. The number 8may also pick up the ball from thescrum to start any back row moves.

LINEOUT

Traditionally, a number 8 has been athird lineout jumper due to his size.However, number 8s now may berequired to lift or support a jumper.

DEFENCE

The number 8 should work with hisflankers to provide defensive coverclose to the breakdown or inside hisown backs. If a flanker has beenbeaten on the inside, then thenumber 8 should be in a position tomake the tackle. At the scrum, thenumber 8 should be the secondtackler, after the flanker, around thesides of the scrum.

CONTINUITY/OPEN PLAY

The number 8 should ensure that heis in support of play as often as

possible - he is often the secondforward to the breakdown fromscrums. He should be a competentball carrier, be able to managecontact in the tackle area andensure that possession of the ball ismaintained.

PRACTICESSCRUM


• Practices should includeindividual work, and work withthe front five and back row on:- Body position, dynamic driving

position - flat back, legs indriving position;

- Back row moves and ploys;- Controlling the ball at feet

whilst static and whilst movingforwards or backwards;

- Timing of the pick up and drive,or pick up and pass;

- ‘Locking out’ the scrum.

LINEOUT


• Practise blocking and bindingtechniques to protect the ball andjumper;

• Practise jumping techniques asper a lock.

OPEN PLAY

• Practise running with the backsand flankers to learn:- Backs’ timing and alignment;- Support play and decisions at

the contact area;• Practise playing the ball before,

during and after contact;• Practise supporting the ball

carrier - when to receive a passand which running line to take.

Develop your speed of breakingand passing from the scrum.

15NUMBER 814

8 9 14

14

615 11

8 9


GENERAL

The scrum half is the key player inthe team. He is at the centre of allthat happens. He is the linkbetween the forwards and thebacks, the co-ordinator whodictates when the ball is to beproduced and often the person whodecides where the ball goes andwhat happens next.

He is the key player in deciding thecalls at lineouts and scrums, anaccurate passer of the ball, a goodtackler, quick off the mark, anevasive runner, a motivator, adecision maker, a reader of thegame and a tactician.

PASSING

The scrum half must be able topass the ball quickly, without delay,off either left or right handaccurately, to the receiver.

KICKING

Ideally, the scrum half should beable to kick with either foot andshould be able to effect high ‘box’kicks over scrums, lineouts rucks ormauls. To execute these kickssuccessfully, he should use theprotection of the breakdown, scrumor lineout and take only one stepback as he performs the kick.

RUNNING

A scrum half who can make abreak using powerful accelerationwill present a threat to theopposition. However, this should bedone selectively, where there aregaps in defences.

DEFENCE

In scrum defence, the scrum halfmay play a number of roles. Heshould work closely with his backrow and be one of the first playersto tackle. He could also decide tofollow the ball around if theopposition back row picks and go.He could decide to concentrate onpressurising the opposition’s flyhalf if the ball is passed. At rucksand mauls, the scrum half is likelyto be a defensive organiser.

PRACTICES

TECHNIQUE AND SKILL

• Practise under varying pressure,to the left and right:- The standing pass;- The pivot pass;- The dive pass;- The reverse pass.

• Practise passing the ball whenreceiving it from a lineout, scrum,ruck or maul;

• Practise high hanging kicks offhis right and left feet to land in amarked area for accuracy.

HANDLING

(unopposed in groups of 3 plus a feeder)Equipment: 2 ballsAim: to practise basic passes(standing, divot and dive)

• The feeder should deliver the ballin a variety of ways to the scrumhalf, 9, from the air, along theground, to the left and to the right.The scrum half should feed thetwo fly halves, 10, alternatively.The fly half should return theballs to the feeder. The practiceshould be repeated after two ballsfrom the other direction.

• The outside halves should initiallyact as a static target and thensubsequently take the ball on therun.

17SCRUM HALF16

9

A9

9

B


GENERAL

The number 10 is the pivotalposition in the team. The fly half isa key decision maker, as he willoften decide the direction (left orright) and the width (close or wide)of the next play, or the depth of thekick (short or long). He could alsodecide to run the ball and make abreak.

ATTACK

The fly half should decide how‘flat’ he can take the ball (close tothe gain line) in order to threatenthe defence. He may attempt tobreak or retain possession oncontact. He is also responsible forbringing his centres, wings andforwards into play with a variety ofpasses or kicks.

DEFENCE

The fly half plays a full role indefence as a tackler and he willhelp to co-ordinate back linedefence from set pieces.

KICKING

The fly half should be a competentkicker out of hand to add to hisattacking capabilities. He should beable to make high hanging kicks,chips, grubber and diagonal kicks,with the key aim of retainingpossession. He often restarts playwith drop kicks. He may also haveto make clearing kicks to ‘touch’under pressure in defence.

PRACTICESTECHNIQUE AND SKILL

• Practise receiving the ball fromhis scrum half from both sidesand at varying lengths of pass;

• Practise receiving a ball andmaking a break using explosiveacceleration;

• Practise evasive running skills toavoid contact and beat defences;

• All types of kicks should bepractised with either foot undervarying pressure - using a seriesof targets.

Practise kicking towards touch butkeeping the ball in play to force theopposition to concede a lineout.

19FLY HALF18

10

15 Attacking throw


GENERAL

A centre is a key decision makerwhen his team are in possession.He must decide instantly whether topass, kick, or make contact andretain the ball, or make a break. Indefence, the centre is often requiredto tackle his opponent head on.

ATTACK

A centre should have theconfidence to take on and beat hisopponent and play the ball out ofthe tackle. Centres are ofteninvolved in set moves from thescrum and lineout. They should beprepared to read the game andanticipate what happens next fromopen play. The centre should beable to deliver a variety of shortand long passes, kick diagonally,high or grubber style, to beat flatdefences.

DEFENCE

The defence of the centres must beco-ordinated and watertight. As ageneral rule, centres shouldadvance towards the oppositiontogether in a flat line and on the‘inside’ (nearest the breakdown) oftheir opponents to ensure that theyare pushed away from their mainsupport.

CONTACT

Centres need to have excellentcontact skills. They are often thefirst tacklers in defence. Theyshould be able to retain the ball incontact and support the new ballcarrier after a pass.


• Practise receiving and passing theball from left and right;

• Practise different lines of runningby changes of direction into gaps,rather than running at opponents;

• Practise receiving a ball andmaking a break using explosiveacceleration;

• Practise evasive running skills toavoid contact and beat defences.

• All types of kicks should bepractised with either foot undervarying pressure - using a seriesof targets.

Practise taking contact and makinga pass afterwards (e.g. 12 is beingtackled but still gets a pass off to13).

21CENTRE20

10 12 13

1012

13

1312


GENERAL

Chosen for flair, speed andelusiveness, a winger must also bereliable in defence and be able tokick and to deal with oppositionkicks. Wingers must have a highwork rate and go looking for theball if it isn’t coming in theirdirection. They should be able toread the game and anticipate whathappens next.

ATTACK

The winger should have excellenthandling skills, should be able tobeat opponents by speed, change ofpace, evasion and hand-off. Heshould be able to keep the ball aliveby either taking a tackle andpassing the ball to a supportingplayer, or staying on his feet aslong as possible, or by initiating acounter attack with his other wingand/or full back. The winger shouldhave excellent ball retention skillson contact and must contributefully to maul, ruck and tacklesituations.

DEFENCE

Defensively, from the scrum andlineout, the open-side wing maystand wide and deep to ensure thatif the opposition kick diagonally, hewill be able to gather the kick moreeasily. However, once the ball hasgone through the attacking flyhalf’s hands, he must rapidly moveforward to be in a position to tacklein conjunction with his outsidecentre. Alternatively, the open-sidewing could operate flat with hiscentres from the beginning. As ablind-side wing, he mustunderstand his role in conjunctionwith his own back row and scrumhalf when defending in the 22metre area and be prepared to coveracross field if the attack goes open.

RECEIVING

Numbers 14 and 11 should be ableto field a variety of diagonal, highor grubber kicks.

KICKING

To deal with opposition kicks by

kicking clear to touch, by kickinglong into opposition territory or byinitiating a counter attack with thefull back and/or other wing/centres.


• Practise, against opposition undervarying pressure, taking a passand then:- Running with the ball at pace;- Evading the opposition by

change of pace, change ofdirection, sidestep and swerve;

- Passing to support;- Chipping and chasing;- Making the ball available in a

tackle.• Practise, under varying pressure,

both moving towards and awayfrom his own line, fielding highballs into the box and diagonal,rolling balls to the wing.

Learn how to preserve space, pulldefenders in and then swerveoutwards to beat the defender (orpass to a looping support player).

23WING22

D

14


GENERAL

The full back often has greateropportunity, time and space to readthe game as it unfolds in front ofhim in attack or defence. Theability to read the game and toanticipate what happens next is akey quality in a full back.

ATTACK

The full back, whilst attacking,should look to be involved by eitherbeing a ‘strike runner’ (comingfrom depth into a gap and receivinga ball) or acting as a decoy runnerto hold the attention of the defence.The full back can vary where hecomes in to the line, but should doso at pace. If the ball is kicked intohis own half, the full back shouldlook to link up with other playerssuch as his wingers and counterattack.

KICKING

The full back often has to execute arange of kicks, some to relievepressure, some to counter attack.

DEFENCE

The full back is often the last lineof defence. He should help toorganise the defence, as he has awider vision than most players. If aplayer makes a break, he shouldshorten the thinking time of theattacker by moving towards him ina controlled manner, shepherdinghim towards the touchline.

FIELDING/CATCHING

The full back has to deal with arange of kicks from opponents.Catching them in the air beforethey bounce is preferable; he will,however, have to deal with longkicks and pick up or fall on the ballwhilst it is rolling along the ground.


• Practise, under varying pressure,both moving towards and awayfrom his own line:

- Fielding high ball into the box;- High balls under the post;- Diagonal rolling balls to the

wing;- Grubber kicks through the

centre;- Chip kicks.

• Practise, under varying pressure,from each of these fieldingsituations, the following:- Screw kicks;- Bouncing the ball into touch

when outside the 22 metre line;- Running in counter attack,

evading the tackle;- Kicking into effective areas (e.g.

‘up and under’, diagonal rollingball to wing, including kickswhich stay on the field and putpressure on opponents.

• Practise, with a partner, kickingtowards a target/target area.

Practise your positioning under ahigh kick and learn how to timeyour jump to catch the ball whilstin the air.

FULL BACK24

15

15

25

26

NOTES

Images courtesy of Getty Images, SWpix.com, Idris Martin, The Bridge and Touchline archive.

RFU Community Rugby & Operations DepartmentRugby HouseRugby RoadTwickenham TW1 1DS

Tel: 020 8892 2000Fax: 020 8892 9816Web: www.rfu.com

© Rugby Football Union 2004

Please note: any reference to him or he does not apply a preference gender.

positional skills handbook - somerset rfu skills handbook.pdf · positional requirements general...

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