• Thoughts on Fall 2011– Individual skills improved– No sense of attacking rugby– Little sense of strategic, tactical awareness

• Strategy: your overall game plan

• Tactics: specific plans for specific occurrences

– Possession usage wasn’t always smart– Selfishness with the ball

• You’ve got to pass it

– Poor choices once in contact• No preparation for rucking or mauling

• Thoughts on Fall 2011– Backs

• Play calling was not always evident

• Plays weren’t “snappy”

– Scrums• Not bad, not good

• Ball retention must be better

– Lineouts• Inaccurate throwing, jumping

• Timing was not there

• Lack of practice

• Terminology– Continuity

• Possession and Forward momentum

– First Phase/Restart• Scrums, Lineouts, Kickoffs, 22M

– Second Phase• Rucks, mauls

• Continuity, forward momentum, possession, territory

Understanding the Game • -Basic patternBasic pattern

– alternate concentration and dispersal of players on the pitch; large number of players usually concentrated in small area of pitch.

– Thus, attackers can use the remaining space to stretch defenses.

– OR: you concentrate the defense, with the goal of either breaking through or breaking wide

• The longer fluid play continues, the greater the probability of disorder

• BUT: disorder in defense allows attack to succeed.

Attacking Rugby• Principles and Patterns

• Agree on the PRINCIPLES of your Attack– Forward dominated?– In close? Wide?

• What PATTERNS will you use?– Diamonds/Pods– Staggered Backline?

scrum

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9Attack Line: starting point for attack

Tackle Line

Gain Line: Ball in Front of Forwards

Defensive Line: starting point for defense

RUCK

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Attack Line: starting point for attack

Gain Line

Defensive Line: starting point for defense

• Point Rugby

• Attacking from First Phase

• Principle:– Always call a PLAY!

– Scrum

• Flyhalf calls backline play—the PATTERN of attack

• OR

• #8 calls Eightman pick—a PATTERN of attack

• KNOW what is about to happen

• Develop rules

– i.e. Scrum inside opposition 22M

» 8 man pick

– Scrum midfield, 50m mark

» Ball to backs, play called

• Point Rugby

• Attacking from Second Phase

• PRINCIPLE: RED or BLACK– IF RED

• Ball to backs; play is called—the PATTERN

• Forwards in support

– If Black• Ball to forwards

• Backs in support AFTER the gainline is breached or ruck is set

• Pods/Diamonds—the PATTERN

RUCK

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Gain Line

RUCK

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Gain Line

#1 and #8 create space here

• Ball Carrier– Commit defender(s)!– CREATE SPACE FOR THE NEXT MAN– Avoid contact!– PASS before contact!– Try not to pass AFTER contact—focus on possession– Decide which direction you’ll move the ball

• Right or left? Away from the ruck? Towards the ruck?

• Right/Left Support: • You must be prepared to support ruck or maul• You CANNOT overrun the play

• Deep Support• You must hit the line at PACE

• Be prepared to crash through and LOOK for support left or right

• How come this never works???

– Ball carrier goes into contact without looking for support

– Ball carrier starts too close to gain line

– Support players overrun the breakdown b/c they think they’ll get the ball beyond the defensive line

– Ball carrier Screws up the pass

– Tries to pass too close to defenders and the ball is trapped

– Passes too far away from defense allowing defense to readjust

– Support players– Too slow and aren’t there

– Too fast and overrun

• Point Rugby

• Attacking from Second Phase—RED BALL– The PATTERN:– One

• Ball to flyhalf

– Two• Ball to flyhalf then inside center

– Three• Ball to FH, IC, OC

• Etc…

– Throw in a switch…

• Attacking from Second Phase—RED BALL• Modify IT:

– One Left• Ball to flyhalf, pop pass to forward on FH outside

– One Right• Ball to flyhalf, pop pass to forward on FH inside

– Two Left• Ball to flyhalf then inside center, pop pass to forward

outside

– Two Right• Ball to flyhalf then inside center, pop pass to forward

inside

• ETC….

• How come this won’t work???

– Slow passes from SH to FH– Poor pop pass from FH to forward crashing

through– Forward support too slow; not there for the

pass– Forward support too fast; overruns the FH

or IC

• What will make it work?

• Pods and Back play during Second phase depends upon:– Ball carrier committing opposition to

CREATE SPACE– Speed and Accuracy in passing– Pop passes that aren’t too hard– Don’t pass out of contact; Pass before

contact

Set Pieces• Set pieces favor defense:

– at scrum, tackle-line and gain-line favor defense

– lineout: offside law favors defense.

• Consequences of set piece play:

1. Possession/put in is only a potential advantage;

2. quick ball, with the knowledge of how to use it, favors the attack;

3.  whichever team gets the ball across the gain line will have its pack running forward, further generating and supporting the attack. The further out the strike is made, the less important this advantage becomes;4. tackling power of a team tends to be concentrated in the back row (flankers/8) and the front three (fh-ic-oc);

5.   defenders are concentrated: therefore, each attack must account for how to disperse them;

-stoppage allows the defense to regroup; on the rare occasion it allows the attack to regroup

Principles of Attack

1.    Get possession

2.     Go forward

3.      Support the ball carriers—continuity

• Maintain the pressure

1.        Get possession: the first priority of any unit must be possession. Also, it must be good possession: good ball where it’s wanted, when it’s wanted, at the speed it is wanted.

2.        Get possession and go forward: -loose forwards: intelligent running-get the pack running forward

 

• Going Forward:

• Pace is importantPace is important: the ability to pass and receive passes at speed.

• Tactical Decision Maker: The TDM must select a point of attack and a mode of attack, i.e. ruck/maul, kick, etc.

3. SupportSupport the ball carrier/continuity• Every step towards effective support is one step

towards maintaining the momentum of the attack.

• The nearest player to the ball carrier must support intelligently: i.e. support ball in maul, drive over in ruck, communicate for the outside pass, etc.

 • Pick the proper running line.• Run off your teammates: run off ball carrier

with the idea of driving into space, OR supporting in breakdown.

4.        Maintain pressure

• Speed and accuracy of passing; quick passes can create a pressurized attack.

• Urgency in recycling ball when over the previous defense lines; i.e., quick rucks.

• Second-Phase Ball•  • -know where the advantage lies• -react faster than opposition•  • -Where is the advantage? Scrum half should

determine where the attack will proceed. Generally, an attack should seek space that is open, so an attack should go in one direction, right or left, for several phases: this takes the attack away from the opposing forwards.

Successful Attacks• Man with the Ball

• One or more in support

• Attack unit: Second Wave in Support (Including #9)

• ALL players must view their roles in terms of concentrating their attack in first- or second-wave support

• Support: ready to ruck, or ready to take a pass

• -IMPORTANT: SH IMPORTANT: SH determines when and determines when and where the opposition are where the opposition are outflanked, and directs outflanked, and directs attackattack

• -Nearest player, wherever he is, goes into the maul to get the ball; OR, with a ruck, seeks to drive back the opposition

• -If a forward sees the ball already under control, he should get behind the centers;

• -If the ball is not yet under control, forwards must make it so.

Sustaining Attack• Switch Moves

– Opportunistic switches are the easiest way to sustain an attack

– All successful attacks stem from sudden switches

– Efficient use of players: enough players at the breakdown, but also enough to create support and overload

Sustaining Attack

• Move the other team Move the other team aroundaround– Through a series of rucks, move the opposing

forward pack to a point on the pitch

Ball Retention• Key to maintaining an attack

• Ball Carrier in Low, Driving Position

• Keep ball presentable!

Ruck

• 1 man sets ball in “basket”, NOT arm’s length away

• 2-3-4: Blow over opposition

• 1 man: RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BALL

• 2-3-4: RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPPOSITION

• SH: Clean Out the ball!

Rucking

• Ruck Manager: #9 usually will indicate where the ruck is weak, where it needs support

• #9 MUST pay attention and be at the breakdown immediately!

• Everyone else must listen to #9

Rucking and Mauling• Positional

1. Near forward pack, front of gain line?

2. Wide of pack, front of gain line?3. Behind pack close, behind gain

line?4. Behind pack wide, behind gain

line?

When to ruck or maul???

scrum

Attack ruckruck ruckruck

maul

maul

maul

maul

RUCK ZONE!RUCK ZONE!

GAIN LINE

Defense• UP or Drift (Slide)?

• Force the ball outside towards touch?– Why?

• Force the ball back inside toward the breakdown/forwards?– Why?

• Important positions: 6-7-8-9-10-12-13

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15

DRIFT DEFENSE-WORK TOWARDS INSIDE SHOULDERINSIDE SHOULDEROF OPPOSING MAN-7: Force Ball Outside BUT:

Run/Prowl the Gain Line-REMAIN ABOUT 2m INSIDE OFBall to cover switch

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Gain Line

Tackle Line

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UP DEFENSE-UP AS ONE UNIT-PRESSURE FROM 7/8/6-8/6 COVER CLOSE IN

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UP Defense:

-10-12-13 move as ONE UNIT

-move up quick to snuff out attack

-move up to stop passing outwards OR to stop a striker from developing pace and momentum

-close the distance and gap quickly!

-key: speed off the mark

-put attack on “back foot”

• UP Defense

• 3 up or 4 up?

• 4 up: 10-12-13-14– Pushes attack back inside– 11-15 cover deep

• 3 up: 10-12-13, with 9 or 7/8?– 11-14-15 cover deep– Recognizes that most attacks come from the

center positions

• UP defenses ONLY WORK if:– The TACKLE is made at or before the Tackle

Line– commitment and ability– ALL backs must be back to their marks quickly– Missed tackle inside means that someone

outside has to pick up the slack

• DRIFT Defense:

• Slide defense

• D7/8/9 take FH; D10 to 12; D12 to 13, and so on

• Must AIM for INSIDE SHOULDER of your man in order to force play outside

• Inside-Out defense: key is to provide enough tacklers at a critical point to stop the attack

• More forgiving of missed tackles inside

Forwards• Scrummaging

• Goals:– Quick attacking scrums– 8 man shove!– Attacking from base of scrum– Initial hit: “Squeeze-Sink-Engage, 1-2!”

• Two quick steps (if we get away with it!)– After hit: “Sink! And-2-3-4-5”

• Quick, SHORT steps• NEW RULES: use it or lose it on the wheel!!!NEW RULES: use it or lose it on the wheel!!!

LineoutsPLAYS!Move the opposition around!

Open PlayMove the opposition around in the rucks/maulsWhere do we want them? How do we get them there?

Backs• Plays and Tackling!

• Play called at every set piece

• The play MUST be carried through, I.e. don’t call one thing and do another

• Tackling: a missed tackle is a try!!!

• Rucking and Mauling is NOT just a forward’s job!

Misc.• Re-starts:

– Have a plan– Good, conservative restarts to set up an attack!– Kickoff to Baylor; Maul; pass out to backs– 22M drop: where is it going to go? Have a

plan!