Presentation of the ballOffload (back door) – 1 to 3 metres
Offloads
I am of the opinion that one of the best ways to beat a defence is to keep the game flowing and offload in the tackle. Once you have got behind a defence if you off load then they don’t have time to realign.
Rucks and mauls are part of the game, but if your team can get quick off load ball then this is better than setting up another phase which will allow your opponents some time to realign.
I will describe a conditioned game which you can play during training, this will emphasis on off loads and exaggerate them. This will allow your side to practice off loads; with those who do not normally off load getting the opportunity to do so in a safe non risk environment.
Equipment Required
Balls, cones, maker cones, bibs & whistle
Description
Set Up
Playing area of 25m in length (adjust width to suit numbers- equal numbers in both teams)
Full LEG tackles ONLY (ball carrier when tackled can off load immediately or IF no support present when support arrives) game continues until knock or forward pass occurs. When a try is scored the try scorer turns to attack the other try line game continues playing the opposite way. No rucks or mauls.
Coaching Points
Fix defenders and attack space (encourage Go Forward) momentum and close support. The game should be played at maximum pace.
Encourage support runners to stay deep and follow ball carrier into the space being attacked.
Encourage players to think one phase ahead (that is to make a decision they cannot get through untouched so going to attack the space and off load to left or right) this encourages players to read the micro situations which occur when confronted with a flat defensive line.
Encourage movement away from restart area when good forward momentum has been achieved. Highlight leg tackles ONLY and support players to react quickly to the contact area.
Donny
Offload (push through and over) – 1 to 8 metres
Hi all,
There was a very interesting question posed on the forum recently about passing in the centres, and why the modern centre game seems to have become slightly more physically dominated, with more offload pops rather than long ‘playmaker’ passes.
I wanted to add a little perspective on this one and try and tie the question into the modern day demands of an international side.
Thinking logically, most centre plays these days do come off first phase ball. The key off first phase is ‘get over the gainline’! It’s a simple and obvious aim. You also have to consider the style of defence you’re playing against and what will best unlock it. We’ve looked before in my articles on how you do this against both a Push and Blitz defence, and powerful drives into contact, or contact and offload are the favoured methods, certainly when you have physical centres. Once those yards are made, then more options are available and hopefully the defence will have gotten a little narrower, but fundamentally, unless that initial yardage is made you’re back pedalling. The pop offload is a real tactic from first phase, especially when you have players like Bowe and Ashton who are very adept at coming off their wings at pace.
Now, take this a stage further, if you look for the long mispass off first phase, there’s a strong chance that even before the pass lands you are STILL behind that gain line. Unless it’s a play that is something truly exceptional the truth is that the crash or offload are better options. The long miss also risks the receiver becoming isolated and, especially against the blitz, giving the covering back row little time to get their in support.
It is also incumbent upon you to look at a) the style of rugby you want to play and b) the players you have available. James Hook is a very good passer in the Welsh side and will hit the big miss moves very adeptly at the right time. He can mix and match his game- be physical when he wants to be and offload when required. However, his passing is best used of multiple phase ball, that is for sure, although having him around means we have a variety of options open to us, and that variety, or ‘options’ allows us to vary plays. The Irish, D’Arcy and O’Driscoll, are very clever at mixing their plays- and D’Arcy offers a lot as a second playmaker. But on the flip side, when Ireland fail, it’s often because they’re not making first phase yards, which underlines my point about power.
I hope this helps Earl in his thinking; don’t think for one minute I don’t see your point- but international rugby is about making 100 small steps to break a defence and completing very single one of those steps. Rarely is a side unlocked through one pass these days and I believe that, with the players around me at Cardiff and Wales, that having variety, pace and direct power are the key drivers of the midfield first phase moves.
Cheers,
Jamie
If Grip and Carry are of major importance to developing your handling skills then in order to be able to execute those skills you need to be able to take possession. The Catch is therefore of equal importance. Many scoring opportunities are lost through a player’s inability to catch the ball.
Catching must practiced both in general and in a game specific manner. Hand eye coordination is crucial and you should take every opportunity to practice using a variety of objects and balls. Tennis balls or small footballs will all help.
Another fun way of developing your hand, eye catching skills is by playing with a Frisbee.
Moving on to more game specific catching skills you should always look to practice catching the ball at a number of heights and angles. You will not always receive the perfect pass so the ability to catch high or low, reaching forward or back are important skills to develop.
Equally important is the ability to catch a high kick under pressure if your position demands that skill. Two methods can be used the first conventional method allows you to mark a kick under limited pressure. The second Aussie Rules type catch is more applicable to an attacking kick that needs to be defused under pressure of oncoming runners who are also jumping for the ball.
The following coaching points should help you master this important skill.
Receiving a Pass
Early Catch
Late Catch
Catching a High Kick
Basic Method
Aussie Rules Method
The foundation of all passing and handling skills is the Grip and Carry of the ball.
All players first and foremost need to master the Grip. Why? Well without mastering this skill you cannot master the skill of passing and you are more likely to lose the ball in contact.
The following points if practiced should help develop your skill and master the Grip.
Once the Grip is mastered then how you carry the ball is critical. Many players run with the ball tucked under their arm. This limits the ability to pass or offload, and as you progress through the ranks of the game make it easier for defenders to defuse any threat you may pose.
When running with the ball in open play you should remember the following key points.
When moving into contact you may transfer the ball into one hand in order to fend off potential tacklers. This is when you are at your most vulnerable if you have a poor Grip. If your Grip is good then all you need to remember when transferring the ball into one hand is to turn your wrist inwards and secure the ball level with your sternum (centre body).
So it’s over for another year and England are champions. But does the Core Skills championship table look anything like the actual final table? Let’s take a look at how the teams shaped up in the final round and then look at the final table.
Scotland
Handling - Scotland reduced massively their error count, but did not play dull rugby. Their forwards offloads in the tackle caused plenty of problems, while the backline had much more precision in its execution. Fly half Jackson and scrum half Lawson set the tone with outstanding distribution. 7/10
Tackling - Chris Patterson once again came up with a wonderful try saving cover tackle, and his determination and commitment was typical of the rest of the team 95% tackle completion was an impressive stat, and overall the management will be well satisfied with this effort. 7/10
Impact on the game - Scotland’s improvement in this area was one of the key factors in this weeks win.
Italy
Handling - Being generous you may say Scotland’s defence forced a number of Italian handling errors. But that is indeed generous. 22% of the ball Italy had was lost due to errors, that is an appalling statistics at international level. They need a skills coach, and they need it quickly or they may get embarrassed in the World Cup. 3/10
Tackling - Italy showed a fair bit of resilience in defence with Perisse in particular coming up with some copy book tackles. 94% completions under the circumstances was a good effort, any less might have seen a cricket score to Scotland. 7/10
Impact on the game - A big negative impact I’m afraid and a lot of work needs doing to improve things. The good news however is that if Italy can improve their core handling skills in particular, then added to their strong set piece they will become a big threat internationally.
France
Handling - I’d like to say that the French had improved in this area as the scoreline might suggest. The truth is they were only marginally better. 6/10
Tackling - Against a fairly poor Welsh attack the French did not really get tested. They did however exhibit better technique than in previous games. 8/10
Impact on the game - Not the biggest factor in the result for France.
Wales
Handling- Wales played with a little more precision and ambition, but lacked real cutting edge execution. One exception being Jamie Roberts whose superb pass to Lee Byrne resulted in a try for Leigh Halfpenny. 6/10
Tackling - Without their defence coach Wales seemed a little lost in terms of organisation. However that is no excuse for poor technique. Only Dan Lydiate really looked strong defensively. 4/10
Impact on the game – A contributing factor, but the mental state of the team is probably the biggest factor, they looked beaten before the kick off.
Ireland
Handling - Ireland looked much more assured with the ball, and their basic pass and catch skills under pressure were outstanding. Sexton looks more at home at fly half every time he pulls on the green shirt, while O’Driscolls ability to take the ball in heavy defensive traffic and create something out of nothing is nothing short of amazing. 8/10
Tackling – Very strong and aggressive with the back row leading the way. Several turnovers as a result of them holding England up in the tackle, very smart and effective. 8/10
Impact on the game – Core skills, aggression at the breakdown along with big match temperament won this for Ireland
England
Handling – The truth is that England game on game, when the pressure has been on have been found wanting in this area. Some fairly basic flaws in technique exist throughout the team, and significantly in key positions. Hopefully these will be addressed before the World Cup. 17 errors is a horrible stat that the England management will simply not accept. 3/10
Tackling - 8 missed tackles and only 90% completions also tells you that the England defensive effort was not as strong as in previous games. 5/10
Impact on the Game- A factor along with England’s lack of experience in these kind of games.
After all five rounds of games my final league table on the execution of Core Skills is as follows:
1. England 65
2. Ireland 63
3. France 60
4. Scotland 59
5. Italy 55
6. Wales 40
Haydn
England
Handling- Not at their best with far two many errors in the first half. Toby Flood so good in previous games started with a couple of stray passes and lacked precision throughout. 6/10
Tackling- England will be pleased they managed to stop the French from crossing the line and certainly from a technical point of view England have by far the best defenders in the Six Nations. 96% tackle completions speaks for itself. 7/10
Impact on the game-
France
Handling – Again the French failed to impress with ball in hand. There carry into contact was generally poor along with there short passing game. There wider passing game was laboured and never created a threat. 5/10
Tackling- 98% tackle completion was a big improvement from the previous games, though the tackles lacked the bite and aggression of the English. 7/10
Impact on the game – Trinh-Duc’s missed tackle resulted in England’s try which was ultimately the difference. The same player had the same issues the week before and will no doubt be targeted in the remaining games.
Italy
Handling- Piresse is the only Italian forward that looks comfortable with ball in hand, while the backline although competent do not have a particullarly creative passer who can unlock defences. Sixteen handling errors in toal mainly due to poor pass and catch technique. 4/10
Tackling – The Italians are let down by the same two or three players being poor tacklers. Ten missed tackles is always going to get you on the wrong end of the scoreboard. 4/10
Impact on the game- Poor defence certainly impacted on the result from the Italian point of view.
Wales
Handling – I can’t recall seeing a Wales player catching the ball with his hands up. The resulting 13 handling errors are largely avoidable. Shane Williams showed great soft hands and a good short passing game. 6/10
Tackling- The welsh tackling was better this week with fly half Stephen Jones giving the midfield defence a bit more steel. The lack of communication in the collision saw two combination tackles in which both players went low and the ball was offloaded. Against better opposition this would prove costly. 5/10
Impact on the game -The improvement in Wales from the previous weeks certainly played a part in achieving a positive result.
Scotland
Handling – Scotland yet again showed good basic core skills. This could not be matched however with the ability to move defenders and create space. The Scottish forwards produce an impressive thirteen offloads but this was mainly to hover support rather than push support. 7/10
Tackling – With only 89% completions Andy Robinson will not be happy with his teams defensive efforts. Poor feet position in contact saw a lot of arm grab tackles that saw players drop off the tackle. 4/10
Impact on the game – Poor tackling and handling errors kept Scotland on the back foot for most of the game. Although other factors had more influence on the result.
Ireland
Handling – O’Gara had a positive influence with his pass execution which gave the Irish more time and space with the ball. 7/10
Tackling- The Irish had to make 122 tackles and completed 96% of them. The one area for improvement going forward would be locking the ball up and preventing the offload. 7/10
Impact on the Game -
After three rounds of games my league table on the execution of Core Skills is as follows:
1. England 44
2. Ireland 37
3. France 35
4. Scotland 32
5. Italy 32
6. Wales 30
Haydn
So we are now two round in to the 2011 Six Nations, who are the improver’s and who are going from bad to worse:
England
Handling- Never really put under any pressure the England backline passed the ball much better than in week one. Ben Foden was guilty of one loose carry that saw him turnover the ball. The carry of one or two of the England forwards could also improve and would enable a more dynamic offloading game to be an option. 8/10
Tackling- England’s tackling was again good but not put under any pressure from a poor Italian attack. 8/10
Impact on the game- England’s execution of the Core Skills was a big factor in securing the win.
Italy
Handling – Italy held what ball they had but failed to threaten England at all in this area. Most Italian forwards looked uncomfortable with ball in hand. 5/10
Tackling- Tackling was again very strong with a 94% completion rate the same as in round one. Italy’s defensive frailties are down to poor systems rather than individual techniques 8/10
Impact on the game – Core skills contributed only on the fringes to this defeat.
Ireland
Handling- Another poor day for Ireland with seventeen handling errors. Scrum half O’Leary has a poor pass and a very insecure carry, he had the ball stripped in a tackle when Ireland held good field position. 5/10
Tackling – Ireland tackle well for large parts of the game completing 96% of their tackles, unfortunately one of their four missed tackles by Gordon Darcy produced the try that won the game for France. 6/10
Impact on the game- Ireland’s poor skills along with poor discipline contributed to most to the final result.
France
Handling – Although they had less handling errors than the previous week the French still did not impress with their handling skills. 6/10
Tackling- A big improvement in this area though they still conceded three tries. They certainly have a problem at ten with Trinh-Duc who is not much more than a speed bump. England will certainly target him in the next game 7/10
Impact on the game – The French are still managing to win games without really displaying anything like top class Core Skills.
Scotland
Handling – This week was a disaster for the Scots with ball in hand, error after error, nineteen in total. 2/10
Tackling – Fairly good throughout, but lacked drive and power from the previous week. Still with a 93% completion rate you would expect them to have won. 6/10
Impact on the game – The amount of handling errors was a major factor in this defeat.
Impact on the game- One crucial poor carry into contact led to the ball being stripped and a try conceded. This meant they were playing catch up, though it was not the major factor in the defeat.
Wales
Handling – Only three offloads and eight handling errors, the Welsh are still struggling with their handling skills and against better opposition would have struggled 6/10
Tackling- Fourteen missed tackles and a 90% completion rate tells its own story. Fortunately Scotland’s poor handling meant this deficiency was never exploited. As solid as centres Davies and Roberts are the Welsh have a big problem with James Hook, you cannot hide a poor tackler at top level international rugby. 4/10
Impact on the Game – Didn’t have a major impact because Scotland on the day were much worse.
After two rounds of games my league table on the execution of Core Skills is as follows.
1. England 31
2. Italy 24
3. Ireland 23
4. France 23
5. Scotland 21
6. Wales 19
Haydn
All players first and foremost need to master the Grip. Why? Well without mastering this skill you cannot master the skill of passing and you are more likely to lose the ball in contact. This was evidenced last week when Scotland had the ball stripped in a tackle against France and from the resulting turnover a try was scored. That said winger Max Evans is a layer who demonstrates this skill better than most as you can see from the photograph below.
The following points if practiced should help develop your skill and master the Grip.
Once the Grip is mastered then how you carry the ball is critical. Many players run with the ball tucked under their arm. This limits the ability to pass or offload, and as you progress through the ranks of the game make it easier for defenders to defuse any threat you may pose.
When running with the ball in open play you should remember the following key points.
When moving into contact you may transfer the ball into one hand in order to fend off potential tacklers. This is when you are at your most vulnerable if you have a poor Grip. If your Grip is good then all you need to remember when transferring the ball into one hand is to turn your wrist inwards and secure the ball level with your sternum (centre body).
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