Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, rugby defence, Rugby Drills | Tags: defence techniques, R80 rugby videos, Rugby Drills, tackling, tackling drills, technical rugby drill
The R80 series of videos give some good technical methods and this is one of the simplest and most basic.
Watch for the boxer stance and approach and how square the tackler remains during the tackle.
Since the drill concentrates on technique, it is worth “suiting up” the tackler so he can make multiple rugby tackles.
Overall a good rugby tackling drill that is simple to set up and easy to observe for good technique.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Drills, Rugby Skills | Tags: Better Rugby Coaching, Ospreys, Rugby Drills, Rugby Skills, scissor passes, switch pass
Here is a video I shot with Shane Williams a couple of summers ago with Powerade.
It makes players work hard to cut angles before changing the direction of play with a switch or cut pass.
It can be done well in front of the defence, or right in front of the defence.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Fitness, Rugby Training | Tags: Better Rugby Coaching, conditioning, fitness, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Drills, stretching, warm ups
August 15
Warm ups
I am going to be a little controversial here. You don’t need to warm up.
There I said it.
Actually, you need to change the mindset to “preparing to train or play”. The mind and body need to be switched into action. That cannot be done immediately. Spend some time gradually building up the intensity.
What needs to be in your pre season warm up (last time I use that expression in this piece)
1. A game (like touch rugby or rugby netball) – this will get players onto the pitch quicker.
2. Some raising of the heart rate – this can be done in a game.
3. An increase in mental arousal – to put players in the right frame of mind (again can be done in a game).
4. Some movements and contact which start to replicate the exercises ahead.
5. A minute or two for players to “stretch” themselves if they want to. Players who are stiff or recovering from injury might use this time to activate their muscles. Others will simply run around with a ball.
Anecdotally, I used these activities before sessions most of last season when I was in charge of teams. I can report no pulled or strained muscles during the sessions.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, rugby defence, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: Better Rugby Coaching, defence, drills, Rugby Drills, Rugby Skills, tackling
August 8
Tackling
You have got to start tackling at some stage in pre season, but when? Why not work on the elements of tackling, breaking it down into component parts. Then put it all together closer to the first proper match.
If you have six sessions before your first game then try this out:
Session 1: Footwork for tackling. Working on getting correctly aligned to make front on or side on tackles. You can use touch rugby or tag rugby where the player has two hand touch or tag the ball carrier on the hips.
Session 2: Shoulders in. In a very small area, players work on their shoulder contact with the ball carrier.
Session 3: Grip work. Grip and holding onto the ball carrier. A static ball carrier is gripped and then starts to move.
Session 4: Pairs. Working together to make tackles. Low impact, walking rugby, with one player focusing on ball.
Session 5: Rough and tumble. Five metre box, 3 v 3 full contact, with a turnover and restart at the end of the box if a ruck or maul forms.
Session 6: Full tackling session.
You can revise each session at the start of the next session to build into one full session.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, International Rugby Journal, Rugby Fitness | Tags: agility, Gary Gold, International Rugby Journal, Rugby Drills, warm ups
Rugby IQ has some great videos for rugby training. Here is a really good one on agility and support play.
There have been devised by the guys at Rugby IQ who include the Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold. He writes in this month’s International Rugby Technical Journal.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, rugby defence, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: defence into attack, rugby decision-making, Rugby Drills, rugby handling
Here is a rugby drill I did about three years ago. It is easy to set up and works on players making the transition from defence to attack. It is a Smart Session.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby agility, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Conditioning, Rugby Fitness | Tags: Rugby Drills, Rugby Fitness, US rugby, warm ups, women's rugby
Here is a warm up routine that has the following great attributes:
1. It works the whole body.
2. It’s organisational – it promotes teamwork.
3. It’s reactive – there is no set pattern.
4. It is rugby related.
AND, it is easy to replicate across all levels.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills | Tags: rugby decision-making, Rugby Drills, Rugby Tactics
I am looking at developing some tactics for one of the team’s I am involved in.
I am going to try to introduce the tactics through the “drills” we use.
Now the word “drill” makes some coaches wince. Coach educators would say don’t use the word because it reminds us of repetitive actions will no decisions at the end. I can see this, but don’t mind using the word if those around understand what I mean and are willing to try something out.
To set up the tactic I want to create a number of potential scenarios the players face and then let them decide what tactic to employ. It is an experiment to a certain extent, because I don’t know how the “conditions” I am setting on the game will change so the players will face different types of defence.
The key is to provide opportunities to try out some methods of attack and then see if the players respond to the potential tactics.
More on whether it works next week.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: rugby body angles, Rugby Drills, rugby session planning, rugby tackling, tackling session
I have written over nine seasons worth of different sessions I worked out today.
Here is a sketch of a session that I made two weeks ago, which I expanded upon to make up part of three different sessions.
If anyone else wants to send in their sketches, it would be great to build up a gallery…
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: fast hands, rugby catching, Rugby Drills, rugby handling, Rugby Skills, Rugby Training
This week I was asked to come up with some fast hands rugby drills. As some of you know, I am not a great fan of the term “drill”, but it matters little in the end because it is what the players learn in training that counts.
Why fast hands
“Fast hands” means quick transference of the ball from one player to the next to the next. In other words, at least one quick pass in a series of two or more passes. Relating this to the game, it is unlikely that we need ”fast hands” for more than three passes.
Game related reasons
“Fast hands” are meaningless unless there is a good reason to pass the ball in the first place. The reason in this case is that the receiver and giver is under pressure in front of him and there is someone better placed to take the ball forward. Two sets of “fast hands” means that two players are under this pressure and so on.
Ultimately, my drill/exercise needs to get to the high pressure stage.
Constructing a drill
In a quick audit of the stuff I have published I find I have over 300 “sessions” to choose from (not all handling of course), plus another 40 odd in the pipeline till Christmas. But why not use a fresh idea.
Here are the three things I think about when constructing a rugby drill
1. Paint a picture of the game and can I isolate the technique?
2. What is the fewest number of players I need?
3. Where can I add value?
Point 3 is the crucial one. For fast hands, my answer was “its in the catching”.
Look out for my “drills” coming up soon.
