Drift defence at scrums

With a 5m ruling at scrums, teams tend to use drift defence. However, they need to practise not only the mechanics of the drift but also ways to cover the gap inside the 10, who has to catch up with his openside flanker.

Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 10-15
Development time: 7-10
Game time: 10-15
Warm down time: 5-7

What to think about

Why is there a dog-leg between the scrum and the backline? The openside flanker (7) is almost 7m in front of his fly half (10). When he breaks from the scrum and runs up and across at the opposition 10, there is now a gap behind him. Either he has to slow down for his own side to catch up or his own 10 needs to drift later.

set-up

1. Drift using the correct body positions: Looking forward, shoulders facing the opposition with the outside players able to see their own player inside them (see picture 1).
2. Close down the space between the backline before drifting.
3. Decide on how to co-ordinate between the openside flanker and backline in defence from a scrum.

What you get your players to do

1. Put three of your backline in a row, with the correct spacings set up for the drift defence. Make them run up and then out and check for the correct body shape. Each player should also be slightly behind the next, so they can read the drift (see picture 1). Swap around the positions.
2. Next, add a flanker and line up the three backline players 5m back from a scrum. Run through the drift again, with the players working out the running lines of the flanker (see picture 2).