Hidden threats from the deep

Deception and pace break down organised defences. This session teaches a front line attack to pass to a player arriving at speed from a “hidden” second wave using timing, passing and running angles of both front and back players to hide the threat until the last moment.

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

What to think about

How far back should the “hidden threat” stand and when should they start running? The “threat” player should start at least 5m from the attacking line, so they don’t look part of it. The best threats will start walking into position as the ball enters the set piece or ruck. They continue walking, then jogging before accelerating into position, giving them the best chance of picking the gap. Don’t forget the inside pass. Though this session focuses mainly on the player arriving on the outside of the ball carrier, you can adapt plays to include an inside pass.

set-up

1. Ball carriers: Attack the defender in front of you. Step and pass into the space.
2. “Threats”: Start behind an attacker and accelerate into the space. Speed up late.
3. All players: Expect a pass, whether a short pass to a “threat” or a miss pass with the threat as a decoy.

What you get your players to do

In a 15m x 7m box, put a ball carrier just behind each set of cones. Make him run forward, then to the side, aiming towards the front cone. The “threat” players run forward at the same time to receive a pass within the cones (see picture 1). Swap “threats” and passers and rotate until all the angles have been explored, including attacking from a different side.