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LOGINKicking for real
Accurate kicking is a key feature of rugby. So it is essential that there is more to kicking practice than just working on good technique. This session is designed to help kickers work on match-situation kicking skills. It makes them take a pass before kicking, look to where they need to kick and also field kicks.
Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 8-10
Development time: 8-10
Game time: 15-20
Warm down time: 5-7
What to think about
When using this session, I have concentrated on the match-related ideas in the exercises, such as looking up for spaces to kick into. Discuss some of the technical points with your players during breaks. These are points they can take away to work on after training. Also, discuss when and where these kicks can be made to fit in with your strategy. Often, the failure to kick accurately is highlighted in these exercises. This should lead your kickers to work harder at lining up their hips and shoulders towards the target, following through to the target and dropping the ball to the foot, rather than throwing it up.set-up
- Kick for a reason and with a purpose.
- Kick for a specific target, so look at that target before you kick.
- Have confidence to get a technically good kick away under pressure.
What you get your players to do
Set up the four players and a 9 as the top picture. Have spare players at the side ready to join the circuit. Start by having your 9 box kick. The receiver takes the ball and passes it to another kicker. As the receiver catches, another player runs back from the halfway line to one of three cones (let him choose). He is the target for the kicker. The target receives the ball. He runs it back to 9 as, apart from 9, the players move around the circuit to take on the next role. Swap ends regularly, so kickers are changing their angles and, perhaps, their kicking foot.Development
- Put in a chaser next to 9 who first pressures the catcher, and then the kicker.
- Have a target who is running on to the ball, so replicating a cross kick.
Related Files
Game situation
Set up the pitch as the bottom picture. Split players into teams of three, with one of the three in the middle area acting as a chaser. The other players cover their three boxes. Give one team the ball. Players can move and pass around their area in any direction. When you shout “GO”, the current ball carrier has to pass to their team mate, to kick into the opponent’s area. The kicker’s chaser runs to pressurise the catch or win the ball. The opposition chaser runs out to block the kick. Award one point for a blocked kick, one point for catching someone else’s kick, and two points for landing the ball in the opposition area without it being touched.
What to call out
- “Look up and see where you are kicking”
- “Follow through to the target with your kicking foot”
- “Drop the ball from the middle of your body, so bring the pass in before kicking”
Dan Cottrell
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