Lewis ruck drill

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The players will be buzzing after this session. Named after Jason Lewis, the head coach of the Welsh Women, it gives the players three different ruck scenarios to consider. It closely replicates match situations, so is ideal for ramping up your team’s rucking prowess.

Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 15-20
Development time: 15-20
Game time: 10-15
Warm down time: 5-7

What to think about

Top coaches are so scared of losing the ball in the contact area that they will encourage their team to kick for territory rather than try to win more phase ball. Consequently, the team that controls the contact area controls the game. This session should be low on feedback and high on activity. If you use three stations running concurrently, you can use the non-participants (like injured players) to supervise the stations, while you go round observing the activity.

set-up

Ball carrier: Work hard to fight to the ground in contact and present the ball.
Support players: Identify threats to the ball and protect and clear.
Stay on your feet and be dynamic.

What you get your players to do

Set up three stations as in each picture.

The ball carrier picks and drives forward from the edge of a ruck.
The ball carrier recovers the ball as it is thrown behind him.
The player receiver runs back and then up before receiving a pass. He either takes contact with support or passes to the next player.

Support players and defenders react to each situation. Each attempt stops when the ball is taken forward out of the ruck from either team. Adjust the cones according to players’ abilities.

The attack pick and go around the side of an imaginary ruck.

Development

Set up the stations in a constant rotation, with the attackers changing after every one minute. The defenders stay at the same station for a full rotation and then become the attackers. Then, put the three groups of attackers in the middle of the stations, with defenders on the designated stations. Randomly allocate the attackers to the stations and set them off.

Related Files

Advanced-222-lewis-ruck-drill.pdfPDF, 159 KB

The attacker runs back to recover the ball, with the support having to run back to help.

Game situation

Split into an even number of groups of no more than five players. After 10 minutes working on the stations, put two groups into boxes at the sides of the station with a ball. Each pair of groups plays a game of full contact rugby for five minutes. Restart each game in the middle of the box, with attack and defence only a metre apart. Return to the stations after five minutes for another five minutes, before returning to the games for ten minutes, swapping around the teams after five minutes.

The first receiver runs back and then forward before taking the pass. He either takes contact or passes to the next player who takes contact.

What to call out

“Keep driving forward”
“The lowest player wins”
“Don’t be redundant in the contact area”

Dan Cottrell

Dan is a practising RFU Level 3 coach and coach educator. He coaches with the Bristol Bears DPP programme, is head coach of Bristol Schools U18s and the Rugby Performance coach for Bristol Grammar School.

He was head coach of Swansea Schools U15, Young Ospreys Academy, assistant coach with the Wales Women's Team for the 2010 World Cup, director of rugby for Cranleigh School, Surrey. He played for Bath, Bristol, Esher and Clifton, South West division, Gloucestershire and Surrey.

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