Rugby coaching tip to get your fly half to create more space

The big drift

Normally, we expect fly halves to straighten the line, in other words prevent the space being used up for the outside backs.

But try to think of a time when the ball moved effectively along a back line to the winger who was given space to run outside their opposite number. The "big drift" tactic in this article looks to create a different space.

Working the big drift

The fly half receives the ball moving forward and aims at the outside shoulder of the opposite fly half. The angle of run is then widened to change the aim at the inside shoulder of the opposition inside centre.

The defensive opposition fly half (white 10) is dragged further than he expected and, though the defensive inside centre (white 12) should be drifting, they are suddenly having to take into account the fly half (blue 10) running at them.

The running fly half now straightens at the very last moment, hitting the gap between 10 and 12 (see illustration).

Space will have appeared in a channel between flanker and 10 (because the flanker is having to cover more distance than expected) and perhaps a channel between defending 12 and 13.

A simple pop pass to a straight runner (safe and more secure than a switch) has a good chance of breaking through the first tackle if the big drift has been performed well.

This article is from the manual Match Day Tactics, which will help you to banish some of the worries of match day through modern methods and techniques.