Conditioning and skills

WHY USE IT

These conditioned games should make the players think about their tactics, even when they are tired.

SET UP

Half a pitch, balls.

HOW TO PLAY

• One group conditioning, one group playing a game. 

GAME 1: End ball with kicking. The ball can be passed in any direction. No player can run with the ball. The ball can be kicked. The ball has to be passed into the passing zone to score or kicked into the kicking zone. Any dropped ball leads to a turnover to the other team.

GAME 2: Three-second touch rugby. One-handed touch. The ball carrier has three seconds to pass the ball. The scorer has to go over the line untouched. The try is only scored if the whole team is over the try line within 10 seconds. If the team scores, it runs back to its own try line. The side that has conceded the try can start five seconds after the try is scored, but from its own try line and not until all its players are behind the try line.

• See conditioning ideas on illustrations. You can change the exercises to suit your needs – say, punching a ruck pad 20 times or driving into ruck pad, down and up.

Coaching points

• Timings: four minutes maximum for each section. Rest for a minute after each round.

PITCH LAYOUT