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LOGINMauling corners
This drill will improve the players’ mauling skills so that they can keep going forward in contact and still retain the ball if they are held by a defender.
WHY USE IT
In contact, the ball carrier must stay on their feet because they will have to give up the ball if they go to ground. They also need to drive forward to make it easier for supporting players to drive in and support them.
set up
A 5m square with different coloured cones on the corners, one ball per three players.
HOW TO PLAY
ACTIVITY: A ball carrier and defender start back-to-back, about 1m apart. Another attacker faces the ball carrier outside the square. Shout out which cone the ball carrier should attack, with the defender trying to stop them. The support player joins the contact situation. The ball carrier can’t offload, but can have the ball ripped off them after the tackle is made. Play until the ball is lost, a tackle is completed and the support player has protected the ball, or the ball carrier goes over the cone.
DEVELOPMENT: Add another defender. They and the support attacker run around the cones in front of them after you call out a colour.
COACHING POINTS
- Ball carrier: Use leg drive, with short steps. Roll the upper body to make themselves more difficult to hold on to.
- Support player: Tell the ball carrier what to do: “Stay on your feet, drive, my ball (to rip), go to ground.”
- Put an attacker and defender back-to-back in the square
- Put a support player at the back of the square
- Call out a colour of cone for the attacker to go for
Related Files
- The ball carrier aims to retain the ball and attack the cone; the defender tries to stop the ball carrier or tackle the attacker to the ground
- The support player drives onto the ball carrier, protects them if they go to ground or rips out the ball
- Stop on infringements; when the ball reaches the cone; or the ball is protected, lost on the ground or ripped away
- Develop by adding another defender
Dan Cottrell
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