Developing more intelligent support players

The support player has several roles in the game, all of which go back to the main attacking principles of rugby: go forward and continuity. We need to help the players decide what role and actions would be best in each situation. Here are three progressive exercises that help develop good habits.

1. The snake

Place one defender in a narrow corridor no more than five metres wide. Five metres away put a ball carrier just outside the corridor and a receiver in the corridor. The ball carrier passes the ball to the receiver and then supports. As soon as the pass is made, the defender comes forward to tackle the ball carrier. The support player (the original ball carrier) has to read the movements of the receiver to support him.

2. Seconds in

In the same corridor, put another defender five metres beside the first, and another attacker three metres to the side of the initial ball carrier outside the corridor. The exercise starts with the same as “the snake”. This challenges the first and second support player to either receive a pass or drive through the contact, or beat the second defender.

3. Phases pods

Split eight players into a scrum half, first receiver and two pods of three. Put them at the corner of 30 metre square, with the first receiver five metres inside the box.

Put six defenders in five metres front of them, spread out.

The scrum half feeds the first receiver and the one pod supports him. The second pod has to decide where to support.

Play up the square until the ball is lost, a try is scored, or the ball becomes trapped for more than six seconds.

Developing support GI

There are three levels of Game Intelligence. You can challenge the players through questioning and feedback. You can then observe their actions to see how well they are progressing. The awareness of the levels enhances the players understanding of their roles.

Basic level

1. The support player should read the attacker’s and defenders’ body movements to work out where to run.
2. They need to judge how far they should be from the ball carrier to allow themselves enough time to reach a pass or contact and see where the tackle is going to happen.

Intermediate level

1. What players are carrying the ball and tackling? A prop versus a winger leads to a different sort of outcome if the winger is trying to beat a prop. This changes the distance away the support player should be and where they might support from.
2. Is the support player looking for an offload, a pop pass or to drive in on the ball carrier? What makes the best sense in the situation?

Advanced level

1. What happens immediately after the support decision? If the support player receives a pass, are they looking to offload or run forward to pass away?
2. What sort of decision suits the game plan and the team tactics?