The telephone box

WHY USE IT

Develop light feet with a jump and a step to create a really dynamic sidestep.

set up

Cones and balls, plus ruck pads for the final development.

HOW TO PLAY

ACTIVITY: Put a player 2m in front of a set of cones, set up as in the top illustration. They jump over the front cones, landing on two feet, before moving either left or right through the gap to either side of the cones. Adjust the distances to suit your players.

DEVELOPMENT: Put a defender in the middle of the back of the cones. They can’t move either left or right but can stretch to touch the attacker. Finally, put two defenders about 2m apart inside the box - each one holds a ruck pad. The ball carrier aims to attack one of the pads and then uses a jump side-step to the inside or outside of the pad holder. In the meantime, the pad holders come forward, aiming to make a solid contact on the ball carrier.

Note: This is not a natural skill, so let the players experiment and try out different methods. Encourage them to land on two feet, about shoulder width apart, so they can move either left or right.

Coaching points

• Keep the ball in two hands to help maintain balance.
• Don’t leap - just make a small jump.
• Try doing it in slow motion first.