How to coach 2v1s using only games

How many 2v1s happen in a senior rugby match, let alone youth rugby?

In the purest sense of just two attackers facing one defender, it does not occur many times in senior games, and even less in junior rugby. But that doesn’t mean it is not a skill that needs development.

A 2v1 exercise isolates this area from the main game, where a ball carrier gets used to fixing a defender before releasing their team-mate.

A ’fixed’ defender is one who cannot reach the receiver. For young players, this is a tough skill because often either the lack of speed of the pass or the poor pace of the receiver might not be enough to remove the chance of the defender shifting over.

When coaching young players, we might find ourselves frustrated when trying to work on these exercises. 

However, in a match, they still find a way to the try line, by barreling their way through a tackle, beating a tackler with footwork or, just sometimes, creating an overlap.

Therefore, the real 2v1s come from making sure the overlap is exploited - when a player is in space, the passer gives them the ball. The skills we are looking for are:

1. Identification of an overlap
2. Passing at about the right time 
3. Passing on the run
4. Receiving the ball when running.

It is points 1 and 2 which are so hard to replicate in an exercise. A 2v1 exercise is already an overlap so the players don’t need to identify it.

Passing at about the right time has to take into account so many factors, that you would have to run hundreds of different scenarios to cover all the possibilities. 

That is why games are just as good for decision-making skills - you just have to tweak the scenarios.

Play small-sided touch rugby in different-sized areas. Use each tweak for a week and then return to it in at least a month’s time, so players can build on solutions from previous games.

Five scenario tweaks

One player back

A good game is 5v5 touch rugby in a wide, but not long, box (say 25m wide, 15m long). One defender must always be on the back line. They can move side-to-side, but not come forward. They return to the game when they are on the attack. Rotate them every try.

One player down

Play the same game as above, but instead of a player on the back line, you shout out a name of a defender and they have to go down on their fronts before returning to the game.

6v3v3

In a large box (say 30m), put six attackers in the middle with a ball and three defenders at each end. The attackers aim to score at one end and then turn to attack the other, whether they score or not. Though it will seem like 6v3, with fatigue and players chasing back, it will be more like 5v3 or even 4v3. 

Cluster touch

With a touch, the ball carrier goes to ground. All defenders must touch the prone ball carrier before

 returning to the game. The attack passes as soon as they can. For younger players, all the defenders touch the ball carrier and stay there. Only then can the ball be played by the attack.

Double touch pass

The ball carrier must be touched twice before they pass. Have a limited number of ’tackles’ for each team. This version draws in defenders and creates overlaps.