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LOGINSuper-square rucks
If players can arrive at the ruck low and very square, they will clear obstructions in an efficient way. It is much less messy and produces much better outcomes.
WHY USE IT
‘Square’ means hips and shoulders facing up the pitch. However, if the chest is not parallel with the ground through the contact area, it is likely that the player is not low enough or balanced enough.
set up
Four coloured cones, two ruck pads and a ball.
HOW TO PLAY
ACTIVITY: Put a player inside the box of four different-coloured cones, while two ruck pad-holders start less than 1m apart just to the side of the box. Shout out a colour - the player inside the cones touches that coloured cone and then drives through the middle of the gap, with both shoulders hitting the pads at the same time. Adjust the distances and angles as the players improve.
GAME SITUATION: Put three attackers 5m away from two ruck pad-holders. Have one of the attackers pass to another attacker, who aims to beat a tackler in front of them. The attackers race to the ruck situation to beat the pads and win the ball. Ideally, it will take just two attackers to win the battle for the space over the ball.
COACHING POINTS
- Get square and low just before the contact.
- Keep driving forward, not down.
- Put a player inside a box of four different-coloured cones
- Put two ruck pad-players less than 1m apart
- Call out a coloured cone
Related Files
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The player touches the cone and then runs around to the ruck pad-holders
- The player must contact the pads equally with both shoulders
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The two ruck pad-holders support the tackler
- Put three attackers opposite the pad-holders. The end player feeds the runner and all three then support
- The ball carrier aims to beat the tackler
Dan Cottrell
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