Winning turnover ball in the rugby ruck

Tackling the ball carrier

The tackler must look to control the contact contest. He can do this by:

• Getting his feet close to the ball carrier’s body.
• Using leg drive from the planted foot to power through the tackle (see picture 1).
• Finishing the tackle by landing on top of the ball carrier, so he can regain his feet quickly and before the ball carrier (see picture 2).

You can coach these skills using a standard tackle practice.

Regaining his feet

The tackler must regain his feet quickly. To do this:

• He engages his toes in the ground with the knees bent – a sprint start position (see picture 3). He places his hands on the ground in a press-up position.
• He pushes up with the toes, and off the ground with the hands to spring up to his feet.
• He avoids using his knees to push himself up off the ground because this slows the process.

Winning the ball

Having regained his feet, the tackler can now play the ball:

• He places both hands on the ball and calls out that the ball is his (see picture 4).
• The ball carrier must release it.
• The tackler lifts the ball immediately to prevent a ruck forming.

Coach the techniques by laying out a line of tackle pads with a ball beside each. Players drop onto each pad in turn, get to their feet and claim the ball. They then put the ball down and move on to the next pad. Add pressure to the exercise by using more than one line and having a race.

This article is from Rugby Coach Weekly.