Team defence Session

The team warm up with individual tackle techniques, progress to unit work and then onto full team exercises from set piece play

Defence - 5. Team Mate Awareness

It may be that a slower forward is in the midfield defence between two faster players

These faster players should to be aware that they may need to close the space around the slower defender

Turnover session - 4 Linespeed

In this exercise, the emphasis is on linespeed in defence. The purpose is to put pressure on the attacking team to force an error and create the turnover opportunity.

When an opportunity is acknowledged, players flood the breakdown to gain possession, before moving the ball away quickly

L2 - Scatter Defence Game

Skill Practice Description • Ideal practice for when defences break up later in games or with counter attack decision making. • Attackers stand in front of a numbered cone and ball. • The coach calls a number and all attackers must run around their own numbered cone but whichever number was called, that ball becomes active. • At the same time a colour is called for the defenders and all defenders must turn and run around a cone of that colour. They must however choose different cones. • If a touch is made, the teams swap over roles. • If a try is scored, the attackers stay the same. • First to five tries wins. Key Coaching Points • Spatial awareness • Communication • Quickness of attack at a disorganised defence • Skills to attack space • Footwork and evasion skills • Scanning skills • Decision making • Importance of getting behind defenders Relevance to the Game • Great for coaching counter attacking disorganised defences from different angles. • Any player can be ball carrier and communication is vital as is decision making in identifying space and the best way to attack it successfully • Cones can be placed to shape different types of defence. Organised or scattered

L2 - Attacking a Condensed Defence

Skill Practice Description • Two teams play normal touch rules. • 5 touch turnover. • When a touch is made, the game pauses and all defenders need to close in and place a hand on the shoulder of another defender. So all the defenders are bunched and in contact with each other. • The coach calls ‘play’ and the attack restarts. • The progression may be to leave one defender out of the bunch, which may provide a different challenge to the attack. • Then leave two defenders out of the bunch and slowly release the conditions to see if the attack can consistently identify opportunities to outflank or penetrate the defence. Key Coaching Points • Peripheral vision and general awareness. • Intuitive decision making. • Communication • Support and team work. Relevance to the Game • This game is designed to challenge the observation and decision making ability of the attack. • For the defence, it challenges the ability to cover quickly with both drift and sweeping defenders

Sevens - Uncovered - Defence

The leading international coaches explain why defence is so important and how much emphasis they put on it. This clip features a variety of tackles and techniques and post good defence the opportunity to turn the ball over. Most coaches will use a system for their defence and here are some insights

IRB 7s - Stronger Defences

The statistics showed that defences in the Sevens World Series are improving, and this is changing team's tactics.

Quins - Beating a Drift Defence

Some warm up exercises with varied catch & pass skills in preparation to move onto fixing defenders and how to beat a drift defence

JWC 2012: Defence

Statistics from the 2012 JWC show that teams with stronger defences performed better.