Running skills game footage the sidestep 2

Watching core skills in action

Running skills game footage the sidestep

Skills in action

Running Skills the sidestep

The sidestep is a key fundamental movement in rugby. This clip outlines the foundations to this movement and is something that can be done at home in isolation or encourage in games and other practises

Running Skills in a game

Watch the skills in action

Running skills the sidestep 1

Running skills

core running skills in a game

The MIss Pass game footage

to illustrate handling skills

Running skills the swerve in action

Running skiils in a game

Coaching Contact Skills With Games - U 11's

Using games to coach can be a challenge for junior coaches. In this clip the Sale sharks community coach delivers a session to develop contact skills at the breakdown by using games, questioning and challenging the players. This can be used for all Junior age groups

The Dummy Switch - game footage

To develop handling skills

Game for Communication Skills

A clever game created by Russell Earnshaw to encourage players to experiment and learn about communication

Games for Developing Skills

The coach reinforces his use off games so his players learn techniques in a competitive and enjoyable environment. Breakout drills are used to correct technique with questioning a key component of learning

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

The switch pass - game footage 1

watch the switch in action

Running skills the swerve key points

Running skills coaching points

Running skills progression

Developing running skills

Running skills the swerve

Developing core skills

L2 - Outflanking Game

Skill Practice Description The objective of this game is to develop the ability to execute the 2 v 1 with consistent efficiency. • The attacking team initially has at least one extra players in order to create an advantage. • There is a channel on each wing in which only 1 defender and 2 attackers may enter at any time. • The attack works the play to get the ball into the outside channel then execute the 2 v 1. • With the extra players, the attack can also develop opportunities to penetrate the defence and so the game in not relying on lateral moment and still incorporates the principles of ‘go forward’. • The progression is to remove the cones and see if the players can still take advantage of the 2 v 1 without the conditions set within the channelled areas . • A further progression would be to even the numbers of each team. Key Coaching Points • Running lines to condense and hold defences in order to outflank. • Running lines in order to disrupt and penetrate the defence line. Relevance to the Game • Attacking players often fail to fix defenders effectively and may drift or over elaborate. • This game will assist in angles of run that fix the last defender

The Importance of Basic Breakdown Skills

Continuously we see that the best teams are those that perform the basic skills better than their opponents. Basic skills such as passing, catching, running, tackling, and rucking. The breakdown is an essential element to the game as teams look to control momentum. Mastering the basic rucking and clearing techniques gives many teams the edge, and the quick ball that is required to enable their attack.

Skills at home - Quick hands game

"Quick hands" is a term used regularly in rugby and relates to a players ability to move the ball quickly. This fun exercise pressures one player to move two balls in different directions

Running skills key coaching points

What are the key coaching points

CCRU Game - Rugby Rounders

Aim of the Game: The batting player kicks or throws the ball forward into play. Make sure that the size and shape of the ball is appropriate to the age of the players. To get the batter out, the fielders may catch the initial kick or throw before it bounces or complete three passes before the batter gets all the way round the cones and back to base cone. The fielders develop their passing, catching and communication skills. The batter is encouraged to think tactically with regard to their initial kick or throw and subsequent running decisions

L2 - Penetrating Defence Game

Skill Practice Description • The playing area is marked out in 5m channels. • When defending, players must stay within their channel throughout the game. • The attack must look to penetrate the defence by creating and preserving space. • The defence must use a two handed touch. • There is a 5 tackle turnover rule and once possession is turned over, the defence must get into a channel as the opposition can attack immediately. Key Coaching Points • Support players to hold their opposite number as long as possible before cutting a line to take the pass. • The defender can close the space as far as the edge of their own channel. • If the support player cuts too early or the ball carrier does not move their defender enough, the support player will be touched/tackled. Relevance to the Game • This game will help develop the footwork and running lines to effectively move defenders in order to penetrate the tackle line.

Conditioned Game

A full-contact game to finish the session. The condition is that breakdowns only allow one player from each side, putting more focus on open play to practice the running and tackling skills covered in the session.

L2 - Tactical Scoring Game

Skill Practice Description • Play 7v7 in the game area but mark different scoring zones along the try lines (use coloured cones). • Mark 5 metres in from each try line with red markers and if a try is scored in either of these areas then it will be worth 8pts. • The next two 5 metre zones moving inwards would be worth 5 pts and the rest of the try line worth 3pts. • This should challenge the ability to outflank or penetrate in order to build a score. • It may be that the defenders primarily defend in the outside channels leaving the middle with more space. • The attack can then take advantage of this new situation, scoring in the middle zone. • Thus identifying the weaknesses of the defence. 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 Relevance to the Game • This game challenges the decision making of both attack and defence. • If for example a turn over occurs, which score area does the attack target? • Which area does the defence cover and defend first?

Why Use Games For Fitness?

Here's London Scottish Head Coach, Skills Coach, S&C Coach and Player explaining why they prefer to use skills for fitness.

Use Games For Fitness

Using games for fitness will keep your players engaged and enjoying their rugby as well as saving time running shuttles!

Using Games - 'Choke Ball'

Jake Sharp from Oaklands college delivers a fun game that requires a range of skills from the players. The coach uses lots of questioning to cement the learning and talk about why games are such an important coaching tool

Players First - Circle & Caterpillar Game

A great fun game to get training started and integrate new players into your squad. Lots of progressions and a variety of skills on show

Warm-up with Games and Handling (Rugby ready)

A rugby ready style warm up with games and handling as they focus prior to moving on to more technical skills. The game centres around the teams trying to make 10 passes

Agility Games for contact warm up

Saracens community coach uses games and competitive activities to introduce the contact elements of rugby. This builds confidence in players prior to actual contact skills

British Bulldogs - Defence game

The classic schoolyard game. Played full contact but with tackle pads. Attackers must get to the other side of the field without dropping their ball or being pinned to the ground by defenders with tackle pads.

Quins - Support Touch Game

The coaches use games to teach techniques and allow players to experiment in game situations. The coach can set the parameters for the game dependent on the skill sets of the players

Games for Juniors - 10's & over

The Sale sharks community coach delivers a "Game based" warm up with progressions that will lead onto to contact skills. The coach uses examples and questioning to support learning

Simple Passing Exercises & Games

The Wasps coaches use a mixture of games and drills to develop the passing skills of young players. Players are encouraged to respond to questions. Games are used to improve the learning experience

London Irish - Super Skills

Do your players excel at one area of the game? if so why not try and make them even better and make them "The Specialist" in that area and turn that technique into a super skill

Tackling games for juniors

Tackling and contact are key components in the development of young players, this clip shows how coaches can introduce tackling using a game that reduces the risk of injury and focuses on the technical skills

Mini age groups - Passing Skills

This clip provides some simple guidelines on coaching catch & pass for young players. The coach progresses to a conditioned game to help the learning process

Breakdown - Using games to coach

Academy coaches use conditioned games with strict rules around the tackle / touch activity to teach the skills required for contact and clearing defenders away. Questioning is used as the main style of coaching

Tag Game - Team Tag Clip

Adds variety to TAG games and skills

CCRU Game - Passing Pairs

Aim of the game: In pairs, walk, jog or run around the grid, passing to their partner only when they call for the ball. Other players will be obstructing their vision and the flight of the pass, so decisions on when to pass will need to be developed

Interview - Conor O Shea on basic skills

Conor talks about the basic skills required for players. Its a simple game

Drop off touch - start with a game

Chris Kibble of Esher RFC & Whitgift school says to start your sessions with a game. In this clip Chris runs a game called "Drop touch" where the players run back to a line when they make a touch. This is good for fitness and creating wholes to attack

Fun Passing Games

Children are naturally competitive and will engage more in training exercises that include a competitive edge. This challenges their skills under pressure and creates excitement and fun

Coaching the breakdown with games

The challenge of using games to coach contact is a tricky one for many coaches. This clip shows the Leeds carnegie academy coach explaining how to integrate games into his coaching and the different styles of delivery

Military fitness for games - Pre season

Pre season fitness can be tedious and repetitive however you can integrate the latest fitness drills into games of touch or other conditioned games to make your training more challenging

Why are skills important?

The London Scottish Skills Coach explains why skill work is important and why you should incorporate them into fitness.

Contact Skills for Young Players

Leeds academy coaches cover the fundamentals skills for the contact area. This is a useful session for young players to focus on body position and key techinques.

Coaching with Games is the Future

Elite coaches use conditioned games to teach the basic skills and change the conditions for progressions and increase the intensity

Tag Game - Any Direction Tag Clip

Helps to identify space and works vision and decision making skills

Advanced Passing Skills

Passing skills are a high priority for most coaches and teachers. This video features a "Grip Game" to test the offloading skills and ball control of players

Games or drills ?

The coaches explain why they use games and provide examples of how they deliver a session using games with technical skills as the basis for learning

New Kicking Games

Adding variety to your kicking practises will engage your players and motivate them to step up to the challenge. Dave Walder from Newcastle Falcons introduces Three new kicking games in this clip

The Skills Coaches Look For

Elite coaches outline the key fundamentals that they look for in young players and what club coaches could potentially focus on

Fun Offloading Game!

Ball control is the key element to an effective offload. Jim Evans from Harlequins uses some fun games to coach this skill

Kicking in Training Games

Community Coach Tamara Taylor explains the challenges and benefits of allowing kicks in conditioned touch games at training.

Defensive Game with Coaching Points

A touch game conditioned to develop the drift defence. Worcester Warriors Community Coach Tamara Taylor explains the objectives of the conditions, gives feedback and adjusts them when necessary.

Games for Coaching - Examples

Coaches often request ideas to help them plan sessions. Here are some examples of the conditions that coaches can apply to make training more challenging and enjoyable

Game to coach Depth

Ex England Sevens coach Russell Earnshaw talks through the importance of depth and keeping "Connected". He uses a simple exercise to work on various techniques and makes it competitive to keep the intensity high

Tag games for mini's

Not all TAG games are the same and in this clip the Sale sharks coach uses a variety of conditions and rules to encourage the players to use more passes

L2 - Colours Touch

Skill Practice Description • Each player is given a colour. • The coach will call out a colour at any time during the game. • The defender/s who have been given that colour need to leave the defence line, run round the nearest cone of that colour and rejoin the defence. • The attack should identify where the spatial opportunity has appeared and take immediate advantage. • The frequency of the call depends on how much the coach wants to work the players. • The coach may call for all players, both defence and attack, to run around an allotted cone colour. • Coach should have two rugby balls to ensure a fast game and a change of defence to attack at times. Key Coaching Points • Visual Acuity-Looking for space • Spatial awareness • Communication - highlighting spaces and mismatches • Evasion skills and footwork • Decision making Relevance to the Game • Spaces are created by the leaving defenders, which the attack has to identify, decide on the appropriate action and attack accordingly. • By using the second ball, the coach can also develop counter attack

Touch games for mini's

Using games is becoming more popular and important when coaching young players. This clip shows a a simple touch game and format to include coaches, have fun and develop skills

L2 - Kicking Target Game

Skill Practice Description • Scan and make decisions. • Set up the kick that makes the win scenario by moving the opposition. • Hold and drop of the ball. • Head over the ball and weight forward to reduce scope for error. • Don’t lean back and open scope for error. • Contact with lace, point toe and straight follow through. • Leg speed to generate power. • Catch with hands ready and elbows close. • Keep eye on the ball and watch the ball into the catch. • Gather, scan and return kick accurately Relevance to the Game • This game develops scanning and tactical decisions. • Develops technical accuracy.

Games & drills for tackle technique

The Falcons coaches use a variety of games and breakout drills to progress their tackle technique session. The players respond to questions to vary the style of coaching

Using Games to Develop Passing and Support

Using games to coach is how most Premiership coaches improve skills and especially decision making. In this clip Jon Curry uses some clever rules to encourage supporting lines to help keep the ball alive

Rugby-Football Game

A great fun game that combines rugby and football, that also tests the players skills for catch & pass, awareness and support play. This can be played with age groups from 13 / 14 upwards

Position-Specific Skills - The Box Kick

London Irish DoR Brian Smith discusses the box kick and it's relevance in modern rugby tactics. Skills such as kicking take hours of practice to master, but should be done in a specific, game related way.

CCRU Game - Capture the Aliens

Description of activity: Two players start with one ball between them, as humans and the rest are aliens. The humans capture the aliens by holding the ball in two hands and touching the alien with the ball. Once an alien has been touched they are turned into a human and can help. When a human has the ball, they cannot move but if they don’t have the ball they can run anywhere inside the grid

Overload Attack Game

This game allows your attack to experiment whilst working on communication, reloading for depth and handling skills. With an attacking overload this will also work on your defence communication and organisation in phase play.

Fun Catching Games

There's often down time before a training session where you can't help butthrow a ball around. Why not try out these fun games that will work your core skills as well. They work great as a gentle introduction to a session to switch players on.

Round the World Handling Game

A static handling game that can be played with small groups of players to improve basic catching and passing skills.

Skills at home - Round the world

A great game for concentrating and improving passing & catching skills. At home with family or friends

Jackling & Turnovers - Key skills

To often coaches go straight to working on areas of the game without breaking a specific skill into its multiple parts. Not only is this less effective but can be dangerous and lead to bad habits. This clip shows you how to approach the turnover

Tag Game - Bull Dog Clip

Another variety to use for TAG skills and games

Supporting lines - Trail running

A game to challenge how players support with lines of running and communication

Tag Game - Broken Field

Use this game to develop skills and understand space and where to attack

The Lineout Game - Under14

Players begin to use movement with the intention of deceiving the opposition as to where the ball will be thrown. However if the ball is always thrown to the front, how effective will this movement be?
This clip illustrates how the front ball is secured by jumping and catching skill and then protected by the support players. If the same skills could be used with a middle ball, the tactical decision making will also be developed

How many coaches opt for safety and not for the long term development of their players?

Tag Game - Team Tag

Conor O Shea - Basics of the game

Conor O Shea discusses what constitutes the basic aspects of rugby union

Catching is the First Skill of Passing

Being able to catch is fundamental to rugby and the majority of sports. Catching in rugby is slightly different due to the shape of the ball and understanding the technical points of "How to catch" is a very important area for all young players. This clip explains some of the finer points and why a good catch is the basis of a good pass

The Lineout Game - The floor game

The lineout competition is not won and lost when the ball is caught. If the team defending the throw cannot compete in the air, they can subsequently compete on the ground and disrupt the quality of possession the opposition wish to use

360 Games - Any Direction Attack

A warm up or starting 360 game where players can attack in any direction. This game is the basis to for coaches to then add numerous conditions based upon the focus of the session

Small sided evasion game

Developing core skills for agility and ball carrying

Quins - Two touch Game

This conditioned game allows attackers two touches so that they can isolate one defender, the game encourages good support play and can be used to improve fitness

Bouncing - The key to contact skills

Encouraging players to improve their "Floor" skills is the key to improving contact skills such as tackling, rucking and competing for the ball. It might be simple but it is effective

Quins - Using Games In Training

Elite coaches explain how they translate their desired playing philosophy and principles into practical hands-on coaching approaches, drills and games

Listening is an Essential Skill

Communication is key to making good decisions. Jon Curry from Northampton Saints makes some simple but very important observations to help players make informed decisions

Tag Game - Stick in the Mud

L2 - Chaos Touch

Skill Practice Description • Two teams play touch with the rules as stipulated by the coach. • At any time during the game, the coach may blow the whistle. • The ball is passed to the coach and players run around whichever corner cone they are closest to, although it must be of their own try line. This ensures all players come back into the game at different times. • The coach can reintroduce the ball to either side and play resumes. Key Coaching Points • Looking for space on the pitch. • Ability to make intuitive decisions. • Innovative economy of movement in order to preserve energy. • Competitive spirit and team commitment. Relevance to the Game • This is primarily pre-season conditioning game. • The demand on the players is to scan for opportunity or danger while under the pressure of fatigue. • The game also tests team spirit and commitment to each other

L2 - Chaos Touch

Skill Practice Description • Two teams play touch with the rules as stipulated by the coach. • At any time during the game, the coach may blow the whistle. • The ball is passed to the coach and players run around whichever corner cone they are closest to, although it must be of their own try line. This ensures all players come back into the game at different times. • The coach can reintroduce the ball to either side and play resumes. Key Coaching Points • Looking for space on the pitch. • Ability to make intuitive decisions. • Innovative economy of movement in order to preserve energy. • Competitive spirit and team commitment. Relevance to the Game • This is primarily pre-season conditioning game. • The demand on the players is to scan for opportunity or danger while under the pressure of fatigue. • The game also tests team spirit and commitment to each other

Tag Game - Tag Rugby 1

Tag Game - Tag Rugby 1

Using Games to Improve Support Play

Great tries are often the result of great support play. Coaches are now using more games in their training with set constraints put in to dictate what the coach wants to work on

Tag Game - End Ball and Rugby Netball

Tag Game - End Ball and Rugby Netball

Game - Tackle Touch

Whether you're introducing tackling to young players for the first time, or re-introducing it to senior players after a summer away, this is a great game to play to ease back into it. It isolates the 1v1 tackle and puts emphasis on technique without the high speed impact of a full contact game.

Mini Games

Some simple but fun games to use for getting very young players enjoying rugby

Stuart Lancaster: Importance of Playing Games

Stuart Lancaster explains why he thinks including game-play in rugby sessions is essential to player development.

The Importance of Playing Games

Stuart Lancaster explains the importance of using games for an effective rugby session.

How To Use Match Footage To Coach

British Lions Analyst Andy Keast provides some tips on how to use match footage to gain a coaching edge. In this clip we look at line out possession

Breakdown Skills for Mini age groups

Introducing contact and breakdown skills to younger players can be a challenge for many coaches, in this clip the Northampton saints community coaches explain some of the technical points and use some simple practises to help them learn

Handling Core Skills

These quick practices are great to implement to break up game play if little handling errors crop up! Easily progress the distances and speed as your players improve.