Playing Philosophy – Ruck & Run Coaching Components
Good on you if you have decided to utilise ‘Ruck & Run’ as one of your attack methods. It will prove to be very exciting I’m sure with the emphasis on a lot more running, passing and supporting in open field situations.
An idea as a coaching tool is to break the pattern up into the skill components alongside the conceptual processes that ensures each aspect of the play is understood and the necessary skills are joined together.
Clearing the pressure point
The concept is to clear the ball from the pressure zone [turnover ball, kick receipt, tackle, ruck, and set piece if ‘R & R’ is called] to a zone where there is a less concentration of defenders. Ideally to a zone where the attack is up against a single line and the individual has a 1 V 1 opportunity.
This starts with ‘2 passes’ as a minimum. The ball gatherer, the player under most pressure, will pass immediately to a player close by. This player can be static.
The receiver will be steady and look to make a longish pass to a player in space away from the majority of the players. This receiver will then start taking the ball forward or if they are under pressure, they will make another pass.
Depending on the level of your team will determine just how simple it will be to move the ball in to the wider spaces. In most situations two or three static passes with at least one long pass involved will find the ball in a player’s hands who has space and time to go forward and start making some good decisions. However, with blitzing defences now operating and defenders coming from outside-in, the attack may need to pass behind the front line and create a decoy situation before the ball successfully reaches the key player normally in the middle of the field or wider. If the defence have a system where their outside man comes in quickly the attack will be required to make another pass under pressure.
To implement the tactic of ‘clearing the pressure point’ the following skills and patterns need to be practiced:
Passing under pressure – off the ground; rolling ball; ruck ball; receiving a kick and passing.
Long passes: to the left and right; receiving a pass under pressure and passing quickly with good length.
Regrouping: players spreading across the field; two attack line depths; or a close decoy pod; holding depth out wide to allow time and space which will allow the player to begin the go forward.
Activity: 15 attackers versus as many defenders as possible. Roll or kick the ball behind the attackers. Carry out the plan – begin with the two-pass start; players regroup so that they can visualise three groups of 5 across the field. Defenders defend randomly but ensure they pressure the first and second ball carriers. Defend the middle of the field once the pattern starts to take shape. Goal is to get the ball in to space to attack and run, pass and support.
The coach will need to whistle up the tackle if there are few defenders.
Attacking the defender 1 V 1
The attacker will threaten a defender front on. This will create different opportunities from which the player makes the best choice.
a) Before contact:
Pass short to a runner on either side. The ball carrier must be a threat so they need to square the defender up by running square on with the chest facing the tryline.
The timing of the run by the players on either side of the ball carrier is also important as they need to threaten their defender before changing their angle and pace. If they see the space close to the ball carrier, they need to maintain a wide space before changing to hit the ball from a short pass and vice versa. Their aim is to get in behind their tackler.
Drill: 4 V 3. 15m X 15m grid. Player on the side-line passes to first receiver who passes to the middleman quickly, so they have time and space. The ball carrier must then get in to balance and head directly at the defender carrying the ball in two hands.
Players need to sort out the communication aspect as well as their different running lines and angles. They should look for a pop pass to the player who has passed them the ball if they are tackled.
The coach could introduce another attacker who comes from behind the bursting runner, who then becomes a decoy.
As the drill develops the grid can be made larger and another defender starting from the back line is introduced. The attack must score by keeping the ball alive.
Don’t forget the initial ball carrier can sell a dummy!
b) To get behind the defender by stepping and driving into the space on either side of the tackler. A fend may be used. A hit-and-spin may be appropriate.
The aim is to open up opportunities for a pop pass to a close support runner.
The coach needs to teach the appropriate skills required to get in behind the tackler, particularly what to do with the feet to get to the side of the tackler and drive in to the space. The feet need to keep working on contact. If the fend is encouraged then the attacker must have control of the ball before popping it, so depending on the skill level a one handed pass could be practiced or the attacker should go to ground and feed the ball in two hands.
Drill: 2 V 1. 8metre x 8m grid. Attacker receives a pass and squares up on the defender. This requires small steps [fast feet] to get in to balance before stepping sideways and driving forward. Experiment with this.
The feet should keep pumping throughout; the ball needs to be under control moving it to the arm away from the tackler; and the support player must come from depth to help with the timing. The support player should run in to the space the ball carrier has just moved from.
c) A quick ruck involving the ball carrier, the 1st man who secures the body and the space and the 2nd man who will receive quick ball and either picks & goes or picks and pops to another runner.
If the ball carrier neither passes early or is in a position to get behind the tackler then they should take contact in a dominant position – low and driving.
Technically the ball carrier needs to get in to balance by taking small steps, bending the knees in to a crouched position and hit with the leading arm or shoulder. The ball must be under control and not in the leading arm. Drive forward quickly and the coach can decide whether to turtle ruck pushing the ball back under the body or recoiling once the body hits the ground and place the ball at arm’s length. The key is for this to take only a few seconds – hit-2-3-gone!
The first support player also needs to get in to balance by taking small steps and crouching. Then the key is to have the shoulders ahead of the ball and to bind tightly on to the body of the team mate ( or the tackler if he is on top)
The ball needs to be immediately available so that the continuity catches out the defence.
The first support player can also pick up the ball and action it if there are no defenders around.
Drill: 3 V 2. 8m X 8m grid. 2nd defender tries to clean out the player securing the ruck. Start with this player carrying a hit shield.
Introduce another support player to receive a short ball. Build the numbers of attackers and defenders.
Continuity at the tackle point
The immediate aim is to get behind the defence then keep the ball alive by passing and supporting.
This requires a fit team so they need to be running fit.
One method to ensure fitness is to play Ruck & Run in unopposed situations. In a one squad situation play it with those not in the XV acting as defenders. When the team is ready have a 10-minute game against another team in the club/school. The coach will need to make up calls in unopposed for tackle situations. Use two balls and get the leader to shout the call from broken play.
There are also plenty of support drills available which can be fun and competitive. A number of these can be found in the article “Pre-Season Support Activities” in ‘Snook on Coaching’.
The main aspect to get right is the balance-fast-balance aspect of support. Get in to the best possible position – burst on to the ball – balance for contact or another pass. There needs to be depth from the support players so that they can make the best possible decision based on what the ball carrier decides to do. Being flat creates pressure and mistakes.
More than any other phase this is the important one as players need to develop their decision-making skills with setting a ruck not at the front of the list!
Repeat
If a situation occurs where there is a slow ruck with four or five in the ruck, and this will happen, then the process starts again. Re-align, and go through the same sequences. The team need to be confident that the players dealing with the contact situation can handle this and make sure they are spread across the field with adequate numbers out wide. The concept is to have sufficient numbers so that the attack outnumbers the defence in the wider channels.
Add your flavour to this concept. Encourage a quick lineout for example and make the call. Get the players excited about the opportunity of plenty of running and passing.