Position Specific – Lock
A coach has much to do beyond a game plan if he is to provide guidance for each individual in his team. There is the physical development which as the player gets older needs to be specific to the position of the player, the technical knowledge, understanding and practical application of game aspects and the the psychological skills that help develop confidence, concentration and attitudes beneficial to the game such as aggression and mental toughness.
In this article we will consider the technical and game understanding requirements for a lock.
As with all positions in rugby these days the lock is evaluated on a large number of aspects of play.
When opening up a website to check on the progress of Hurricanes Super Rugby locks James Broadhurst and Jeremy Thrush the statistics provided give an indication of the particular strengths of each player.
With Broadhurst having 90 minutes more game time over the season the statistics read as follows with Broadhurst's stats listed first.
Tackles made: 144 / 172 (8th overall in Super Rugby). Tackles missed: 18 / 19. Tackle success: 88.9% / 90.1%. Turnovers conceded,: 10 / 18
Ball carries: 142 / 96. Metres made: 311 / 109. Defenders beaten: 15 / 1. Clean breaks: 6 / 2. Off loads made: 27 / 1. Passes: 63 / 45. 
Lineout catches: 26 / 49 (8th in Super Rugby) and lineout steals: 3 / 4
Obviously Broadhurst is a big bruising and highly skillful ball player and Thrush is the more in-tight tackler and lineout exponent. (Although he probably called the lineouts which may have just given him that edge) Either way, your player will fit in somewhere between these two and it is up to you to develop his strengths and the basics.
The player profile assessment criteria for a lock will obviously be based on the level and age of the player with consideration given to some of the following requirements for the position.
SCRUMMAGING:
One thing the stats don't measure is the strength and effectiveness of the locks at scrum time. More importantly though his team mates will know how good he is and how much effort he is putting in. Scrummaging is about total commitment.
The coach will be looking at pre-engagement particularly with the binding, gripping and body position and how he transfers that through to the hit, with timing and strength and then maintaining the pressure and working with the rest of the scrum. Plenty of technical detail can be found in The Coaching Toolbox.
LINEOUT:
Perhaps the biggest single judgement factor will be on the success ratio a team has at lineout time. Generally this reflects back on the hooker and the jumpers even although there are a number a factors not related to the throw and the jump that can go wrong.
The more explosive the jump can be, working with the hooker and lifters, the more successful the team will be. As a matter of interest the Hurricanes were 13th in the lineout percentages in Super Rugby with an All Black hooker and two All Black locks. There is a fine line between winning the ball and not winning it and club rugby level this normally amounts to the plan being simple but executed accurately.
There needs to be constant mini unit and unit work to coordinate a good lineout with the emphasis on explosive lifting and jumping and the coordination with the hooker. As the player gets older he should be able to decoy a jump, move his position either back or forward and develop the technical detail.
Working out tactics from a lineout can be a lot of fun and create a lot of satisfaction if the players are asked to do this.
In a defensive lineout the lock should soon work out the 'trigger' that signifies when the ball is to be thrown and to which area it is likely to go. The hooker may well give an indication to the jumper at two and the man opposite but in front of the middle jumper may be the player who determines where the ball is going by his actions. Locks need to learn what to look for. Then they need to practice moving forward and backward slightly with the lifters. Anticipation is the key.
CONTACT:
Of all the players in a team the locks are normally the tallest and have the most trouble in dealing with the most necessary of contact skills – getting low and hitting with the shoulder. The skills are just the same as in any other position but the height of the player can make things more difficult. The key of course is bending the knees and dropping the hips.
Tackling in close and front on will be crucial as well as being able to fulfill the tackling role a defensive line at phase play. This will entail being able to keep the structure in the defensive line, stay connected with his inside and outside man, and make the correct decision on whom he will tackle. Then of course there are the technical requirements of front on and side on tackles to stop the man and slow the ball. The tackle is not completed until the tackler is back on his feet and recovering the ball or taking up the space or taking up a defensive role. There is much to do.
These skills as mentioned in the tackle recovery must be taught and practiced also.
Carrying the ball in to contact, beating a defender, keeping the ball, offloading in or through the tackle are all skills that need to be mastered for the team to maintain continuity. It is seldom sufficient anymore for the lock just to set up a ruck so he needs practice situations where he has to make a decision based on what the defence are doing, how many numbers there are and what his support players are anticipating.
As a support player in contact he must be able to clean out to clear the ball, or protect the ball from the opposition, pick the ball and drive or pass, or run on to the ball to receive an early pass or an offload. These decisions all require the player to be looking and thinking ahead so the coach needs to set up various scenarios in his practice sessions.
Tactically the lock should be asked to carry out a role suited to his ability with the ball in hand. Broadhurst for example will often be found running in openfield play whilst Thrush tends to be a close in runner.
RUN & PASS:
The major development in tight forward play has been selecting forwards who can run and pass and get in to good support positions, so this player needs to practice the variety of passing techniques whether in close and popping or in the attack line at phase and passing to his left or right.
Plenty of game type activities will ensure he knows when to pass, whom to pass to, and when not to pass.
KICK OFFs:
With all other things being equal this can often be the aspect of the game that a lock can grab and make his own. (see Personal Strengths)
Running at the correct angle and timing his jump on the chase or making sure he is the man under the ball and in the air on the receipt can be practiced with his team mates in small mini units and taken in to the team situation. These are difficult skills and will need coaching and encouragement as well as plenty of time allocation.
PERSONAL STRENGTHS:
The coach needs to discover what his player is really good at that if developed will give him a skill that places him in a different category than his opposite. He may be an explosive ball carrier so situations should be set up for this to happen. He may be a big hitter in the tackle so he could practice being the third man out in the line and come in and blindside the ball carrier. He may be fast on his feet and able to beat the first defender each time so make sure he receives the ball in midfield and is coached in the offload. There is bound to be something. Thrush's very high tackle percentage suggests that this area is something he prides himself on and has developed a lot over the seasons.
A check list could be drawn up by taking a topic and researching the requirements on The Coaching Toolbox. There is a seasons work here. Start simple and keep revisiting and developing the aspect of play not only over the season but in the following seasons.
This is just a summary of what a lock needs to develop to improve. You must research each skill by viewing it on television, a video, reading and researching the detail, or talking to an appropriate person. Preferably doing all of these would be the ideal.
Good luck.