Sevens Defence

SEVENS  5 – Defence

Defence in sevens is about working together as a team, and responding to team mate’s actions. It is also an aspect of the game that tells you a lot about the individual player and whether he is prepared to work really hard when under pressure.  If a player does not carry out his defensive duties then he will be a huge liability in sevens.

The basic concept of defensive play is forming a line across the field and holding this position, and not allowing the attack to get in behind the defensive line.

There are several aspects to think about in defence when considering these two concepts. Firstly, the basic defensive system is operated from inside-out so that the defender works from the inside of the player he is going to tackle and forces him to try and penetrate on his outside.

The next defensive player in the line needs to be just behind the inside man so that he can operate effectively based on the speed and success of the inside defender. The second defender needs to be able to know where the ball is as well so that he can move up on the inside of his attacker or he can hold and tackle inwards should that be required. His lateral spacing with his inside man will be sufficient so that they are working in tandem and the gap is not so big that it is impossible for him to tackle both in and out.  Should he need to get wider because of a very wide attack structure he must maintain enough depth so that his inside man cannot be beaten in the gap between the two players.

The same applies for each defender all the way across the defensive line, using mainly six defenders in the front line and a sweeper in behind. It is important to operate in such a way that the attack do not get in the space behind the defence, but should there be an opportunity to go forward as a group and cut down the space the attack has before hitting the defensive line then this should be done. Generally this would imply that the defence has greater numbers than the attack, or the attack line is quite close together.

As the defenders move across the field and the ball is passed along the attack line, the defenders are able to move forward into the attack line that is waiting for the ball to come back their way.  This can cause great confusion and pressure on the attack team. Of course once the tackle has been made and a ruck formed the defence will need to return to the offside line.

Working in threes is once again important with the inside and outside defender assisting the player making the tackle, by moving in from the inside, and holding on the outside and making the appropriate decision of whether to tackle in or move out once a pass has been made. These are very fluid situations and change quickly in sevens rugby.

The defenders in this case are generally marking up in a channel which shifts across as the attack moves the ball. Occasionally there will be case for man-on-man defence mainly when the defenders have greater numbers than the attack and they can go forward successfully at some speed and blitz the attack.  It is a good idea to have a team call in such a situation.

An important part of the alignment is running a ‘sweeper’ who is in the fullback position. He may be a nominated player who stays there regardless, or he may be the person who has started to sweep from the far side of the field away from the ball. As the ball is brought back by the attack the current sweeper will move up into the defensive line, generally on the outside, and the player on the far side will become the sweeper.

The sweeper has a big role in being positioned to take short chip kicks by the attack, running back to field in the long kick and chase, and putting himself in a good position to tackle any player who has penetrated the line.  He needs to be quick and skillful.
These patterns are best practiced in game situations at practice when the coach can stop the play at any time and discuss what should be happening.

The tackle and regaining the ball can be practiced in small groups with the coach applying good sevens techniques.  Most tackles will be made from inside-out if the defensive system is working well which means the attacker can only pressure the gap on the defenders outside. If he is able to pressure the inside shoulder the inside defender needs to be in that hole but this becomes a far more challenging attack line to halt should the support players be in place.

The actual tackler needs to get the foot in a close as possible to the ball carrier so that in one action he can smother the man and the ball in the tackle. This is the ideal. If he tackles too high or low then the attacker will have his arms free and be able to offload.  Hence, it is necessary to constantly practice this tackle. Immediately after the tackle, the tackler should be getting to his feet to recover the ball.

If the outside defender is watching as he should be he will be able to enter the area to recover the ball or he will be able to tackle ‘in’ if the attacker is able to get away the offload. The regaining of possession (turnover ball) is a real killer in sevens as there will be lots of space both behind and laterally to exploit by the team that has just regained the ball. Practice the turnover scenarios and the possible outcomes.  This area of the game could well mean the difference between winning and losing.

If the attacker is actually held up by the defender and he cannot get the pass away, then there is an opportunity to hold the player off the ground and get a turnover. This will take a number of defenders who will need to act quickly and make sure that the ball is not freed up if they go in to the area. This can also be a good drill during training.

SUMMARY
Skill set:  the smother tackle and ball recovery /  holding the attacker and the ball up to create a turnover  /  3 v 3 in a 20m grid with the defence holding their shape and forcing the last attacker over the sideline; smother tackling/tackling in and recovering the ball  / full games with an eye on the role of the ‘sweeper’.