Stopping the Lineout Drive

In a 10 minute spell early in the second half of the England versus South Africa international there were three tries scored from close range with a driving lineout.

In each case the defending side sent up a jumping group as their first line of defence; in each case the attack won the ball; and in each case the defenders were then on a hiding to nothing as they desperately tried to regroup against an already organised attacking unit.

Sending up a jumping group can be a good plan but there are other ways to stop the attackers from scoring and coaches need to experiment with some alternatives. Then it is a case of practicing the new plan over and over.

For a team to create a successful lineout drive the three key players are the catcher and the two lifters, assuming the hooker hits his target. This means there needs to be a lot of consideration given as to how this group can be prevented from setting a strong and stable platform for their pack to drive on.

Destabilising this group is a crucial first step which calls for something better than waiting for them to come down and then driving against them. Think about some alternatives and break the plan down in to 1 v 1 situations for the three attackers and their opposites.

Who should the player opposing the jumper be, based on what you want them to do? Do you want them to step forward in to the line and get their arm and shoulder through the separation between the back lifter and jumper before the lifter gets in to their driving position with the idea being to get their hand on the ball or to rip the catcher's arm. If you want to try this they would need to be a big, strong player.

Maybe a shorter player who is good at in-fighting could be placed next to the big player. As their group is coming down they make sure they are lower than the lifters and is in a strong position to drive through and split the bind between the jumper and their lifter. They would need to move in to the lineout, a short step to take up the space and be low and strong throughout. They could possibly get their hand on the ball or destabilise the jumper by turning them with a drive on the side of the jumper so that they are not square on to their pack.

Alternatively the player opposing the jumper may pull them to the ground. Of course they will need to be strong enough to do this by reaching over the shoulders of the catcher and placing them self in a position that will more than likely end up with the drive on top of them. With the remainder of their team unable to enter the contest until the player is on the ground the timing and the explosive pull need to be prior to the attacking three being settled.

This can be more successful at the back of the lineout where the jumper seldom has such a strong lift from both players.

If a jumper was to oppose the attacking jumper the defender could endeavour to focus on getting their hand on the ball coming from slightly behind and reaching through to knock the ball out of their grip (Sam Whitelock is good at this), the jumper could make contact with their opposite so that they don't arrive on the ground in a strong position or the defending jumper could stay on the ground, squeeze in to the middle of the line, and use their arm to dislodge the ball by placing their hand under the elbow of the catcher. These methods are possible if the referee does not allow the lifters to take up the space in front of the jumper, but they are not an aggressive method and it does mean that the centre of the drive has a defender who is upright.

The positioning of this key defender will be determined by what you want them to do and what the players in front and behind them are trying to achieve. Their role is to ensure that the point of the attacking drive is off balance, is not moving forward and does not have total control of the ball. Their role is a 1 v 1.

Assuming the middle player is targeting the back edge of the jumper then the defender in front of them may well start very close and target the front lifter and the space between the lifter and the jumper.

Their role could be similar to the middle defender but this time the 1 v 1 would be up against the front lifter. They could squeeze in early, get really low and drive through to try and split the jumper and lifter or start to drive the lifter on an angle and destabilise them.

Their role is to ensure that the lifter does not get set by being low and tight for the drive, but is instead off balance, going sideways and is struggling to maintain a strong bind.
The player behind the middle player has his 1 v 1 with the back lifter. They need to get in a strong low position moving in to the middle of the line before the lifter comes down so that they can drive in and up on the lifter to make sure they are off balance and cannot carry out their attacking roles.

Generally the player behind this defender will come in and help continue the drive so the attack is going sideways, is moving fast and is unbalanced.

The third defender could also just take on a 1 v 1 against the lifter and deal to them by binding on them and driving them in an appropriate direction depending on what else is happening. They need to bind tightly on this player and use their arms and shoulders to pull them away from their preferred position.

In fact all three players are in 1 v 1 situations where they must think of themselves as trying to win this battle in any way possible by using all the body parts and not just getting low and driving. Binding, explosive arm and shoulder movements and using the 'core' will upset the attacking rhythmn.

The lowest, most aggressive group will generally win. The aim is to stop the front three getting set. Using these principles each time the point of the drive shifts the players in the three key defensive positions must work on 1 v 1's but as a mini unit.

What occurs after that follows the same principles. Drive in low. Endeavour to get in to a position that can drive and split two attackers so that they become loose and the defender can work his way through on to the ball. Stay bound on the attacker/s so that the defender is part of the maul.

Build up the training session with 1 v1's; 3 v 1; 3 v3; then build up to 5 v 5 and 8 v 8. The most important aspects are to get the initial 3 v 3 plan organised and then consider how the plan flows on as the driving lineout changes shape and direction.

So, a quick summary, 'stay on the ground, low body positions, get in to the middle of the lineout, split the jumper from his lifters, destabilise this group with early momentum through driving hard and low at various angles.' Give it a go.