Rugby drill to help players be lethal at the ruck

If your team wins quick ruck ball, there is very little time to weigh up the options, make a decision, then execute the correct one. If players delay too long, the defence will have re-organised and the opportunity will have gone. Use the following rugby drill session to give your team three set options and the triggers to look for when decision making.

Option 1: Pick and dart

A player picks up the ball at the back of the ruck and attacks a channel very close to the side of the ruck. The player could be the scrum half.

Trigger

Defenders close to the ruck are disorganised or still retreating. There are smaller or weaker tackling defenders
close to the ruck.

Option 2: Runner from scrum half

The scrum half picks and runs a few steps before giving a short pop pass to a player running at pace close to the ruck.

The scrum half should draw the first defender at the side of the ruck and create some space.

Trigger

Ruck defenders are there but not in great numbers. The fly half does not have the players.

Option 3: Pass to fly half from a called move

The fly half calls a move to attack the midfield or out wide. The scrum half delivers the pass to where the fly half wants to receive the pass.

Trigger

The close ruck defenders are well organised. The fly half has a player in position to run a move and attack wider.

Drills for the triggers

In your rugby coaching drills, you can condition the defence to create the different scenarios that create the right sort of trigger
for the best decision.

For instance, for option 1, pick and dart, have most of the defenders start behind the attack, so they have to run further to get into position.

After the end of the ruck, have half the defenders run around a cone before getting back into the game.