Kicking for Pressure - On Hard Grounds
We challenge teams to think beyond the adage of "don't let the ball bounce" and change their attacking tactics.
On harder grounds the ball:
- Bounces much higher.
- Has a more unpredictable bounce.
- Is more likely to roll further.
Players are also much less likely to want to fall on the ground to field the ball. here are some kicking tactics for hard grounds.
Don't kick so high
Kickers don't need to kick the ball too high to gain the advantage of a difficult bounce. This is good news since it means that defenders will have less time to get under the ball, catch it and so prevent it bouncing.
However, also consider whether defenders are facing into the sun and then at what height the ball therefore becomes hard to track.
Kick to roll the ball
The ball can be kicked to land at awkward angles. End-over-end will mean the ball could easily sit up or even bounce back towards oncoming players. Kicked in the middle and with some height will mean the ball is more likely to bounce on, but fly off at different angles.
Grubber kicks
These might cause different problems whether kicked end-over-end or in the middle. Of course a grubber kick which rolls along the floor is also not going to be too inviting to fall on when the pitch is hard.
Kick into spaces
Instead of placing pressure on a catcher, kick the ball so defenders have to become gatherers. This means they will have to field the ball from the ground.
In front more difficult than behind
Kicking for a space in front of a defender makes gathering the ball more difficult. Defenders will be running towards the attackers, which in itself can be off putting. They will be uncertain of the bounce and will be unlikely to be in a good posture to receive the ball.
On the other hand running backwards provides far more options to take the ball cleanly, because defenders will be able to judge the pace more effectively and are likely to be in a stronger body position once gathered.
Chasing the ball on the hard ground
Different tactics need to be employed when for the kick and chase on hard grounds. Notably, chasers are advised to hold back a little, so that if the ball moves from the expected line, they can adjust more effectively.
Some kick and chase drills for even 5 minutes in the practice time before match day will help players to time their runs more effectively. It is a matter of watching the ball just before it hits the ground to help predict the direction of its next bounce.
Kicking into the opposition's 22m area
Be careful when kicking into the opposition's 22m area. With hard grounds there is a good chance that the ball will roll over the dead ball line, thus returning the ball to the opposition with their scrum from where the ball was kicked.
Hard ground kicking tactics from a lineout
To find the space to land the ball from a lineout, it is preferable to kick from second phase.
As the first illustration above, the defending wingers and full back (15) are more likely to be covering the longer kick areas at a lineout. So the defence is too far back for you to initially consider a short chip kick.
Bringing your players up requires the ball to be taken into contact, as shown by the second illustration. It is then also more likely that the defending wingers will come up to defend their opposite numbers, unless they are extremely disciplined. This opens up two areas to land the ball, long behind each winger.
Hard ground kicking tactics from a scrum
There are two areas to exploit from a kick following a scrum, as shown in the illustration below.
The first is behind the scrum in the "box area", using a box kick. This kick can be made by either the scrum half (9) or fly half (10). Remember the kick is lower than a normal box kick, because the ball needs to bounce, rather than be caught.
The other kick available is a chip or grubber behind the defending centres (12 and 13). If the fly half runs at an angle he can see his chasers and the defenders, and so release the kick as the defenders move forward. Remember you want the kick to drop in front of the full back, to make gathering the ball more difficult.