Rugby drills to help defenders communicate

Communication skills in attack and defence are crucial. The principles are the same for both but these rugby drills and tips are aimed at helping defenders communicate when they're under pressure.

Communication in defence

If you haven't got the ball and you want it, you will ask for it – and shout for it and scream for it until you get it. But in defence players can go very quiet.

When Peter Stringer wandered down an undefended blindside to score Munster's vital try in the 2006 European Cup final, communication among the Biarritz players had broken down. The defending winger had not told the blindside flanker (6) where he was going to be. Serge Betsen, the Biarritz number 6, was not happy!

Drills to try with your defenders

Fig 1: A line of defenders (Ds), with the coach (C) behind them, is faced by a line of attackers (Xs). The coach signals for the line of attackers to move from side to side. The defending players must stay opposite an attacker.

When the coach signals again, the line of attackers moves up. The defenders must move up to meet them, making sure every player is covered.

Encourage the defenders to be aware of who the players either side of them are covering, but not to worry about what anyone else is doing. If your players work in "pods" of three, where each player knows who he is covering and who the players immediately on his left and right are covering, then defending is simpler. You can then build up your pods until you have a full defensive line.

Fig 2: As before, except that one of the attacking line has dropped out and is running as a "floating" attacker behind the rest. The line of attackers still moves left and right as directed by the coach, but the floating player can move wherever they want.

The defenders must keep every attacker covered. They will find they constantly have to move to cover the floating player.

When the coach signals for the attackers to move up, the floating player must hit the gap directly in front of him. The defenders must still have every attacker covered.

As before, encourage the defenders to work in pods of three, where each players knows what the players either side of him are doing. You will find this drill will not work for defenders unless their communication is very good.

Fig 3: Things get even more complicated now, so don't try this until your players have got to grips with the above drills. Here we have both an attacker and a defender floating. The other attackers can also move independently, enabling them to swap positions.

When the coach shouts "UP," the attackers move up in a straight line. The defenders must have every attacker covered.

As you can imagine, there may be chaos the first few times you try this. As the players' communication skills and awareness improves, it will get easier.

Fig 4: In the final drill, we have two lines of attackers and two lines of defenders. The coach indicates which line of defenders should cover which line of attackers. For example the front line of defenders can cover the back line of attackers and vice versa. Again the players are free to move where they want along the line and can swap places.

When the coach calls "UP", the attackers move up, with the defenders covering every one of them.

Extend the rugby drill

You can extend this rugby drill by telling the lines of defenders to change which line they are covering, as they are moving.

Conclusion

These rugby drills are not particularly game-related but they do serve a purpose. In order to successfully complete the drill the defending team must communicate clearly and concisely, which is the outcome we are trying to achieve.

Remember to take it slowly at first, then gradually increase the difficulty of what you are doing. You will then see the improvements in communication begin to pay dividends in games.

Click here to read more coaching tips and rugby drills to boost players' communication skills when attacking.

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