Support play rugby coaching drill

A good support player reads the movements of the ball carrier to judge where to offer the best support. Use this rugby drill to encourage your players to do the same.

In France the support player's ability to read the movements of the ball carrier is called being in the "close family" of the ball. Where the ball carrier goes, the close support goes as well. This rugby coaching session builds on that understanding.

What to tell your players this session is about

As a support player, reading the movements of the ball carrier.

As a ball carrier, trusting that the support player is in position to take the pass.

What to think about

Non-ball carriers in attack need to think about their specific roles in relation to the ball carrier.

The closer they are, the more likely they either will get the ball or will have to physically support the ball carrier through contact.

So the closest support players, who form the "family" as the French top coaches like to say, need to move as the ball carrier moves. The ball carrier can then trust that, should he be able to offload the ball, a player will be in place to take that pass.

What you get your players to do

Put a ball carrier and defender 5m apart, with a support player behind the ball carrier.

Have the ball carrier move forward, step to one side and pass to the support player moving into the space he has now vacated.

Meanwhile the defender moves forward to pressurise the ball carrier only. Start slowly, but (unusually) make sure there is no communication and that the ball carrier does not look where he is passing. This is to build trust.

Develop the rugby drill

Put two ruck pad holders 5m in front of four attackers who are standing at one end of the box.

Have a player at the side pass the ball into the nearest player. Meanwhile, make the ruck pad holders come forward and target two of the attackers.

The ball carrier can either pass to a free player or go himself if he is not targeted. Once past the ruck pads, ensure that all the players pass to each other before they reach the other end.

Game

In the same box, put a gate of cones as in the bottom picture. Put two more ruck pad holders at the end corners. Start the attack in the same way as the previous rugby drill.

After they are through the first set of ruck pads, one corner ruck pad holder runs diagonally across to the gate. The ball carrier also aims at the gate. Once the ruck pad holder makes the gate the last ruck pad holder moves forward.

The attacking team receives one point for forcing the ball carrier through the gate before contact, one point for scoring a try, and one point for scoring a try without any contact. Adjust the starting points depending on the players' skills.

Rugby drill to improve support play