Rugby coaching tips for block passing

Phillipe Sella, the French centre, capped 111 times by his country in the '80s and '90s, was revolutionary in his day. This is a technique he pioneered, to ensure defenders could not drift across to tackle the next man after he had passed.

To beat a drift defence, players are usually coached to run at the defender's inside shoulder. This is to fix them before the player passes.

Sella was different. He liked to target the outside shoulder of the defender. As the defender closed in on the tackle, Sella would make the pass.

Because the outside shoulder of the defender was targeted, Sella's "over run" after the pass would legitimately block the defender drifting across.

Sella also ensured that he timed the pass correctly. He would do this by holding the ball low in two hands, which meant he was ready to release it at the last instant.

In addition, by holding the ball low, he could throw dummy passes and breach the defence himself as and when the opportunities arose.

Tackle turnover

Rugby coaching tips for the block pass

To practise the block pass technique with your players, start with a simple rugby drill to create 2v1 situations. Once your players are competent with these, build up the drills into small-sided games of 5v5. Use a wide pitch to encourage lots of passing skills.

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Click the link for rugby warm-up drills to get your players practising their passing and handling skills.