Rip and pass rugby drill

A rugby training drill based on a French technique of ripping and passing away from contact to improve continuity.

The French have always had their own unique playing style in many aspects of the modern game and are often at the forefront of innovation. The methods used by their forwards to keep the ball alive in the contact area are dynamic and guarantee secure ball to attack from.

Key factors

The initial contact and ripping technique is identical to that used all over the world:

The support player moves forward in a low body position.
He hits the ball carrier with the shoulder.
He rips the ball out by pulling the ball down and round using the upper arm and shoulder.

The difference with this technique is that if you pass the ball away to the left, you use your left shoulder to rip the ball out and then pivot round to pass, and vice versa to the right.

The support player hits with their right shoulder and rips the ball down and away from the ball carrier.
Once the ball is ripped, the player pivots and passes the ball to the next player with their back to the opposition.

The advantages of this technique are:

The opposition are less likely to get their hands and arms in the way of the pass.
The player ripping and passing is in a stronger position in case they get hit.
The ball is hidden from the opposition.
If the ball is not passed but driven instead there are two players protecting the ball from the opposition, with their depth creating an offside line further away from the ball.

Try this in a training drill with your players, initially slowly ensuring they have the right technique, before speeding up, using contact shields, and then making it live. You could condition your games in practice so that this is the only way the ball can be passed away from contact.