Moves and Plays

Attack-minded rugby coaches look to shift defenders around, to create mismatches, 2 v 1s and gaps through the defensive line. Every team needs an armoury of core backs moves, ruck moves, back row moves and plays from penalties to break down defences and score more tries.

How to coach a decoy runner - The following rugby coaching tips will help integrate slow players into the wide ball game.

The role of the fly half - Coaching tips and tactics you can adopt to create space, and therefore time, not just for the fly half, but for all your backs.

More coaching tips to create space for your fly half - Following on from The role of the fly half, this article offers further rugby coaching tips to help your fly half create space.

Rugby drills to improve communication skills in attack situations - The best rugby players at any level are never quiet in attack or defence and this is essential to team success. Use these rugby coaching tips and drills to boost your players' communications skills.

The role of the blindside flanker - You need to blend the talents of three players to produce a back row unit whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts, says Peter Tann.

How to use the smashmouth bullies tactic - A simple offensive rugby tactic to bully your opponents.

How and when to use shortened lineouts - The when, where, how, tactics and options of shortened lineouts.

Rugby coaching tips to develop an offensive move - What to do when your opponents won't be "bullied" by the Smashmouth tactics outlined in the article How to use the smashmouth bullies tactic.

Never say never in your own 22 - Innovation in the way your rugby team plays can be held back by one crucial factor - you.

The best attacking options from lineouts - It's vital you make best use of possession, says Jim Love, head coach of Viadana in Italy.

Rugby tactics to beat the defence - Rugby coaching tips to help you identify your opponent's defensive tactics and refine your attacking strategy.

Rugby defensive tactics when wingers are standing back - If your winger is standing back, there are ways to identify your opponent's defensive tactics and refine your rugby players' attacking strategy.

Rugby coaching tips to improve your teams go forward - Use the following rugby coaching tips to improve your team's go forward.

Coaching youth rugby moves and plays - Youth rugby has a number of differences from the adult version and requires different strategies. In this article I look at moves and plays.

Eight rugby coaching tips for scoring more tries - Bored of coaching the same old rugby coaching and plays? Then develop some imaginative new moves!

A great backs move - A move for the opposition half, but not too close to their line.

An easy rugby move to score tries - A well-executed move can win a match. But this doesn't mean the move in itself has to be complex.

Rugby coaching to get unstoppable tries - Plan for interceptions during rugby training with tips from the South African in the 2005 Tri Nations.

Beating defensive drift - Rugby coaching tips for exploiting gaps in your opponent's defensive line.

Red zone madness rugby coaching session - Rugby coaching tips to get your players to score more tries.

Rugby coaching tips to beat an aggressive defence - Use these rugby coaching tips and tactics to put the defence on the back foot.

Rugby coaching tips for turnover ball - Use these rugby coaching tips and drills to make the most of attacking opportunities and limit the opposition's threat.

Creating depth from a flat line - A problem-based approach by Colin Ireland to help rugby players create depth in situations where they start off in a flat line.

How to win 3 v 2 situations - Letting your players work things out for themselves is an excellent variation on the usual rugby coaching session. Sometimes it works better to give your players the chance to show you what they can do.

The big hit trick - More and more sides are employing this move to create holes in the defensive line. This rugby move works by playing on the natural instinct of defenders, that is, the desire to make a "big hit" on the big runner.

The latch and drive rugby coaching drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

The kitchen sink training drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action.

Up 'n' backs contact training drill - A great Western Force Drill of the Week. Please search the site for more clips of coaching drills in action

Horizontal scoring techniques - Use these rugby coaching tips and drills to help players score tries in the corner.

Back line alignments - Rearranging the set up of your backs at scrums can give you a distinct advantage over the opposition. Use these rugby coaching tips to help.

How to trick opponents with a deceptive ploy - Deception is a key element of successful attacking rugby. Looking as though you are going to attack one area, while actually attacking another can cause the defending team to allocate their resources to the wrong place.

Trick to break open your defence - This move works by playing on the natural instinct of defenders: the desire to make a "big hit" on the big runner.
The key is to trick the defender into making the tackle on a player who is not going to receive the ball. Instead, you work the ball into the gap left by the defender, so creating the space to release your quick winger through the defensive line.

Decoy and deception rugby drills - Turn your predictable planned moves into defence-splitting game breakers with rugby training drills using simple variations to the classic scissors move.

Coaching binding for locks and back row - After coaching your players in the basics of binding for the front row (Coaching binding basics), the next drill focuses on binding of the locks (five man scrums) and the back row (eight man scrums).

Coaching a circle ball play - Circle ball is a simple play to organise, which can integrate forwards and backs.

Drills to tackle bunching problems - Rugby is a game about space, finding it and exploiting it. Use these training drills to solve the common problem of young players bunching.

Coaching deceptive moves using wingers - Drill your players to use convincing deception ploys to fool the opposition.

Rugby moves to create a system for attack - Players need to know what sequence of different moves are being run. This makes it easier to run the right support lines and break down defences over a series of phases. This advanced skills rugby coaching session runs a sequence of plays to attack close to the initial point of contact then wide out.

Rugby coaching tips to train the back row - What do you expect of your back row? An effective back row blends three players whose abilities complement one another. So, a rugby coach needs to be clear about the roles to be played by each member of the unit.

Rugby coaching tips to build a coordinated attacking pattern - One-on-one, your players may use a change of pace or a sidestep to beat a defender. But when there are two or more attackers facing a similar number of defenders, a more coordinated attacking pattern is needed. Use these rugby coaching tips and plays to build moves that suit your team's strengths.

Decision making rugby drill for forwards - Despite what the press might say, forwards need to be thinkers. They can't just run into any ruck or maul. They need to consider when and where to add their weight. The following rugby drill is designed to help them build up some rhythm to make better decisions.

Rugby footwork drill for a good step into contact - If the ball carrier is powerful in the contact area, they can offload or maintain possession more effectively but less experienced and younger players have a tendency to fall over or crumple unless they practise good body positions and use a strong step into contact. The following "big step" rugby drill concentrates on improving these footwork skills.

Rugby set plays using gates to add match pressure - Unopposed practice drills can lead to poor outcomes. This system, devised by Mark Calverley, an IRB Level 4 coach working in school and club rugby in New Zealand, closely mirrors rugby matches. It forces players to take good options and be accurate in their play.

Drill to make the most of attacks close to the try line - When your players have the ball near the try line you want them to make the most of the position, to score over the line. Which is just what this drill session is all about. It's also a great way to teach your defenders about protecting the try line from the opposition.

Rugby coaching drill for kick offs - You are guaranteed at least one kick off chase and one receipt in every game. Since they can define the way the game is going to proceed, kick offs are an important aspect to spend time on during your training drills. Use the following rugby coaching tips to organise and run a 30 minute training drill session focusing on the kick off.

Lineout 3v3 rugby drill - To help you build better coordination in your lineout pods, try the following rugby training drill, working on attack and defence.

Rugby drill to coach hit and spin technique - Attack rugby is about attacking the space. However, in close-quarter situations it is not always possible to find space. Instead, attacking players need to make themselves hard to tackle and ensure they can keep the ball alive. Coach the following rugby drill to teach hit and spin skills.

Ruck through the phases with patterns of play - This rugby training drill session is designed to develop your team's play through the phases and improve your players' footwork. It's such a straight forward session to set up that you will be using it time and again.

Rush defence rugby drill - So many teams think they know how the rush defence ("blitz") works and yet it is more than just a fast rush up. This rugby coaching session looks at one version of the system, with your players asked to make more than one decision about their defensive roles.

Rugby drills to help players create pace on the ball - Using a one-element rugby drill session is a good solution for an area of the game you have identified as a problem. These drills focus on putting more pace on the ball.

Rugby drill to coach simple loops - Loops are a great way to create an "extra" man in attack. Here's a rugby drill session to help you coach the technique.

Rugby coaching tips for avoiding contact - Rugby is a contact sport and there are some tactics used to break down a defence for which contact is essential. However, for many teams, the winning difference is the opposite - to avoid contact.

Rugby drill to get players attacking from a penalty - Plays direct from penalties and free kicks are more important than ever. Use the following rugby coaching drill to get your players practising this move.

Rugby drills to prepare the back line - Use the following rugby coaching drills and tips to work on moves for your back line. Ignore the gentle handling moves up and down the pitch and cut straight to the pressure situations your team will face. A key rugby coaching tip is knowing when to turn up the pressure.

Throwers and jumpers rugby drill - If you warm up your players so they are ready to time their jumps and win the ball from the first lineout to the last, you may be making the "winning difference" for your team. This rugby drill is a good warm-up for your thrower and jumpers.

Punch runner tactic - A number of sides are employing the so-called "punch runner" to give the back line more space. This is a great rugby tactic to use with Two waves tactic. Here's my take on it.

Rugby drill for throwing skills - Improve your thrower's accuracy with these rugby coaching tips and drills.

Back row moves - This 8-9-14 back row move works best from a scrum in the opposition's half, which is at least 15 metres from the right hand touchline. It might not work near their line because most teams will put in another defender to cover the blindside.

Lomu inspired backs move - This great rugby backs move is best run from the opposition half, following a scrum or quick second phase ball, when there are no forwards in the way.

Split once back ball lineout move - Try this lineout move for your entire pack.

Rugby coaching game to exploit advantages in attack - Having rugby "game vision" means seeing spaces and moving the ball to those spaces. Players can also recognise mismatches in terms of speed and strength.

Go with the flow coaching session - This "go with the flow" rugby coaching game plan stretches the opposition across the pitch and creates areas that are poorly defended and can be exploited.

Finding channels for a counter attack - This rugby coaching session is all about helping your players identify the channel through which to launch a counter-attack and encouraging them to get the ball and support players into the least defended channel.

Rugby coaching video to show Exeter backs move - This rugby coaching video clip from the Power Plays DVD demonstrates how to master the Exeter backs move.

Rugby coaching tips for the dummy switch pass - The dummy switch pass is a backline move which can be used anywhere on the pitch, but is best played from scrums and lineouts. The move is also easy to set up with a variety of players (backs and forwards), and from second phase. Use these rugby coaching tips to help.

Trigger rugby drill to coach players when to run - Your rugby players must know when to start their runs. In this rugby coaching session you're coaching the first receiver to wait until the scrum half has got his hands on the ball before he runs. The other players must then time their runs off the player inside them.

Double switch backs move - Use this rugby coaching drill to practise a backs move for your next match. Often the best player in the side is the number 10, yet they rarely get a chance to run from a move. This move provides that opportunity.

Rugby drill to coach a simple attacking move - Over complicating attacking play can lead to mistakes, players unclear about their roles and teams forgetting the first principle of rugby – go forward. Focus, instead on simple lines and passes by the three midfield players.

How to coach a rugby backs move called rangy - This rugby coaching session looks at the "rangy" backs move. This move involves a sliding run from 10 and a late run from 13. It picks at the weak defensive seam around the opposition 10.

Winning front ball from a lineout - Throwing to the front of the lineout was the safe option (the "moneyball"), but this may no longer be the case. Can reducing your attacking options be too great a sacrifice? Jason Lewis, WRU National Rugby Development Manager, looks at winning front ball from a lineout.

Coach the three man wrap - This is a simple but incredibly versatile move which uses easily learned and transferable skills. In junior rugby particularly, very few defences are organised enough, or communicate well enough, to stop it.

Rugby coaching tips for straightening the attack - The following scenario will be familiar to rugby coaches at all levels of the game. The ball carrier runs sideways to get away from the inside defender, causing the two players outside him to run sideways too.

Backs move to improve timing - Here is a great backs move to use if you have a couple of good centres. It is even better if you have a strong pacy winger. I know it as "spaghetti" because of all the tangled running lines. Practise this move to help players work on timing, pace on to the ball and developing options.

Rugby coaching tips to help backs find the weakest links - Backline players should always be on the lookout for a chance to test out their opposite number. These rugby coaching tips show how your players can exploit a potential weakness in an opponent.

Rugby coaching session to teach the miss 12 double loop backs move - Use this rugby coaching session to focus on a backs move that I know fly halves love to call.

Rugby coaching tips for the one pass line break - Use these rugby coaching tips to get players developing the skills to work together and break down the defensive line.

Rugby coaching tips for the inside slice backs move - Try this brilliant backs move with your team in the next rugby coaching session. It's called the Inside Slice and it works best from the opposition half.

Rugby coaching tips to get backs finding space and avoiding contact - Rugby is a contact game and most players love that aspect. But a fleet-footed back should prefer to avoid contact when he has the ball in hand. Use these rugby coaching tips and drills to teach players how to find space.

Rugby coaching tip to play out of your 22 - Is it best to kick or run from your own 22m? Think about why the decision should be to run more than kick.

This is backed up by international teams which, in attack, will look at whether the opposition defence is ready to receive a kick and then take advantage and run instead. The number of times teams have run in World Cup warm-up games and the Tri Nations proves this.

Rugby coaching tips for your fly half to create more space - When rugby passes from your scrum half are short and you want to get more space for your fly half try the following tips to improve the game.

Rugby coaching play for your 15 - Try this backs move play for your number 15.

Get your rugby fly half to create more space - Straight running - the simplest way of creating a space in the opposition defence.

Problem Solving Back Play rugby coaching video - Give your team the cutting edge to bust defences apart.

Ruck Attack rugby coaching video - This rugby coaching video demonstrates how to coach players to attack from a ruck situation.

Exeter - England v Barbarians, June 2008 rugby coaching video - Here's a clip of the backs move "Exeter" in action. It's from the England v Barbarians game at Twickenham in June 2008.

Backs Move rugby coaching video - This rugby coaching video by Better Rugby Coaching demonstrates how to coach the proven attacking Exeter backs move.

Rugby coaching backs move, Crash back 15 -

Rugby coaching four-man lineout to the middle - Here is a four-man lineout move which challenges the opposition.

Rugby coaching drill for Sevens attacking - When you are short of time, practising the right drill is paramount. Here is an attacking activity that will help you score tries.

Simple back row move releasing your openside flanker from scrum - Your best players are often at 8, 9 and 10. But you probably find your openside flanker is one of your best runners. He loves contact, but is also good with the ball in his hand – not running straight at opposition players, but in the gaps created by other runners.

Here is a simple back row move ("8-7") that will release your openside flanker (7) from the scrum.

Rugby coaching backs move for blindside wingers -
Here is a devastating move that brings the blindside winger into play in a crowded midfield. The defending inside centre is isolated and presented with three potential strike runners to choose between.

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