Hi {sForename},

Welcome to Better Rugby Coaching Issue 92
(Please forward to friends and colleagues without cutting, thanks)

More ways to improve a team’s tackling

The current issue of Rugby Coach has a special piece from Mike Ruddock, Welsh Grand Slam winning coach of 2005. He concentrates on improving your defensive systems, something I have already started to implement with players of all ages.

But whatever the system, the players still need to tackle, so here I have included some more ideas on tackling.

Shoulders are the only weapon

In terms of the power involved in making a tackle, the “shoulder is the only weapon” is an effective mental reminder to a player trying to perform a tackle.

With arms outstretched and aiming to “hit” with the shoulder, it produces a far more aggressive contact than the arm tackles many younger players tend to perform. Of course the shoulder only tackle must be discouraged; illegal and dangerous to player and victim alike.

Shorts

An old favourite it seems from junior schools rugby, but a good way for players to approach a tackle is to focus on the shorts of their opponent.
This aligns the player’s vision at the right height, and since the moment of a moving playing is around the hips, then it reduces the likelihood of being fooled by a dummy pass. (Hodgson of England might not have missed Murphy of Ireland for the latter to put O’Driscoll away for the winning try in the Six Nations tournament.)

Tennis balls

Get your players to practise tackling with tennis balls in their hands. This encourages them to wrap their arms around their victim, rather than relying on a weak grip with the hands.We also suggest juggling ball sacks or even holding rolled up socks.

Betsen’s eyes

In one of the Monday papers after the France England game there was a marvelous picture of Serge Betsen, the French flanker, tackling some hapless England back. As one of the world’s most aggressive and effective tacklers, he rarely misses his man. And the clear picture of this tackling machine’s craggy face showed one of his key attributes: keeping his eyes open in contact.

Jim Love, of the New Zealand Rugby academy has told Rugby Coach previously that his best piece of advice to a player is to do just this. Try it as the focus of a practice this week.

Bin the bags as early as possible

A number of coaches tell us to bin the tackle bags as quickly as possible if you want a quick improvement in your side’s tackling.

Players become accustomed to making the types of tackles they would never dare to attempt in a game, flying in at the wrong angles amongst other misdemeanors. Yes, use them for a short
time, but not week in, week out.


In next week’s issue: Laws reminders (plus Aussie rules catching?)


Dan Cottrell, Editor


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