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Dear {sForename},

Before anything else, I'd like to apologise for the delay in sending out this week's Better Rugby Coaching. My publishers moved into new offices this weekend, resulting in some problems with their IT systems (or something like that). Anyway, I've added their new contact details as a postscript.

Phase play doesn't win games...

I suspect that it won't be a surprise for you to learn that the side that scores most tries wins is mostly likely to win the game! During the last World Cup this was true 81% of the time.

What is also clear is that phase play generally does not result in tries. Indeed stats from the 2007 and 2003 World Cups are consistent about this: 75% of tries needed two or fewer rucks to score.

Of course, this does not mean your side does not need to ruck or maul well. A team is likely to ruck about 70 times in possession of the ball at international level. Rucking remains therefore a vital, powerful tool in your rugby armoury. However, the suggested ELVs are likely to change the nature of rucking, encouraging teams to pass the ball around more.

South Africa - traditionally a "crash-bang" team - won the World Cup by rucking far less than the other major teams. This was is in part because their forwards were far more likely to pass the ball than any other country, apart from Wales. For instance their front row passed 45% of all possession they received in the knockout stages, compared to an average 19% across all teams in the tournament as a whole.

As a general rule ball carriers should always look to maintain continuity, but they will have to take contact sometimes. In which case, they should be prepared to make the ball available out of the tackle and not just focus on setting up the next ruck. This is what this week's Better Rugby Coach is all about.

Regardless of your style of rugby, I think offloading is a core skill for all players - and one not just for senior teams.

For me the offload cannot be taught too early. A side that can offload at a young age will find themselves streets ahead of most of the competition, many of whom will concentrate on the ruck as the best outcome of the tackle situation.

Yours in rugby,



Dan Cottrell, Editor

P.S. My publisher's new address and contact details are:

Rugby Coach
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Tannery Lane
Bramley
Guildford
Surrey GU5 0AB
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1483 892894
Fax: +44 (0)1483 894148
Email: dan@rugby-coach.com

Dip and Slip for Continuity in Contact

Your ball carriers should always look to maintain continuity. If they have to take contact, they must be prepared to make the ball available. And a side that can offload - even from a young age - will find their attacking options vastly extended. Here's a complete session to help you practise this core skill.

How long is the session?

Equipment and set up

For the warm up you'll need to lay out a short, narrow channel.

For the main practice you'll need to lay out a 15 metre square box. Players will work in groups of 8. For each group you'll need:

• 3 contact pads.
• At least one ball.

The session will develop into a game-related exercise played out in a 10 metre wide, approximately 40 metre long channel, marked out with cones (or kit) every 10 metres.

What you tell your players the session is about

1. Improving your passing out of contact by "dipping" into contact and then "slipping" (offloading) the ball away.

2. Improving your support play and handling to enable ball carriers to pass out of contact.

Warming up

Start off by having the players jog around passing a number of rugby balls between themselves for about 5 minutes. Then spend 10 minutes practising their handling and contact skills with "fall and pop", ideal for preparing tackled players for the pass.

Warm up game: "fall and pop"

A group of three or four players with a ball run up a narrow channel. After 3 metres, the ball carrier falls to the ground and pops up the ball. After making the pop, the player either performs a forward roll or one press up before rejoining the group, which is moving forward.

What to call out during "fall and pop"

Here are some handy phrases to call out to your players to help ensure their technique is correct:

• "Turn your shoulders towards the receiver"
• "Use your wrists to deliver the correct pace on the ball"
• "The pass needs to be looped up rather than passed straight at the receiver"

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The main session

Lay out 15 metre square box. Split your players into groups of eight, with five attackers facing three defenders with contact pads.

What you tell your players to do

1. Move forward with determination.
2. Make the defender move to you.
3. Take the contact on your terms.
4. Pass the ball with one hand.
5. Support with depth and pace.

The ball carrier pulls the first defender to one side, dips and makes contact, with his left arm and left shoulder fending off the pad, before dipping lower into the pad. As the ball carrier moves past the pad he must pass (slip) the ball one handed to the support player, who then repeats the same skill on the second defender.

Ensure all players are active in attack and defence, and can pass off both hands. Start by having the ball carriers walking into contact, before increasing the tempo as the players improve.

Developing the session

1. Bring the defenders up in a flatter defensive alignment.
2. Allow the defenders to move forward into contact. They must stay onside.
3. Increase the number of defenders to five, to match the attack.
4. Remove the contact pads and allow "live" tackling.

Practising the skills in a game situation

Set up a situation where six attackers have to make their way up a 10 metre channel. They are faced by six defenders spread evenly down the channel, about 5 metres apart. Encourage the "dip and slip", but let other forms of offloads and mini rucks and mauls take place. If done well and with good support, the attacking team will quickly move up the channel, only being slowed when they have to ruck or maul.

Next widen the channel to 20 metres. Set it up so the attackers face two waves of three defenders, the second set 15 metres behind the first.

What to call out during the session

Here are some handy phrases to call out to your players to help ensure their technique is correct:

• "Accelerate into a space"
• "Brace yourself for the contact and step into it"
• "Keep the ball away from the defender"
• "Slip the ball away with one hand"
• "Supporter, hold back and accelerate onto the pass"

Common problem to look out for during the session

Two common problems you may find with this session are that:

• The players run at the defender not the space. The phrase "move, space, hit" can remind them what to do.
• Some players may only be able drive into the defender off one side, or can only pass out of one hand.

Warming down

1. Light running

• Have the players walk 5 metres, jog 10 metres, walk 5 metres three times.
• Have the players walk 5 metres, skip 10 metres, walk 5 metres three times.
• Have the players jog forward 5 metres, jog backward 5 metres, jog sideways right 5 metres, jog sideways left 5 metres.

2. Dynamic stretching

• Over 10 metres have the players perform gentle lunges, slow high knees and easy buttock kicks.
• The have them jog and every 5 metres do 5 slow press ups, 5 easy sit ups and two forward rolls.
• Then organise the players into pairs. Each player performs 5 high kicks with the partner supporting the shoulders, 5 cross kicks, 10 seconds resisted jogging with the partner holding onto the shorts.

3. Static stretching

• Have the players do long stretches (holding for more than 15 seconds), starting with the large muscle groups, working through the body.