InstantForum.NET v4.1.4Better Rugby Coachinghttp://www.betterrugbycoaching.com/rugbyforum/forum@betterrugbycoaching.comWed, 17 Mar 2010 01:29:55 GMT20http://www.betterrugbycoaching.com/rugbyforum/Topic1563-4-1.aspxI doubt I can add anything that you haven't already thought of, but stuff along the lines of:</P><UL><LI>Ensure you can expect to win 100% of your own set piece. Without this the opposition will have the opportunity to run your big guys around and consistently play away from your numerical concentration.</LI><LI>Try to aim to win as much opposition ball as possible (or spoil it - see below). If you have the ball you can dictate the game's pattern. Depriving the opposition of the ball is central.</LI><LI>Prepare defensive strategies that prevent the opposition from getting much width on their game. Keep the opposition close to your pack so you retain some sort of numerical equivalence, and your big guys don't get run around and tired out.</LI><LI>Train to turnover / hold up opposition ball as much as possible. (This ties in with spoilng the opposition's set piece ball.) Keep the opposition ball scrappy so they cannot develop play with it, and look to turn it over (hold up mauls, drive into touch, turnover ruck ball).</LI><LI>Consider tactics such as a winger (for instance) as a tail gunner at the lineout, to specifically target the opposition #10, or at least the #9/#10 channel. This is to try and keep the opposition playing in the 15m area closer to your forwards rather than create width. If you are that big and strong and good at mauling/turnovers the opposition will presumably want to move play away from the lineout area if at all possible.</LI><LI>Attacking wise use the pack to drive mauls, pick and go, pop and hit, hammer, etc. Probably a lack of width on your own game plans. Kicking strategies for territory but you will be limited by the chasing options, so your kickers have got to be GOOD. And kicking potentially provides the ball for the opposition to attack where your big guys are not. Back row moves and centre linking to keep the ball near your forwards.</LI><LI>Double whammy move. Be aware that if you play a narrow game at some time the opposition will react and maybe stop considering wider threats. Consider a couple of moves that will catch them on the hop, such as kick passes to a winger on the far touchline, etc.<BR><BR>didds<BR><BR><BR><BR>There you go... easy innit? ! :-)<BR><BR></LI></UL>Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:37:29 GMTdiddshttp://www.betterrugbycoaching.com/rugbyforum/Topic1563-4-1.aspxOur pack is huge... but slow, with (generally) the pace of a clapped out JCB.<P>Although I have some ideas as to how to play around this (as well as tackling the problem head on), I was wondering if people had some ideas they'd like to share as to how to play with a big, strong, but glacially slow set of forwards.Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:38:26 GMTJBUS_rugby