Alla inlägg den 27 juni 2009

Av ricardo rodriguez - 27 juni 2009 12:26

Dear Rugby Coach,                            


When the South African team mauled halfway down the field against the Lions, many felt the shockwaves, not least the Lions themselves. They seemed totally unprepared to deal with this driving force. So, is a good maul just too difficult to stop?


Not according to coaches like Jim Love [rapport on The Guardian]. The maul has been around for many years and is still in evidence right through the game. At a recent schools final at Twickenham, one of the teams similarly used a well-drilled maul to shatter the opponents.


The Lions forward coach Warren Gatland (who has a few set piece problems to work on as well) and defence coach Shaun Edwards have some thinking to do. A more cynical person might say that Edwards never had to face a maul during his playing career, so he might struggle to understand the mechanics.


Here are some thoughts anyway Shaun, with my compliments.

Yours in rugby,

Ricardo Rodriguez, Editor



1.Maul defence By RR
2.Developing/Game situation

3.Match Tactics...

4.Buildning an...

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Better Rugby Coaching, VRS RUGBY, Djursholm; Stockholm

Email: ricardo@vrsrugby.com

Website: http://vrsrugbyfiles.bloggagratis.se/


© 2009 VRS Rugby Coaching.


Av ricardo rodriguez - 27 juni 2009 12:10


A dynamic maul is a powerful weapon in rugby because it draws in defenders and maintains forward momentum.

Key points for a solid maul Keep it square

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A good maul will work most effectively if the drive is going forward. To do this, players need to drive forward as if they are forming a scrum.

It might be that the front player is facing the wrong way, say from a lineout. However, the other players should be keeping their hips parallel to the try line so their legs are pumping forward.


Get players ahead of the ball

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A maul that stops is likely to be lost unless the referee can see the ball, or the ball can be released quickly. This means the ball should be worked to the back of the maul whilst the other players form a barrier between the defence and the ball. This needs communication and coordination.

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Communication

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A strong maul above all has a good communication. The players involved need to work the ball to the back of the maul and the players at the front of the maul need to keep the maul square.

All the players should be driving forward together, towards the opposition try line, using the combined force to out-muscle the defence.

The defence will either push back or try to turn the maul, so a mauling team has to be able to shift the point of attack or prevent itself become turned.

Individual work

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A maul, by definition, needs at least three players involved. The ball carrier, a teammate and a defender, all bound together.

There are three distinct skills a good mauling player can work on individually to improve his mauling.

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1. Leg drive

Dynamic steps, bending the knees and driving the feet into the ground to move forward. The stance should be wide, but not too wide to prevent the player being able to move forward quickly.

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2. Body height

Getting low enough to drive forward without losing balance.

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3. Ball position

As far as from the opposition as possible, without turning the back on the defence.

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Triangle exercise

Here's a simple exercise to work all three skills.

  • Set up a 3 metre triangle with two attackers standing in the middle with a ball between them.
  • Number off three defenders 1 to 3 and arrange them around the triangle, one on each side of it.
  • Shout a number. The ball carrier drives into that defender with the other attacker binding on, to drive the ball carrier.
  • The attackers have five seconds to drive over that side of the triangle.
  • The defender's objective is to prevent the attackers mauling the ball out of his side of the triangle or to touch the ball.
  • After a score or five seconds, shout out a different number. The attackers have to turn and drive to another line.
  • This replicates the way the ball carrier and supporters may have to twist and turn in a maul in the game.

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Extending the triangle exercise

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The triangle exercise can be expanded to work this.

  • Lengthen the sides of the triangle to 6 metres, with two defenders on each side and five attackers in the middle.
  • Have three spare defenders are moving around to help out the defence after the five seconds.

Better Rugby Coaching, VRS RUGBY,

  Djursholm; Stockholm

Email: ricardo@vrsrugby.com

Website: http://vrsrugbyfiles.bloggagratis.se/

© 2009 VRS Rugby Coaching.

Av ricardo rodriguez - 27 juni 2009 12:00

*

The maul is a potent attacking weapon. It saps the defence's energy and spirit, whilst giving attackers space and scoring opportunities.


The maul

A maul is where one player holding the ball is held, on their feet by one or more defenders and has another player from their own side bound onto them.


Strategy

The maul has been one of the most notable attacking weapons developed since the penalty/lineout laws changed. A penalty hit to the corner followed by a catch and drive has been a popular and successful method of scoring 5 or 7 points instead of the previous 3.

Nowadays, though, good mauling sides are more prepared to catch and drive from much further out, sometimes even setting up a driving maul from a scrum.


What can't you do to defend against the maul?

Your best option is to stop the maul forming. Failing this, and unless there's a score or the attacking team move the ball from maul, the laws say a maul only ends when its forward momentum is halted for a period of 5 seconds.


Since the change to the ELV laws, you can no longer collapse the maul, so you need to halt its progress instead.

There are two ways to do this. Either stop it once it is going or disrupt it, maybe by not letting it get started.


Two strategies to prevent the maul forming


1. Tackle legs for no mauls

If a side likes to maul, then all your tackles should be aimed at bringing players to the ground as quickly as possible. Therefore all tackles should be leg tackles.


2. Stop the catch and drive

One of the most common starting points for a rolling maul is from the lineout. The best form of defence, apart from not allowing them to catch the ball, is to stop the "catch and drive" (forming a driving maul from the lineout catch).


One tactic is to tackle the jumper as an individual once the player has touched the ground. To do this, put a forward in the scrum half / first receiver position, so that he can drive in immediately after the jumper has reached the floor, adding additional weight and depth to the defence.


It's advisable to verify this tactic with the referee beforehand, so he is aware of your intention to make the tackle the moment before the maul forms.


Key ways to disrupting and stopping the maul A tight drive through the centre


The most basic way to prevent a maul is a tight drive hard through its centre. For some teams this may be enough to reduce the momentum.

In this instance, "tight" means the players working together, preferably bound together. They take short steps, with their hips below their shoulders, feeling the pressure coming through the legs and lower back.


Communication

A good mauling side is not going to drive down the same axis, especially if it is meeting resistance. Groups are going to roll off either side of the initial maul.


Your scrum half (9) has to redirect your players to where the maul has taken its centre of momentum.

Join as pairs

Players should endeavour to join mauls as pairs. Again, this has the aim to stagnate the momentum of the maul.


A stationary maul is the key outcome. If the players hit together then this has more chance of achieving this than one player at a time.


Push and pull

If it is not possible to stop the momentum, then a slightly more high risk manoeuvre is to use "push and pull". The idea is to unhinge the drive by pushing towards touch from the openside or pulling into touch on the blindside.


The momentum of the maul will still be forward, but the attacking maulers could easily lose shape. The ball carrier may also become exposed.

Three steps to holding the catch and drive maul, says Jim Love 1. The brace

My two players closest to the opposition ball get into a low body position and "brace", that is they spread their feet and lock their legs.


2. Use the opposition

If the opposition start to get some momentum in the drive, we try to use their own weight against them.

We focus on pushing the maul sideways, towards the touchline. In my experience, most players in the middle of a maul won't know which way they are going and often contribute to this sideways movement.


3. Depth

With two players bracing at the front of the maul, we only allocate another two players to the maul. These two players get right behind the front two players. This results in a long, not wide maul.

Normally, I find that the four players in this formation with the right technique will hold six opposition maulers.


To use this tactic, your players must:

  • Use short steps to drive forward.
  • Bind and drive right to the backsides of their own players, not to their backs or sides.
  • Maintain a strong body position.

Talk to the referee

The player with the ball at the back of a rolling maul needs to be bound on with a full arm. The defending players should keep asking the referee if the ball carrier is still bound properly. They need to be ready to pounce when and if the referee suggests not.

Referees will also become more aware of the validity of the rolling maul during the game.


What are you allowed to do?

Here are some interpretations of the Laws, as taken from the IRB website.

These are two questions asked by the New Zealand RFU. This should help decide how to stop the initial drive, before it becomes a maul.

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Q1. Team A wins a 5 metre attacking scrum. The number 8 detaches with the ball. The blindside flanker (6) binds on immediately and they drive towards the line.

A defending player drives in low and wraps his arms around the legs (knee height) of the number 8, who still has the flanker bound to him. The number 8, still in possession of the ball, is brought to ground.

Ruling: The defender has not formed a maul, nor has he collapsed a maul.

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Q2. Team A wins a 5 metre attacking scrum. The number 8 detaches with the ball. The blindside flanker (6) binds on immediately and they drive towards the line.

A defending player, while remaining on his feet, grasps the jersey (shoulder region) of the number 8, who still has his flanker bound to him, and immediately brings him to ground.

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Ruling: The defender, if he has not bound (by definition) to the ball carrier (number 8), has not formed a maul, nor has he collapsed a maul.

Since there is no attempt in either case to bind on to the number 8 then there has been no maul formed, so it is legitimate to bring the two players to the ground. This can also be used for lineouts.


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Better Rugby Coaching, VRS RUGBY,

  Djursholm; Stockholm

Email: ricardo@vrsrugby.com

Website: http://vrsrugbyfiles.bloggagratis.se/

© 2009 VRS Rugby Coaching.


Av ricardo rodriguez - 27 juni 2009 11:52

Developing the session

The training session can be developed as follows:

  • Change the balance of play by adding defenders or attackers.
  • Change the starting distances between the teams (sometimes only half a metre, for example).
Putting the skills into a game situation

The session can be developed further by playing the following lineout game.

  • Create some 4 v 4 lineouts (or larger if you have the players). Guarantee possession to one side. With senior players, start the game with jumpers in the lifted position.
  • The attacking side has to score as if they are driving from a 5 metre lineout. If they are successful, they then move 3 metres further away and try again.
  • Remember, though, the session objective is to have the defence stop the maul, or drive it back or into touch.
  • Be vigilant on illegal attempts to stop the maul.

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Better Rugby Coaching, VRS RUGBY,

  Djursholm; Stockholm

Email: ricardo@vrsrugby.com

Website: http://vrsrugbyfiles.bloggagratis.se/


© 2009 VRS Rugby Coaching.


Av ricardo rodriguez - 27 juni 2009 11:34

* Training session* Maul defence By RR Ricardo Rodríguez


This session is designed to introduce ways to defend the maul to new players, or as a warm-up mauling drill for more able players.


What you tell your players the session is about

  • Preventing the progress of an opponent's maul.
  • Safe and legal techniques to win the maul.
  • Making decisions about how best to defend against a maul.

What you tell your players to do

  • Stop the maul before it starts.
  • Drive the maul backwards or sideways by PUSHING the maul from one side and PULLING it from the other.
  • Target ways to split up the maul.

What you get your players to do


Practice 1

  • In a 5 metre box, have two players start at one end with a ball. The first player binds on to the second player.
  • A defender, starting from the other end, walks forward and tries to tackle the ball carrier to the ground by grabbing them by the waist and pulling them down.

Practice 2

  • In the same box, set up two teams, one with three attackers, the other with three defenders.
  • The defenders' objective is to drive the maul out of the box.
  • Start all the drills at walking pace, then progress in speed as the players become more adept.


Developing the session

The training session can be developed as follows:


  • Change the balance of play by adding defenders or attackers.
  • Change the starting distances between the teams (sometimes only half a metre, for example).

Putting the skills into a game situation

The session can be developed further by playing the following lineout game.


  • Create some 4 v 4 lineouts (or larger if you have the players). Guarantee possession to one side. With senior players, start the game with jumpers in the lifted position.
  • The attacking side has to score as if they are driving from a 5 metre lineout. If they are successful, they then move 3 metres further away and try again.
  • Remember, though, the session objective is to have the defence stop the maul, or drive it back or into touch.
  • Be vigilant on illegal attempts to stop the maul.

Coach's notes:

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What to call out

  • "First defender: tackle the ball carrier to the ground to stop the maul forming"
  • "Push and pull the maul to the nearest touchline" OR "Drive through the centre of the maul, not the sides". It is unlikely that the players will be able to do both. You usually can only drive through the centre of the maul if it is stationary.)
  • "Take short sharp steps to gain momentum"

What to look for

  • Players not making a contribution to preventing the maul moving forward. Players with a loose binding should leave the maul and rejoin through the back.
  • Players making poor decisions when defending. In the slow motion parts of a drill get the players to talk through what they are trying to do as they do it.

What to think about

  • The defender in the maul nearest to the ball may be able to work their hands in to grab the ball. A slow, "feeling" action can be better than a "smash and grab" lunge for the ball.
  • Can your players twist the maul? This is to bring the ball carrier (usually at the back of the maul) towards the front.
  • How many players do you want to commit to defending the maul?
  • Do you want or need your backs to practise mauling?

please, contact me under week 26Th at Årsta Fältet, Stockholm

[Swedish Rugby Academy]


Better Rugby Coaching, VRS RUGBY, Djursholm; Stockholm

Email: ricardo@vrsrugby.com

Website: http://vrsrugbyfiles.bloggagratis.se/


© 2009 VRS Rugby Coaching.


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