There are some key strategical elements of rugby that are important for beginners. In this lesson, we'll focus on offensive strategy and defensive strategy.
Offensive strategy:
Players should be in a steep diagonal line behind the ball carrier. This ensures there are no forward passes,
and allows players to run on to the ball and carry more speed.
When running with the ball, your goal is to take space forward and draw a defender towards you before passing it.
Sometimes you may just have to offload the ball as soon as you recieve it, but ideally you want to take a few steps forward before passing it.
See the image below for an ideal offensive set up.
Defensive strategy:
Players should be in a flat line across the field. This limits gaps in the defensive line
and makes it harder for the offensive team to find space to run.
It is good to run up as a line, staying connected and meeting the ball carrier.
Meeting the ball carrier is ideal because it prevents the offense from gaining too much speed and being able to break a tackle.
Lastly, make sure to communicate with teammates. Defense can be tricky at times, so always knowing where your teammates
are, and closing gaps in the defensive line is key to playing solid defense.
Try answering the question below, click the question box to toggle between the question and the correct answer!