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Attack articles
Want to teach your players attacking rugby?
We have got attacking skills resource for all levels of the from some of the world's best attack coaches to help including Wayne Smith, Joe Schmidt, Gregor Townsend, Dave Ellis and others.
- Build an effective attack strategy like the best attacking teams in the world.
- Understand different strategies and why they are effective.
- Develop effective individual and team attacking skills and tactics
- Different modified games to develop attacking skills
Plus we have categorised them by playing level to make it easier for you to find:
- Y – youth
- HS – high school
- A – adult
- All – suitable for all levels
History brought up to date with the ‘Teabag’Nick Bishop completes the lineout attack options against defensive ‘joints’ through the middle with The ‘Teabag’ and variations of.
How to slice the defence up with the 6+1 from lineout!What do you do when you have established a lineout position deep inside the opposition 22 but don’t have a physical advantage? Create Attack variation as Analyst Nick Bishop explains in this article.
How the exit kicking strategy has moved infield in the modern gameAnalyst Nick Bishop looks at how teams are implementing a more sophisticated exit strategy, one which does not involve kicking the ball straight into touch.
How to create depth at attacking rucksDepth and ‘Verticality’ principles hold true in contact situations after a tackle has been made as Analyst Nick Bishop outlines in this week’s article.
How the 1-4-4-4-1 can translate to professional levelA lot of these principles of 1-4-4-4-1 make sense in the modern game. Can the principles behind it translate to the all reaches of the game, professional and amateur. Analyst Nick Bishops investigates in his latest article.
‘Bending the line’ with the blind-side wing & two lines of attackAnalyst Nick Bishop builds on Dave Ellis a simple back door ‘bending the line’ option to a decision-tree with multiple variations. It puts the question to a key defender and asks him to find the right answer.
How to create forward-thinking innovation in your set-piece attackAt the start of the 2019 6N tournament Jones predicted the emergence of a ‘new breed of player’ in the evolution of the professional game.
6 months later Nick explores how this is starting to occur.
Bending the Line‘Bending the line’ in an attack. Analyst Dave Ellis has been intrigued by the term and what it means to an Attack. He details in this weeks article.
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Space - the final frontierFinding space on the field – all 6969 sqm of space and that is not including the in goal, is a challenge for most rugby teams at all levels. Ex Blues and Connacht coach Dave Ellis provides some insights into what is ‘space’, where to find it and how to exploit it.
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Inside England’s red zone kicking game from TwickenhamEngland have reaped the benefits of probably the best attacking kicking game in the world since Eddie Jones took over as head coach. Analyst Nick Bishop highlights the recent refinement of their kicking game inside the opposition red zone and the positive results against Ireland in their recent 6N match.
How to fake the kick and make the metres on exitsTypically, exit strategy involves the use of the kick, because the boot is the easiest way to move the ball upfield and relieve the pressure. Analyst Nick Bishop details how increasingly, exiting teams are looking for more subtle ways of finding space, to make their exits really count.
The one-two-punch: how to break down a red zone defenceDefences often become more resistant in the red zone because they no longer have to defend the depth of the field, they only have to defend its width. Analyst Nick Bishop illustrates how a one-two play combination is effective in breaking down the red zones defences.
How to build an attacking sequence from set-piece - the Joe Schmidt wayAnalyst Nick Bishop details how ex-Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt four phase sequences proved potent against Japan during the recent RWC.
Options - Are they in your attack plan?Teams who want to develop their attacking game need to have multiple options in their attack plan. The complexity of your plan depends on your personnel and the level of the competition you are playing in. Analyst Dave Ellis (Ellis Rugby), looks at an example of a whole team attack shape "Aussie Box’, and its options, that can be used at every level of the game.
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The influence of an offload gameAs Offloads are having a growing influence in beating strong defence setups, in his latest article, Analyst Dave Ellis looks at the fundamentals to a successful offload.
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How the All Blacks are looking to beat the rush in JapanAll Blacks Attack coach Ian Foster had a point to prove against an Andy Farrell coached defence, and to his credit, he proved it. Analyst Nick Bishop examines how he did it.
How to cross the finishing line in the modern gameThis week Analyst Nick Bishop explores how the notion of the corner-flag no longer being ‘in touch’ has opened up the idea of acrobatic and spectacular three-dimensional try-scoring for the finishers in the RWC.
All Black tournament preparation for the BoksPreparation for opposing teams on a one-off basis is relatively easy. The process of preparing for teams you play regularly, or those you are playing in a series of matches or in a tournament, can be far more complicated.
In those situations, you may not want to put all the cards in your hand on the table at once, but keep some secrets up your sleeve.
Analyst Nick Bishop details one of the key secrets New Zealand held back for their heavyweight clash with arch-rivals South Africa at the group stage of the current World Cup in Japan.
How to use ‘joined-up thinking’ in your game-planHow do you find a clear plan of action on a rugby field? Analyst Nick Bishop in his latest article outlines the ‘thinking’ and ‘factors’ to create a successful ‘Joined Up’ game plan.
How to find mismatches against the single-line defenceArguably the biggest change in Rugby’s professional era occurred when the game started to import defensive coaches from League. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how modern professional sides are looking to break through increasingly tighter rugby league style defences.
How to attack with the box-kickThe perception of ‘negative play’ in rugby is often associated with kicking the ball. The idea that a team which can no longer think of anything positive to do with the ball, kicks it away instead. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how kicking is now about creating opportunity for the offence, rather than simply to move the ball off the field of play.
How to blind-side your opponent from scrums!Defence in the modern game is built around the speed at which the defensive line can move up and mount pressure on its opponents. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at when the offence becomes “How can we offset that momentum? How can we take away some of that speed?”.
The where and when of ‘how to offload’The offload can be one of the most exciting and rewarding skills in the game of Rugby Union. Analyst Nick Bishop explains how offloading is a particularly valuable skill for teams who know that they will not go into most games with an advantage in physical size and power over their opponents.
What is Creativity? – the curious case of Beauden Barrett versus South AfricaIf the notion of creativity can be summarized in one word, that word would be ‘vision’. Better peripheral awareness and depth perception lead to better decision-making, and from this perspective Beauden Barrett’s game in the recent match between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington was of interest from start to finish. Analyst Nick Bishop reflects on Barrett’s performance in his latest article.
The importance of ‘reloading’ and understanding spaceHow do you find the spaces which Townsend claims are always there, at times when the defence is still likely to be cohesive and well-organized? Analyst Nick Bishop illustrates how important accurate ‘reloading’ from a stopping point can exploit ‘re-positionings’ mismatches and create space on the field.
How to make good choices after the breakWhat happens in the time and space after a break has been made is just as important, if not more so, than the initial breach. In his latest article, analyst Nick Bishop looks at the effect of right and wrong options after line breaks during the recent Crusaders vs Highlanders super rugby match.
Attacking the 13 channel – the All Black way!In 2nd of the current pair of articles, Analyst Nick Bishop highlights how the All Blacks adjusted their attack to breakdown a well ordered French defence out wide.
How back-line communication helps ‘spot’ attacking opportunitiesIn the modern professional era, it is no longer enough to rely on one or two players – typically the numbers 9 and 10 – to see and make all of the attacking play. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how teams are building their backline ‘game intelligence’
Why Scotland are sending opponents homeward ‘tae think again’Scotland have won 13 out of their 21 matches, and five out of their last seven under coaches Vern Cotter and Gregor Townsend. They have beaten Australia home and away and they have run the mighty All Blacks close. Analyst Nick Bishop looks what is behind their renaissance.
Is the All Blacks midfield beginning to gel?Analyst Nick Bishop considers whether the the current All Black’s midfield combination finally starting to ‘gel’. Or should we expect more changes before Japan 2019 WRC?
