SEVENS UPDATE

By | February 29, 2012

ATTACK

Gaining Possession

Kick-offs

Kick offs should be for territory followed by a strong 6-7 man chase or to regain possession. Any kick off between these two merely concedes possession.

Scrum

Go in low and drive up. You lose the initiative if you are too high and try to come down.

Lineout

Because possession is everything and because the refs are onto crooked throws, lineouts need to be well performed.

  1. There is no point in lifting if the throw is lower than the highest point of the jump. One way of providing a target is to get the jumper to this point prior to the ball leaving the thrower’s hands.
  2. If the opposition doesn’t jump make sure you clear them but at the same time keep it simple so you don’t infringe.

Creating Space

Once a player penetrates the defence will converge on the ball. Initially this will prevent the lateral pass. Linear passes will result in less interference. Once a post tackle/ ruck has been formed the offside line will create time and space to move the ball laterally where the defence has come from.

Penetrating Using Space

  1. Use of the rolling maul within 10metres of the goal line ensures a try and uses up time. If the opposition does not contest in the air then the throw need not be too high but it must be straight. A lob throw reduces risk.
  2. If a team has an overlap it is best exploited by the attack line running onto their passes drawing a defender before passing. If the defender drifts out the ball carrier should take the gap and, then, cut out to find support.

 

Supporting Play:

  1. Linear support is working well. Problems arise when support is lateral and too flat.
  2. If there is a need to overcommit at the tackle to retain the ball patterned play and prescriptive roles frequently results in there being no one to clear the ball.
  3. When a player changes direction and runs away from support the player has created space where they have come from and they must be able to pass to support in this space.
  4. If the ball carrier takes the outside gap the defence is drawn away from space on the inside. It is into this space that the support should run

 

DEFENCE

Denying Space

If the attack backs up towards their own goal line to create space the defence should move forward to take away the space and force the attack to flatten up. This can result in the attack standing still as they pass the ball.

It is important that the defence line has at least 6 defenders in it. Anything less than this results in the attack having an overlap. The attack can then take those in the defence line out of play because they have an overlap.

Tackling the Ball Carrier

The key defensive skill is the ability to move into the tackle, make contact before the gain line and to be agile enough to match the evasion of the ball carrier. If the tackle is not made the team has to overcommit more players than they would want to make the tackle and stop the attack moving forward. This will reduce the number in the defence line.

Refereeing:

  1. There is still confusion around the tackle. It is still a lottery.
  2. What is a high tackle?
  3. The impact of the yellow card is game changing and the officials must be sure they are correct. The official’s actions should not affect the result.
  4. The collapsed maul is being called a ruck. The effort to keep the ball carrier up is not resulting in a turnover.
  5. Results are being decided by infringements at the tackle.
  6. Priority must be given to those on their feet. The ball carrier should have no rights if they haven’t used an escape route for the ball prior to being stationary on the ground. The game is one for players on their feet.
  7. The width of the gate is variable. The officials are using it as the way out of messy situations.
  8. The attack is allowed to play the ball with their hands at a ruck but not the defence.
  9. Why call “roll away” after a tackle when no one does it and it can be detrimental to do so. What latitude will be given if the player rolls towards a ball the player can’t see?

A maul that is moving forward should not be stopped as play is continuing.

Tactics – if you go to extra time field position is everything.

  1. There is a need to have a wet weather option – just in case. Aspects of this in attack are:
    1. Ball off the ground.
    2. Hit and spin in contact.
    3. “Gut” passes.
    4. Coming from depth
    5. Punching directly forward so that the ball carrier retains footing.
    6. If the team has bunched around the ball it is essential to use the short side so that enough support can get to the next contact situation. This also creates time to establish an attack line on the open side.

An accurate team profile enables a team to play to its strengths. In Sevens this creates a pattern. Added to this is the ability to play what is in front of you, which will be a limited numb

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