Kicking, Chasing & Catching
Whether from a kick off, or with a chip, grubber or penalty kick, a good kicker is vital to many rugby teams. And since a kick is only as good as the chase, you also need to make sure your other players understand their roles in your tactical kicking plan.
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Goal Kicking for Mortals
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Grant Fox, Michael Lynagh and Jonny Wilkinson - great kickers who were vital to their country scooping World Cup victory. So what can we learn from them, to help us kick winning goals?
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Kicking Off for Pressure
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It's not enough to simply kick long or short from kick offs. This article looks at the basic tactics of creating pressure from your kick offs.
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Chip and Chase
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Make kicking a first phase attacking option.
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Training with Tennis Balls
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Tennis balls make a welcome alternative from the usual rugby ball work and also teach good technique.
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Tactics to Improve Your Kicking Game
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The kicking game is too often left to chance and the whim of the fly half. Here are some tactics to broaden your options.
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Kicking for Pressure - Into the Wind
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Windy days can make kicking a lottery, but you can use the wind to your advantage, even if it is against you.
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Kicking for Pressure - With a Cross Wind
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A cross wind is the most common occurrence. Here are some ways to maximise your kicking game in these conditions.
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Kicking for Pressure - On Hard Grounds
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We challenge teams to think beyond the adage of "don't let the ball bounce" and change their attacking tactics.
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Returning Kicks
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An aspect of the game that does not always get the same emphasis as tactical kicking and chasing.
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The Role of the Inside Centre (Part 2)
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The guide to the essentials and the extras of playing number 12.
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3 Simple Tactics for Returning Kick Offs
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Receiving the kick off is both an opportunity and a threat.
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Receiving the Kick Off
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What to do when your receivers "aren't working".
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Training in the Rain
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Making the most of a session when it's raining.
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The Outback Full Back
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With kicking being such a feature of the modern game, the positioning of your full back in defence can be critical.
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3 Proven Kicking Tactics to Win More Games
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Inexperience and youth are not the only reasons why teams kick badly.
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A Better Way to Catch the High Ball
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You won't always have the ball, so you may find the following a simple but useful tool to help your players improve their catching, particularly when defending against the high ball.
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Strategies and Tactics for the Youth Game (Part 1)
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Youth rugby has a number of differences from the adult version and requires different strategies. In this article, part one of a two, I look at the lineout and attack kicking.
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Restart Strategies to Reclaim the Ball
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Even a simple kick off strategy can enhance your team's prospects of winning the ball back.
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Kicking from Your 22 Under the ELVs
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When the whistle blows in your next match you'd better be prepared.
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Turn Your Kicking Game into Tactical Gold
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Here's my "ready reckoner" guide to the kicking tactics to earn your players the "order of the boot".
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Covering the Kick Off Pressure Triangle
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A guide to the tactics you can use when receiving the kick off.