Depth and Danger

Attack with shape — depth to run onto the ball, lines that hold defenders, and an offload that keeps it alive when the tackle comes.

Rugby union
U15
70 min
14–26 players
2 coaches
Effort 4/5
Full pitch or two-thirds
attack
shape
running lines
offload
support play

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 12 balls, 30 cones, 4 tackle shields, bibs in two colours

Warm-up10 min

Onto the Ball

Setup: A 30×20m grid, groups of four with a ball. Cones marking a shallow start line and a receiving line.

How it works: Warm up the one habit good attack is built on: arriving onto the ball at pace rather than standing waiting for it. Groups run channels passing along the line, but every receiver must start behind and time a run so they take the ball moving forward, hands out, at speed. Add a change of direction so the ball is moved across the grid and back. Keep it flowing and keep everyone deep enough to run onto the pass — a flat, static receiver is the fault you are hunting all night.

What to say

“Tell them: 'start deep and run onto the ball — never drift up and wait for it.'”
“Tell them: 'take it at pace with hands out, so the defence never sets.'”
“Tell them: 'pass in front of the runner, into their running space.'”

Easier

Slow the tempo and widen the grid so timing the run onto the ball is easy to feel first.

Harder

Add a passive defender per group who drifts, so receivers must run onto the ball to beat the drift.

Activity14 min

Lines That Lie

Setup: A 25m channel with three cone 'defenders' spaced across it. Attacking groups of three, one ball, queues at the start.

How it works: Teach running lines that hold or beat defenders. First the straight line run onto the ball, which keeps a defender honest. Then the unders line, angling back inside a defender who has drifted, and the overs line, angling out into space wide of them. The carrier and runners rehearse fixing one cone-defender and putting a runner through the gap on a good angle. Then add a switch — the carrier turns back inside to a runner cutting the other way — to change the point of attack. Straight and simple first; angles are only dangerous when the timing is right.

What to say

“Tell them: 'a straight line holds the defender — drifting sideways lets them off.'”
“Tell them: 'unders cuts back inside a drifting defender, overs runs into the outside space.'”
“Tell them: 'the runner picks the line, the passer just delivers it in front of them.'”
“Fix defenders before you pass — an unfixed defender simply slides onto the next runner.”

Easier

Cone defenders only, walk-through the unders and overs lines until the shapes are clear.

Harder

Replace one cone with a live drifting defender the group must genuinely read before choosing the line.

Activity14 min

Keep It Alive — The Offload

Setup: Pairs of a carrier and a support runner against a held shield. Ball supply at the start. Contact is soft, on a shield only.

How it works: The offload is a pass given in or just before the tackle to a runner in support, and it turns one attacker into two. The carrier runs into the held shield, stays strong and tall through it with the ball in two hands, and pops it out of the contact to a support runner arriving at pace on their shoulder. The support runner is the secret — no runner, no offload — so drill them sprinting into support every rep. Keep the contact against shields only tonight so the skill is about hands and support, not collision.

What to say

“Tell them: 'stay tall and strong in contact — you cannot offload folded over.'”
“Tell them: 'two hands into the contact so the offload is always on.'”
“Tell them: 'support runner, sprint onto the shoulder — late support kills the offload.'”
“Only offload when support is there; forcing it with no runner is just a turnover.”

Easier

Handover instead of a pop, at walking pace, so the timing of carrier and support is grooved first.

Harder

Support runner chooses their side late and calls for it, so the carrier must offload either hand on the shout.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

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