With our Tight, Flat, Wide Game Management, six of our forward pack are going to focus on running the Tight 9 ball options. On attack they will recycle between being in the present ruck, running the 9 option, and getting back into position for the next phase 9 option.
This is a totally different way of playing to the standard 2-4-2 attack pattern.
Two of our Forwards will be the designated Flat runners, focusing on carrying options off of 10.
They will probably be our two most athletic loose forwards.
Because they are not doing as much tight work around the rucks, these two forwards will be expected to go the full 80 minutes.
Our six Tight forwards are going to run the opposition forwards off their feet.
It will be an exhausting shift to keep up the pace of recycling successive phases.
So we set the expectation for them to keep this unbelievable pace up for just 40 minutes, and then the bench of six substitute forwards will take their place at, or just after, halftime to carry on with this pace.
On Defense, we take every opportunity to slow the game down and catch a breather: be slow to set up line-outs and scrums, one player always taking a knee after the whistle blows etc…
But on Attack we are relentless, its go go go, no brakes on this train, keep getting up, keep running the options, keep cleaning & supporting lines, even when your lungs and legs are exploding.
The 9 plays his options “Tight” around the fringes of the ruck, until the 10 or 12 see something and call for the ball. So this could be 3 or more phases of 9-balls until something opens up for the backs.
These phases have to be quick in order to make something of this usually hardest defended area of the game.
Ball carrier attempts linebreak, pumps feet, looks for offload or goes to ground.
Cleaner drives Ball Carrier through contact, and then looks to clean out the jackal threat, or if no jackler then pin the tackler from rolling away (milk a penalty and/or keep him from resetting in defense).
Sealer arrives and has options: immediate pick and go if pillar defense missing (and no call from 9 or 10), or seal the ruck for 9 to arrive.
Now the three forwards who were in the previous ruck need to get on their horse!
Sealer gets in position to be the next phase 1st Receiver, or arrives to clean the pick and go.
Cleaner gets in position to be next phase Ball Carrier, or arrives to seal the pick and go.
Ball Carrier arrives as Sealer to the next phase, or runs a decoy screen as the 9 will always pass to the 10 after a quick pick & go (part of our multi-phase attack plan).
This is tiring work and could go on for 3 or more phases until the backs call for it.
It is helpful for the blindside wing to come in on some of the 9 options, as 1st receiver or inside ball runner or pick and go, if he sees nothing happening in the backs.
When the backs eventually call for it, the 9 ball forwards must still run their options as a decoy screen, the 9 will pass behind them to the 10, but their mock charge will keep defenders from drifting onto the 10.
The 10 or 12 options will clean their own ruck.
Our previous ruck forwards will now run a 9 ball at the near side of this ruck.
Most times it will be a mock charge as we look to go for a quick 3v2 to the far side of the ruck (part of our multi-phase attack plan).
After this the 9 ball cycle begins again toward the open side of the field.
Leave a Reply