| Fact File |
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| Currently: |
Gloucester Backs Coach |
| Playing Position: |
Scrum Half |
| Previous Clubs: |
Sale Sharks, Narbonne, Edinburgh, Melrose |
| International Caps |
60 Scotland (Most capped Scrum Half) |
Warm up - Passing on One Knee
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 Passing on One Knee
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This is a great exercise to strengthen your wrists and to help eliminate ‘back lift’
1.Start with the ball on the inside of your left knee
2. Point your right toes at the target (could be a friend or a goal post)
3. Grip the ball with your thumbs on top
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4. Drive the ball along the line of your right leg
5. Snap your wrists
6. Finish pointing at the target
Use your wrists to generate the power and control. Make sure you place the ball inside your knee this will stop you from picking it up and taking it backwards first. Practice from both knees
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‘The Perfect Pass’ Technique
Ok lets go through the technique for the perfect pass step by step
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The 'Perfect' Pass
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Its important to get some simple principles correct to ensure that we can consistently deliver a powerful and accurate pass.
If Passing to the right (just reverse everything to pass to the left)
- Start with the ball on the inside of your left foot this helps provide some leverage the big mistake is to put the ball in the middle of your feet this results in a loss of power or the dreaded back lift
- Place your body weight more on your left leg
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- Point your right toes at the target this helps create a clear pathway for your hands and the ball and stops you from pulling around your leg
- As you start your pass transfer your body weight towards your right leg
- Stay low and look at the target
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- Drive the ball along the line of your right leg focusing on your target
- Your weight should now be on your right side
- Use your right hand as a good guide to the target
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- Snap your wrist’s on release to create the spin
- Finish on balance, with your hands pointing at the target ready to move to the next breakdown
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Scrum Half Diamond Passing Drill
This is my favourite drill it gets you to approach a breakdown from different directions, before getting yourself on balance to deliver a quality pass, again you can either use a partner or even the goal post as a target
- Set up a simple diamond shape using coloured cones like below
- Get your partner to position themselves on one of the star positions
- Place 3 balls inside the diamond in front of the red cone
- Now stand in the diamond shape facing the red cone
- Take it in turns to run around each of the other colour cones after each colour cone you must pass 1 ball to your partner who is stood still on one of the target stars
- After you have passed all 3 balls replace them in the diamond
- Get your partner to take up a position on one of the other star targets
- Repeat steps 4 and 5
- Repeat drill with your partner taking up all star positions
Once you have completed a full circuit you would have practiced passing to your left, right and straight back and you would have approached each of those passes from the left, right , and behind. A complete passing exercise to cover just about all that your likely to face at a ruck
Passing Drill
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