Breakdown drill
Bounce and Compete
Win the race from the floor to a legal position over the ball.
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Players
- 2 to 8 players
- Intensity
- High
- Equipment
- Tackle bag, ball
- Space
- 5m x 5m
- Positions
- Back row, forwards
Setup
Two sausage pads or tackle bags laid parallel on the ground with a ball wedged between them, and two players lying on opposite sides. A phone timer to call the start.
How to run it
- On the call, both players bounce up off the floor as fast as they can and compete to get into the jackal set over the ball - feet planted against the bag, chest over the ball, head down.
- The first player into a legal, stable, weight-supported position with hands on the ball wins the rep, and the loser must accept it and disengage.
- Alternate which side starts closer.
- Do 10 reps per player across 3 rounds with 90 seconds between.
- Diving onto the ball loses the rep automatically - you must be on your feet.
Coaching cues
- Hips fire off the ground first
- Feet shoulder-width and braced against the bag
- Head and chest right over the ball, head down
Common mistakes
- Diving onto the ball, which is both illegal and an automatic loss of the rep
- Arriving with a narrow base, so you get removed on first contact and end up propping on the bag
Related drills
- First Man at the RuckWin the race to the contact area and clear the threat rather than just arriving.
- Floor Seal Clear PickDrill the three breakdown roles as a reactive sequence rather than a set piece.
- Contact Square Inside ClearFall away from the jackal threat and clear the man who does contest.
- Coming Through the GateBuild the habit of joining a ruck legally when the short route is tempting.
- Counter Ruck UnitTurn the ball over by driving over the ruck as a connected unit.
- Jackal Clear or Seal DecisionTrain the first-arriver read - is there a threat to remove, or clean ball to protect?