Breakdown drill
Jackal Rise
Get from flat on the floor into a legal, stable jackal position over the ball, fast.
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 10 players
- Intensity
- High
- Equipment
- Ball
- Positions
- Back row, forwards
Setup
One ball on the grass, lying chest-down facing it 30-40cm from your head. A contact pad or bag improves it but is not required.
How to run it
- Start flat with your chest to the floor and your hands by your ribs, then on your own count fire your hips upward first so your hips lead and your chest follows - do not push up with straight arms and stand tall, because that is slow and costs you the contest.
- Land in the jackal set with your feet shoulder-width and braced, knees soft, hips low, chest directly over the ball, head down and tucked, back flat.
- Grip the ball and hold for a two-count taking your weight entirely through your legs, then release, rotate 90 degrees around the ball and repeat from the new angle.
- Six reps per side across four rotations is a set; do 3 sets.
Coaching cues
- Fire from the hips - hips lead, chest follows
- Feet shoulder-width and braced, weight through the legs
- Head and chest right over the ball, head down
Common mistakes
- Standing up first and then bending down over the ball, which is far too slow
- Propping your weight on the ball or the tackled player - the classic penalty, and if you cannot hold the two-count with your hands off, you are not strong enough yet
Related drills
- Jackknife into Long PlacementConvert a bad contact where you are held into a usable, quick presentation.
- The 360 RollBuy yourself time and space after a loose tackle by rolling with the ball.
- Low to High Clean-Out PatterningGroove the body height and leg drive of a legal clean-out against a bag.
- Tackle and Jackal TransitionExecute the full legal sequence from making the tackle to winning the ball - the highest-value pair rep in rugby.
- Shoulder Battle JackalLearn to survive a clean-out and stay on the ball, and to clear a jackal legally.
- Bounce and CompeteWin the race from the floor to a legal position over the ball.