London Wasps - Tackling Masterclass

The ability to pop the ball out of the tackle is an important continuity skill that allows the ball carrier to engage the opposition and transfer the ball to a support player moving in to space. It is skills such as this that have helped to make players such as Josh Lewsey, Joe Worsley and Mark Van Gisbergen such valuable assets to London Wasps and have helped to make the Gold 'n' Blacks one of this season's Heineken Cup Quarter-Finalists.

Key Factors:
• Focus on the contact area
• Chin off the chest, eyes open
• Low body position
• Ball in two hands, away from contact
• Small steps on approach
• Wide 'power step' into contact
• Plant the front foot 'through or to' the defenders feet
• Body before the ball
• Contact side-on with the hard parts of the body
• Maintain a low stable base, chin up and eyes open
• Turn head and sight support
• Pop a short pass to the supporting player running in to space
• Support the new ball carrier immediately

Coaching Points:
• Make impact to engage the opposition and create space for the support player
• It is vital to sight the support player for accuracy of the pass
• Communication between the ball carrier and support player is essential
• Passing in the contact area can be an effective way of maintaining continuity immediately
• Support the new ball carrier immediately

Key Words:
Safety - Protect the Ball - Make Contact - Pass to Support - Support the new Ball Carrier

Common Errors:
• Ball knocked down by the defender during transfer
• Poor pass under pressure to the supporting player
• No communication between the ball carrier and support
• Support player given the pass when he is not expecting it