Articles
Breakdown articles
Win the Breakdown - win the game - Warren Gatland
Develop breakdown skills and tactics to help your players win the breakdown contest from some of the world's best coaches and players including Dave Rennie, Richie McCaw, Sam Warburton, George Smith, Warren Gatland, Sir Graham Henry and Eddie Jones, Ben Herring and many others.
Plus we have categorised them by playing level to make it easier for you to find:
- Y – youth
- HS – high school
- A – adult
- All – suitable for all levels
What the new breakdown rules mean for the defence (part 2)In the second part of the article, Analyst Nick Bishop looks at what the new emphasis at the tackle area means for the defence.
Why are the ‘new’ rules creating problems at cleanout in Super Rugby AotearoaThere are no new rules at the breakdown, however there have been some significant changes of emphasis, and some tightening up of refereeing interpretations, which have changed the complexion of the tackle area as Nick Bishop examines how they are affecting teams’ attack in this week’s analysis.
How to use decision-making in contact to help your attackSteven Luatua has become one of the most outstanding technicians in contact work at the ruck in the English Premiership. Work that is vital to his team’s success as analyst Nick Bishop details why in his latest article.
Breakdown Policy - Do You Have One?What is a breakdown policy and Why should you have one? In his latest article, Ellis-Rugby Analyst Dave Ellis explains how England’s Breakdown policy was more effective than the All Blacks in their RWC semi final.
Is the ‘jackal’ a protected species? – Southern Hemisphere (part two)Round 9 of Super Rugby has just been completed, approximately halfway through the regular season. Ideal stage for analyst Nick Bishop to judge whether a consensus point of balance has been reached in the refereeing of the new breakdown laws in the Southern Hemisphere.
How T.J.Perenara influences the ‘new’ breakdown for the HurricanesThe new breakdown rules are having a strong impact on this year’s Super Rugby competition, as defensive coaches struggle to come up with new solutions to the erosion of the tackler’s influence on the ruck. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how the Number 9’s role is changing in securing the ball.
Winning the fight on the groundJosh Syms’ excellent new series, focusing on techniques adopted by both sides at the breakdown, illustrates the amount of coaching time now devoted to body positions in contact. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how the Lions used it to great effect in the 2017 All Blacks series.
How did the trial laws at the breakdown work out in end-of-year tour internationals?World Rugby’s trial laws for 2017 included some potentially game-changing alterations at the breakdown. The end-of-year tour internationals in November provided the first crucible in which to test the new laws at elite level. Analyst Nick Bishop examines their effect and how teams adjusted.
Rolling, rolling, rolling… why a double movement can cure the problem of isolationIn theory, the laws of World Rugby require everyone involved in the tackle on offence or defence to move away from the ball immediately. In practice there are two chances of this happening – ‘slim’ and ‘none’! Analyst Nick Bishop explains why.
Ruck or no ruck - that is the questionThe recent Six Nations match between England and Italy raised a huge question about the refereeing of contact situations, and in particular the difficulty in establishing the difference between a ruck and a tackle. Leading analyst Nick Bishop discusses whether it’s a one off or teams will build their game around it.
