how do i make good tackles in rugby?i play backrow.especially during big hits?

Answer 1

Get low, don't aim low. If you dive at their shoetops (or knees), they are going to truck you.

Get someone on your team your size or smaller to help you practice. Stand facing each other from 20 feet away, and then you kneel down. Have them walk slowly towards you with the ball as if they were going to pass you (on either side). Plant your shoulder into their hip, head behind them, face up, wrap your arms, and then roll to take them down. If they come straight towards you, you won't be able to roll; wrap just the same but fall backwards and drag them down as you do. Keep repeating until you're comfortable, and then start increasing the speed.

When you're comfortable at speed, start working on exploding your shoulder up into them. As you wrap behind their legs, the effect should be to lift them off the ground. If you do lift them up, drive them back down into the ground to complete the hit. How much you can practice that is going to depend on your teammates' tolerance.

Once you're comfortable with all that from your knees, work on getting into a similar position standing. Some people will actually touch a knee to the ground before contact; some people are comfortable getting into a low squat. Making contact with someone big, 95% of the time, whomever gets lower will win. Play around with what stance both allows you to feel comfortable and allows you to explode forward.

Once you have that down, the trick is getting into position during a game. It's tough in open play, and most of the tackles will be stopping them however you can. Pursuing a kick, get there fast but under control, so you can get to your tackling stance when you need. Around the scrum, the hits tend to be better lined up, but with the crowd, clean hits are rare. But they're worth it when you get them.

If someone bigger than you takes a run at you, use the same technique, but rather than exploding, just wrap and drag them down. Make the tackle, don't be a hero.

Answer 2

During one of your practices bring some tape along and set up two lines facing each other. Start by putting X's with the tape on your right shoulder and your right hip. At first walk through the tackles and than pick up the pace as you go through until you’re almost at a full sprint. Try to connect your shoulder X to the other person’s hip X, that way you are low enough and the positioning is proper. Once you have the proper positioning, then focus on wrapping your arms around their legs and sliding them down towards their ankles to tie up their feet. If you are low enough and have their legs tightly there is almost no chance they can beat you. Then switch to the left side X's and do the same.

Once you have mastered this positioning and wrapping technique no matter where you play on the field or how fast or big the player is... You should have no problems tackling!

Good luck and I hope maybe this helps.

Answer 3

Commit to the hit 100%. Anything less and you're going to get hurt. Your thinking is to simply crush anyone holding the ball. Best to get in a hit early in the game, you'll only get two three chances in a game. So don't chase everything around the paddock you'll run out of blow when you need it!

Don't aim for the legs, if you are a back row player you should be big enough to hit him in the middle (gut) and fold him in half like tissue paper.

Leave the pretty tackles around the legs for the backs.
You steam roll everything in sight, with or with out the ball!

And thats why they call me Sledgey!

Answer 4

The old style of tackling has gone right out of the window in rugby league. The emphasis is not only to stop the player gaining yards but to knock the living daylights of him/her so that they think twice about running at you again..(Once you get benched you wont run at the same guy again without hesitating). If you want to see evidence of this watch the Australian state of origin game. These guys are monsters.

Answer 5

Tackle low was always the Union golden rule, but the League changed that drastically and today's union game has adapted so that it depends on the situation you are in and the carrier is in and the manouvre is in and the game is in. There are so many factors, plus the understanding that going low puts not only the carrier out of action but the tackler too. It amazes me how effectively the pros of today automatically adapt their tackling style to all these factors in a split second. Giant brains of course have always been a characteristic of us muddied oafs.

Answer 6

If you watch international level rugby, they aren't looking for a knock out shot. They are looking to win possession. Remember that in American football, there is a premium on yardage. One must attempt to not only tackle, but do so in a way that STOPS THE BALL CARRIER COLD. Rugby isn't like that. Who cares if your opponent gets another yard? Get possession. So....the most effective rugby tackle is one where a)you bring your man to the ground, and b) he must release in such a position that it is difficult or impossible for his mates to support him. Head behind, shoulder low, try to allow the man to fall towards your goal line. Cheers

Answer 7

Aim for the knee caps, and tackle around the legs. The old saying goes, 'Cannot run without legs'.

Answer 8

Aim low, for the knees

Head up

Get your head out of the way of the legs, and really out your shoulder into it

Drive through him and twist. He should go down easy

Answer 9

watch this....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/skills/4198712.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/skills/4198796.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/sport/hotshots/index.shtml?tackling


The Johnny Wilkinson one is more for kids but it has the basics put out really well....


Remember...

Go low, and wrap...

Even if you are big a little guy can fend you off and bounce right off of you.. so go low...

Answer 10

always go low...and WRAP your arms around their legs. make sure you fall with your head on their hip if you can.