Drift Defence

The Guru's thoughts

There are all sorts of defensive theories now and defensive coaches and much is made of teams' defensive records. Here our wise Guru expresses thoughts on drift defence.

There are weaknesses in drift defences that are being found out; I do not like my sides to kick the ball away but there is no doubt that drift defence leaves itself open to grubbers and chips ahead. Easily practised.

Another weakness is that flyhalf tends to drift early so that the no.10 channel is suspect, especially if you get quick ball from tight phase and, from a line-out pass a flat ball to the flyhalf who either plays quickly back inside to a blindside wing or a loose forward who can either penetrate (preferably) or at very least cross the tackle line and then from the ensuing broken piece of play, if you can win quick loose ball, you can play your backs again, moving the same way as the ball originally moved out - in other words, "same way twice" or to a forward standing out who comes through close and straight (not my favourite ploy - but it works!; from a quick scrum, I should pass wide and either play back inside again to blindside wing or No.8 or play from flyhalf to a man who has run around him and comes through close to his shoulder (again, probably a blindside wing).

Many coaches are happy just to bash through a drift defence in order to cross the gain line and keep possession- not for me.

Any scissor move, angle running as a dummy or to receive short ball can be very effective, too.

From a quick ruck or maul, play to a flat-lining flyhalf or whoever is standing there, he skips the next man who can run around to take a pass or you play the rest of the line. Because the ball has come out quickly and because you play flat and wide. They do not have time to re-alignor to get back on sides. From tight scrums strike through your loose forwards; from line-outs throw deep thus involving their loose forwards and that opens up the channel inside the flyhalf to which you can play in a variety of ways.

The easiest is to smash your way over the advantage or the tackle line and to play from there but that slows the game down and allows them time to re-set their defence lines.

If you are a brave coach, you will line your backs deep and hope for the opponents to break their flat defence lines in coming up to tackle- a well-drilled side would possibly not break their flat defence line but I find from slow ruck or maul ball that it sometimes pays off to line deeper.