Basics of 'pod' technique

Podding for effect

Our wise coaching guru discusses ways of putting loiterers to use in pods.

Theory

 When forwards break up from a set piece, in normal circumstances, they “chase the ball”. Tight forwards obviously find it difficult to get to the ball or the tackle, ruck or maul as quickly as loose forwards or, of course, backs; the reason is that they are bigger and slower as a rule and they are tied in to scrum and sometimes into the line-out. Thus they start their sprint to the ball far later than other players. Often then, when play reverses, it comes back to these ‘loiterers’ who are struggling to get to the ball. That is why so many of us coaches, in attack, worked to the axiom of “Quick ball won, same way twice; slow ball, reverse direction”; thus we avoided running back into the stragglers - our own, who get in the way, and the defenders, who also get in the way.

and practice

Why not, then, use the stragglers effectively? Organise things so that in attack and defence a certain number of players remain behind, deployed for attack and defence from set ball and second and further phased ball.

Let us take a scrum ball. On winning my scrum on the right hand side of the field, I organise that the three front row plus the tighthead lock remain in the area of the scrum, forming a ‘backline’ to be used in attack or defence, as required. The ball from our scrum speeds out to the left to my inside or outside centre; he takes a tackle, there is a quick ruck and we can play back to the players retained on the right after the scrum for that very purpose. Those designated to chase the ball from the set-piece,  the three loose forwards and the loosehead lock, will either be drawn into the ruck/maul resulting from the centre’s being tackled, or, if they are not needed in that ruck, deploy themselves on the left of the ruck as an attacking line to bolster the backs already out there, or to get behind them in support; the must use their sense here or be led by someone calling the tune.

From the other side of the field, the left, the three loose forwards and the tighthead lock follow the ball, the rest remain to form that line of defence/attack on the left.

From a line-out, do the same thing: the three involved in your own line-out plus the hooker remain behind, the other four chase the ball. On their ball, organise as suits you. If they throw deep, that is going to tie up your deep men, so decide who is going to chase the ball. (I should stick to my three loose forwards and one lock, even if they are involved in that line-out.) Obviously they are not all going to get where you’d like them to be all the time- there must be some latitude given to them to make their own decision.

The theory behind the whole thing must be given to the team so that each player, from broken ball (2nd and further phase) can decide whether, depending upon where he is, he should chase the ball or remain behind. So after the set pieces have developed into rucks and mauls, composition of the pods can and must change according to the situation and the deployment of players. You can demand absolutes (you will go there, and you there…) but I think it unwise and restrictive.

Remember, this applies to defence and attack!

There are sophistications: you can play from pod to pod. You form a line-out of seven. The rear three  take the ball from the line-out, play down to 9, who feeds the ball to the four from the front who run around the back of the line-out and straight up-field towards opposing flyhalf, hit into him, either go to ground or pass before contact, play the ball back to scrumhalf who feeds the  three who took the initial ball from the line-out who have now moved up as a pod between ruck and touchline or infield of the pod with the ball (probably more effective); now you can either play your backs or go back to the free pod which can run where you will! You can play from pod to pod towards the middle of the field then bring the ball back to your backs running on the line-out side of the field.

If this is new to your players, before you become sophisticated, make the players run through the basics unopposed, again and again. Scrum unopposed; ball down the backs; centre puts ball down; ruck; play left or right and see where the pods have positioned themselves. I have coached this at senior level and at Under-15 and Under-14 levels. I found that the juniors became lazy and hung back after rucks and mauls so that all the forwards tended to land up on the “blind-side”. Discipline and understanding are essential. The pods do not have to play as a line (except in defence); they can be effective as a close-knit group in attack.