First contact

[Mccarry]

I don't understand why our little guys are trained to make contact up high.

Little guys should be hitting mid section or below. It creates more opportunity for the prop or second rower who is then at 45 degrees to the attacker to hit them in an explosed position. This will dramatically reduce the targeting of smaller defenders.

Farah is the perfect example. His contact is very soft due to size and his technique of absorbing the attackers momentum and using it to make the tackle.

Moses has been better lately but should hit low more often.

I appreciate the offload argument, but for me it is more than offset by the quick play the ball than runners with meters after contact end up achieving.

I also note that many wide runners are on their own and hence the tackling technique should adjust to it. Isolated: low and the second defender punishes them in the ribs. Running with options: high

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[yeti]

Good point. There seems to be a trend now where many of the really hard hitters are going lower and driving up with their shoulders into the ball, which has some chance of dislodging it from the tackled player. St.Goerge's second rowers do it quite a bit as does Nigel Plumb and I saw Chris Lawrence do it a bit last night. I like it.

 

[MacDougall]

I had a bit of a scare for a sec with two contact themed threads I thought we may have met et.

 

[Mccarry]

I don't mean to be harsh to our smaller guys. In addition Woods is a good example of someone who makes soft contact too often for someone his size.

I love how Lawrence hits. It's the Brian Smith technique. I'm not asking our little guys to hit like that though. I am more looking for their contact to create an exposed torso.

Our halves and smaller players get targeted without any consequences for the attacking player.

The attacking player makes contact and meters. The up top focus allows the attacker to fall with knees bent and ready to get up for a quick play the ball. Teams target our smaller guys on the fourth tackle (as pointed out by Johns) which sets up a close to second phase last tackle option. It's causing better kicks and more overlaps.

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[stryker]

I agree and disagree with you McCarry.
The reason tacklers go high is twofold..Firstly to wrap the ball up and more importantly to wrestle the player onto his back thus slowing the play the ball. Legs tacklers generally result in the attacker lying on his guts thrashing about giving the impression he is being held down. The result? Quicker play the balls. As the games most important feature is ruck speed, tackling high is the only option.

However I do agree with you that our smaller guys should aim midriff…such as base of sternum. They are generally shorter so will find it easier to get under the ball and can still hold till a big bopper joins and rolls the attacker back.

 

[Mccarry]

I agree and disagree with you McCarry.
The reason tacklers go high is twofold..Firstly to wrap the ball up and more importantly to wrestle the player onto his back thus slowing the play the ball. Legs tacklers generally result in the attacker lying on his guts thrashing about giving the impression he is being held down. The result? Quicker play the balls. As the games most important feature is ruck speed, tackling high is the only option.

However I do agree with you that our smaller guys should aim midriff…such as base of sternum. They are generally shorter so will find it easier to get under the ball and can still hold till a big bopper joins and rolls the attacker back.

Stryker, good point on the flopping around and getting to ground quicker. I'm not sure that is worse than 5 meters after contact and then a controlled descent in a posture that maximises the quick play the ball anyway.

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