A couple of years ago I wrote an article about box kicking. I did so in the wake of the Experimental Law Variations that had just become law. The pass-back ELV ruling meant that defending teams were under even more pressure to clear their lines, but didn’t have the luxury of kicking direct into touch if the ball was passed back into the 22. Couple this with the unparalleled rise in defensive organization, and we are seeing fly-halves at all levels of the game coming under increased pressure from flankers and centers rushing up to force them into making mistakes.
Box kicking has never gone away, but there was a period of time when it wasn’t popular because it meant kicking the ball away. But if you watch the game at the highest level, especially in Europe, then you’ll see box kicking has made a massive comeback and the first exchanges of most top-level games are punctuated with an aerial bombardment.
Box kicking from behind a slow ruck or collapsed maul in your half, takes a lot of pressure off your fly half, clears your lines while keeping the ball in play, and can also be used to put an attacking teams back three under huge pressure, turning defense into attack.
Unlike conventional kicking, box kicking is a relatively easy skill to learn and because the ball is usually kicked at a steep angle, it should be hard to charge down. When coaching any kicker, make sure you give your scrum half a target. Start by kicking from a set of cones to another set, 30 to 40 yards apart. Concentrate on technique and stress the importance of getting height on the ball early.
Once he has mastered the technique and got the accuracy, give him 3 targets A, B and C. As he picks up the ball, call out a letter and have him drop the ball into the appropriate box. Like all kicks, the box kick is only as good as the chase. As soon as you have a kicker with a degree of accuracy, you should progress to having chasers in your practice.
In a game, if you have a slowed down ruck or a lineout that has gone to ground, then the blind side winger should automatically come up flat anticipating the box kick. You’re inside center must also be aware of this option, and if you’re using him as a second receiver, he can be stood flatter ready to chase the kick.
I also like the old fashion ploy of having my open side flanker stand close and flat after lineouts and when a ruck is slowed down. Not only does this give the scrum half an outlet if he needs it, but it also ensures that he is behind the scrum half if he box kicks. This way you have a winger and center chasing hard, with your open side just a step behind.
At the start of a game, in your own half, if you mix up box kicking and conventional kicking from your 10 and 12, you will give the opposition a defensive headache or two for sure. This will in turn mean that their back 3 will have to defend deeper, therefore creating the opportunity for your back line to be able to turn the corner on their centers.
Since the change in law about kicking direct from the 22, defenders are now getting much better at charging down box kicks. To negate this risk, scrum halves are getting forwards to come into a ruck late and are pushing the ball back with their feet to extend the distance between the kicker and the off side line. This seems to work but does telegraph the opposition of what is about to happen.
So now, when your looking for a scrum half, not only should he be able to pass well off both hands and be able to exploit the fringes of the breakdown and set piece, but he must be able to box kick as well. If he can’t, then find one that can.
Box kicking has never gone away, but there was a period of time when it wasn’t popular because it meant kicking the ball away. But if you watch the game at the highest level, especially in Europe, then you’ll see box kicking has made a massive comeback and the first exchanges of most top-level games are punctuated with an aerial bombardment.
Box kicking from behind a slow ruck or collapsed maul in your half, takes a lot of pressure off your fly half, clears your lines while keeping the ball in play, and can also be used to put an attacking teams back three under huge pressure, turning defense into attack.
Unlike conventional kicking, box kicking is a relatively easy skill to learn and because the ball is usually kicked at a steep angle, it should be hard to charge down. When coaching any kicker, make sure you give your scrum half a target. Start by kicking from a set of cones to another set, 30 to 40 yards apart. Concentrate on technique and stress the importance of getting height on the ball early.
Once he has mastered the technique and got the accuracy, give him 3 targets A, B and C. As he picks up the ball, call out a letter and have him drop the ball into the appropriate box. Like all kicks, the box kick is only as good as the chase. As soon as you have a kicker with a degree of accuracy, you should progress to having chasers in your practice.
In a game, if you have a slowed down ruck or a lineout that has gone to ground, then the blind side winger should automatically come up flat anticipating the box kick. You’re inside center must also be aware of this option, and if you’re using him as a second receiver, he can be stood flatter ready to chase the kick.
I also like the old fashion ploy of having my open side flanker stand close and flat after lineouts and when a ruck is slowed down. Not only does this give the scrum half an outlet if he needs it, but it also ensures that he is behind the scrum half if he box kicks. This way you have a winger and center chasing hard, with your open side just a step behind.
At the start of a game, in your own half, if you mix up box kicking and conventional kicking from your 10 and 12, you will give the opposition a defensive headache or two for sure. This will in turn mean that their back 3 will have to defend deeper, therefore creating the opportunity for your back line to be able to turn the corner on their centers.
Since the change in law about kicking direct from the 22, defenders are now getting much better at charging down box kicks. To negate this risk, scrum halves are getting forwards to come into a ruck late and are pushing the ball back with their feet to extend the distance between the kicker and the off side line. This seems to work but does telegraph the opposition of what is about to happen.
So now, when your looking for a scrum half, not only should he be able to pass well off both hands and be able to exploit the fringes of the breakdown and set piece, but he must be able to box kick as well. If he can’t, then find one that can.
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