Centre

[RobB]

Hi i was wondering if anyone could give me any training or advice specific for playing in the centres as i am new to the position and have just started playing there overall aims of the centre and training which would beneficial would be brillaint from anyone

cheers

 

[Gay-Guy]

Stand deep and choose your line to run as late as possible.  Let the inside backs do their thing before you hit a line hard.

Try and stay on your feet in the tackle....if you get caught try and fight to stand up rather than fight to get an extra metre....as you may fall down if you try for one more metre.  If you go to ground early out in the centres it may result in a turnover.

Learn to "turn" towards your insides as soon as you feel you are not going to make it through a gap....if you get tackled in the centres the last thing you want to do is to be facing the wrong way...better to accept the tackle and turn towards your support if you have no way through the gap  Also you can give it back to your inside guys for them to find a better option using you as a shield.

Practice the fend that is more a push off (Steve Renouf) than a push forward (Burger).  Use this to try and get the outside gap.

If NOTHING is on and you are marked and your winger is marked then give the ball to your winger EARLY rather than trying to take your man on.  Let your winger try and take his winger on and follow him for support either around the outside (Time Horan around Campese 1991 vs NZ RWC) or trailing on the inside (Frank Bunce following Lomu vs Australia 1995).

Develop a great long flat spinning pass that goes BOTH ways ...very essential for the centres (finally Nonu is learning this).  You have to learn to unleash your wingers with a good pass when you are struggling yourself against your opposite.  Nothing worse than centres who are getting scragged by their opposite and they try and offload a pass to their winger which normally ends up being a hospital pass.

Practice the hot potato pass to your winger....sometimes you have a clueless first five that is always giving you hospital passes.  Having a great "catch and pass" can be very handy when you are getting hospital passes.

Learn to read the defence and to communicate to the guys on the inside on what to do.  You have a better view on what is really happening and where the weak points are in the defensive line.

Learn to double "check" on defence when you see someone cutting in....stand your ground and hit the guy coming your way whilst running towards the guy cutting back in to tackle him.  In order words you are marking both guys who are switching.

Play basketball or netball to get accustomed to reading intercepts better.

Learn to tell your winger where to stand.  Tell them to hang back when the opposite first five has the ball in chase of kicks or grubbers...and to move up when the first five passes the ball.  A lot of the time wingers need a bit of guidance as they tend to feel "outside" of the action on the wing.  Having a good centre who is always talking to them will make them feel secure about their role as well as feeling that they are always in touch with the game.  A good winger often is the result of a good centre.

 

[Steve-o]

Really great advice there GG. Top stuff.

Hey Rob, I got a few questions for you.
Where did you play before moving to centre, and how long have you been playing rugby?
Will you be playing inside centre or outside centre?
What do you feel your strengths are? (Passing, kicking, and so on)
What do you think your weaknesses are?

Just a few questions which I think will help us giving you some solid advice.

 

[Hall]

The most useful thing a centre can do (this is coming from a centre and someone who sometimes plays wing) is draw the man who is marking you with a step to create space for the backs outside you.

Its so simple to do and so effective.

Other than that, the advice above should cover you.

 

[Gulli]

Run in a straight line, nothing worse than drifting across the pitch and cutting the space off for your winger.

obviously there are times when you can arc your run, but most of the time running straight and hard at the defense creates a lot of space out wide

 

[Hall]

Good call gulli! I probably should have mentioned that.

 

[aligmacd123]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gulli @ Nov 25 2008, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Run in a straight line, nothing worse than drifting across the pitch and cutting the space off for your winger.

obviously there are times when you can arc your run, but most of the time running straight and hard at the defense creates a lot of space out wide[/b]

Great Advice!!!

Also, sometimes you have to hit the line at an angle but try to straighten up.

Also try, if you are an outside centre, practising being on the wing because it gives you an idea what they want from you or if you are an inside centre try outside for the same reason.

That really applies to any position. Scrum half/Fly half etc

 

[Woldog]

Yeah this topic is older than the hills.