Author: Coach Robinson
 
Our defense this year will be impressive. We will pressurize the opposition and shut them down again and again, until we cause a turnover. Once we get the ball, we will score.
The only way to achieve this is through repeated practice of our basic
defensive system, maintaining discipline by adhering to our defensive system in a game, and by defending with passion.
 
 
Overview
 
Our aim in defense is to stop the opposition by denying them time and
space - denying them any opportunity for a successful attack. To do this, we must exert pressure on the attackers, and we must be organized. Organization is the mortar that allows the wall to stand firm. Organization comes from two things:  body position and communication.
 
 
Body Position
 
1.  Outside Leg Up
- allows you to have a clear view of the ball as it comes out of the ruck, maul, scrum or linout and, as such, it decreases our reaction time, thereby denying the opposition any additional time
 
2.  Outside Foot in Line with Opponent's Centre Chest Line
- results in our body being slightly to the inside of the opponent.
 
3.  Point at man with inside arm
- In addition to clearly communicating your "defensive assignment," pointing with the inside arm forces your hips to be square to the target, putting you in a better position to quickly start the sprint. It also serves to match up your arms and legs for a coordinated sprinting motion (note: once you have pointed at your man, your hips have been sqaured off, and your "defensive assignment" is clear, you can drop your arm and prepare to sprint - you do not need to keep holding your arm up).
 
4.  Look at the ball
 
5. Run up to the INSIDE shoulder of your man
- forces him outside:  1) away from his forward support; 2) crossfield,
reducing space to the outside of him for his teammates; 3) results in a
predictable location for the tackle - you have reduced his running line
options.
 
6.  Stay flat/even with your teammate to your INSIDE
- the defensive "pressure wall" must be uniform and flat. You can do your part to keep the line flat by staying flat with your teammate to the inside of you. To do this, keep three points of reference as you run up in defense: your teammate, the ball, your opponent.
 
7.  Hit with your head to the INSIDE of your opponent
 
8.  Hit and wrap, low to high "pop"
 
9.  "Reload" back into position with side-steps, facing the breakdown
- face the breakdown and use different muscles, allowing hamstrings and
quads some additional recovery time
 
10.  If required, shift out to left or right, head facing the ball.
 
 
Cadence & Communication - the key to organization
 
1.  Regardless of your usual position, the first man in the pressure line is the defensive coordinator who calls the cadence.
 
2.  "Ready" - outside leg up, inside arm pointing at man.
 
3.  "Ready" - get on the balls of your feet and prepare to sprint.
 
4.  As soon as the scrum-half pulls the ball out, call "Up..1..2..."
- this coordinates timing and rhythm of the run
 
5.  After the tackle, "Reload"
- move back to onside position and begin the "marking" sequence to set up the defensive wall (i.e. pressure line)
 
6.  "Shift left or shift right"
 
7. "Ready"