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Centre Positional Guide

POSITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
General
A centre is a key decision maker when his team are in possession. He must decide instantly whether to pass, kick, or make contact and retain the ball, or make a break. In
defence, the centre is often required to tackle his opponent head on.

Attack
A centre should have the confidence to take on and beat his opponent and play the ball out of the tackle. Centres are often involved in set moves from the scrum and lineout. They should be prepared to read the game and anticipate what happens next from open play. The centre should be able to deliver a variety of short and long passes, kick diagonally, high or grubber style, to beat flat defences.

Defence
The defence of the centres must be co-ordinated and watertight. As a general rule, centres should advance towards the opposition together in a flat line and on the
‘inside’ (nearest the breakdown) of their opponents to ensure that they are pushed away from their main support.

Contact
Centres need to have excellent contact skills. They are often the first tacklers in defence. They should be able to retain the ball in contact and support the new ball carrier after a pass.

PRACTICES
Technique and Skills
• Practise receiving and passing the ball from left and right;
• Practise different lines of running by changes of direction into gaps, rather than running at opponents;
• Practise receiving a ball andmaking a break using explosive acceleration;
• Practise evasive running skills to avoid contact and beat defences.
• All types of kicks should be practised with either foot under varying pressure - using a series of targets. Practise taking contact and making a pass afterwards (e.g. 12 is being
tackled but still gets a pass off to 13).

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