Session-by-session plans, organised by 6-week block (see claude.html for the block-based coaching model and game/skill-zone shapes, claude.html for training days/facilities, squad structure, forwards/backs splits and contested-scrum and match-day rules — all of which apply across all blocks). Calls and shapes used in drills should match playbook.html; any law-specific coaching points should match laws.html; actual dates are tracked in calendar.html.
Theme: Defence, plus introducing the two critical new U14 skills — lineout and scrum.
playbook.html's Defence section, which is the master reference for all of this). This block introduces the pieces individually before combining them: ruck-defence from Week 3, all four pillars together full-team from Week 5. Whether/when to introduce drift vs. blitz on top of our default blitz is under review — see Saved for later blocks below.playbook.html).claude.html).(Full detail on all calls and moves above is in playbook.html.) Per the skills pyramid (see claude.html), Block 1 lives mostly at the individual- and small-group-skill layers, building toward team moves (5-man Rhino, DSP) by Weeks 5–6.
Block 1 runs Sunday 6 September – Thursday 15 October. Weeks are grouped Sunday, then the following Thursday — e.g. Week 1 is Sun 6 Sep + Thu 10 Sep. This extends the block one session beyond the previous 11 Oct end date for this doc — flagging for confirmation.
Every training session carries the defence thread plus a forwards-skill focus (lineout or scrum, alternating by week rather than day). Where the forwards are tied up in a set-piece skill zone, the backs get their own parallel focus, kept in line with the block's theme rather than a separate attacking agenda.
Note: the two Kent League fixtures in this block (27 Sep, 11 Oct) are matches, not training — listed below for the calendar picture only, since we don't run training on match days.
Open items still to confirm:
| Week | Date | Session | Core | Defence | Set-piece (forwards) | Backs | Position skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun 6 Sep | Training | Tackle | Blitz, line-org | Lineout — where to stand, laws | Defensive alignment (Continuous Defence) while forwards are in the lineout zone | Hooker lineout throw |
| 1 | Thu 10 Sep | Training | Passing | Blitz, line-org | Lineout — where to stand (reinforced) | Defensive alignment, continued | Hooker lineout throw |
| 2 | Sun 13 Sep | Training | Tackle | Blitz, line-org | Scrum — 8-man setup, contested from the start | DSP + line-pressure defence off scrum | 9 + hooker scrum strike, back-row ball control |
| 2 | Thu 17 Sep | Training | Passing | Blitz, line-org | Scrum — position/technique, non-contested | Exit kicks — introduce (technique, then kick + chase/regather) | 9 + hooker scrum strike, back-row ball control |
| 3 | Sun 20 Sep | Training | Tackle | Ruck-defence | Defending the lineout — pressure on 9 & 10 | Defending against kicks (system TBC) | — |
| 3 | Thu 24 Sep | Pre-match (sharpen) | Passing — introduce pull-back pass (Hippo) | Ruck-defence | Set-piece, lightly (both areas) | Defending against kicks, lightly | — |
| 4 | Sun 27 Sep | Match — Kent League R1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Thu 1 Oct | Training — work-ons from the fixture | Whatever the match showed needs work | ″ | ″ | ″ | ″ |
| 5 | Sun 4 Oct | Training | Tackle — ruck (2v2) | All four pillars, full-team | Lineout — 8-man catch and drive | Receiving off the fold, playing width (flagged above) | — |
| 5 | Thu 8 Oct | Training | Passing — pull-back pass | All four pillars | Lineout — 8-man catch and drive | Receiving off the fold, playing width | — |
| 6 | Sun 11 Oct | Match — Kent League R2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Thu 15 Oct | Training — block wrap-up | Passing | Defence, combined | Set-piece, combined | Backs, combined | — |
Defence: individual tackle skills as the technical base (Sun) moving to passing (Thu), with line-org introduced alongside — main game a touch/tag game with a line-speed target; skill zone runs 1-on-1 tackle-technique fixes (controlled, small-group) plus the line-org cues (spacing, numbering up, CTC scanning, shuffling retreat, communication) and the Bang blitz-trigger call.
Forwards-skill focus: lineout — the squad's very first exposure. Hookers peel off for a mini skill zone on the throw-in (accuracy, grip, release) while everyone else does handling work; a short whole-group intervention covers lineout positioning (where to stand) and the laws (uncontested, no lift — see laws.html) before the main game, which restarts each phase from a lineout throw-in. Thursday reinforces the same positioning content at a lighter/non-contested level.
Backs-skill focus: defensive alignment while the forwards unit is tied up in its lineout skill zone — Continuous Defence (see activities.html) is a good vehicle for this.
Defence: blitz and line-org continued, main game scoring tightened so both line-speed and communication count.
Forwards-skill focus: scrum — the squad's very first exposure. Sunday: 8-man setup, the engage sequence (crouch–bind–set), tower of power/body position — contested from this first week, since Sunday is when we can field two full packs. Thursday: individual position/technique work, non-contested (we won't reliably have two full 8-man packs on a Thursday — see claude.html). Both days: 9 and hooker practise the timing call for the feed, and back-row work on controlling the ball at the base so it doesn't spill loose.
Backs-skill focus: split across the two days to spread the load. Sunday ties straight into that day's live scrum work — DSP as the default attacking move off scrum, plus line-pressure defence from a scrum situation. Thursday introduces exit kicks (technique, then kick + chase/regather).
Defence: ruck-defence — guard either side of the ruck, and only compete for the ball when it can realistically be won, otherwise stay on your feet. Thursday also introduces the pull-back pass (Hippo — see playbook.html) as part of the passing core skill.
Forwards-skill focus: defending the lineout (Sun). Since lineouts are uncontested at U14, defensive pressure is simple — it goes on 9 and 10, not on contesting the catch. Thursday is pre-match sharpen (see below) and touches both set-pieces lightly rather than introducing new lineout-defence content.
Backs-skill focus: defending against kicks — the system (pendulum vs. two players dropping) is still TBC; use this week to trial whichever is chosen.
Thursday 24 Sep is also pre-match sharpen, not load — a shortened version of the week's content across all areas lightly, whole squad together, no separate backs split needed, since Sunday 27 Sep is the first fixture.
Sunday — match day, no session plan. Worth a mental note of what looked shaky, as informal input to Thursday and the rest of the block.
Thursday — reactive, not fixed content. Core/defence/set-piece/backs all take their cue from whatever the fixture actually showed needed work, rather than following a pre-set plan.
Defence: full-team, all four pillars combined — conditioned around whatever Round 1 exposed as needing work. Core progresses tackle work into 2v2 ruck (building on the tackle-diamond progression), and Thursday reinforces the pull-back pass.
Forwards-skill focus: lineout — 8-man catch and drive, both days. This is a bigger lineout than the 5-man default specifically to build a driving maul — remember the maul is attacking-22-only, aiming to score, with break-away or presenting to 9 as the alternatives if it stalls (see playbook.html).
Backs-skill focus: receiving cleanly off the lineout fold and playing with width. (Two specific approaches to this were discussed and agreed — see the open item above; this is a placeholder pending that detail.)
Sunday — match day, no session plan. The last fixture of the block — a live look at pressure defence, lineout, and scrum together, which should inform Block 2's planning (see Future blocks below — Block 2's intent is continuity).
Thursday — block wrap-up. Passing as the core skill, with defence, set-piece, and backs all touched lightly in combination rather than introducing anything new — closing out the block before Block 2 begins.
Ideas and skills that came up while planning Block 1 but aren't part of it — kept here so they aren't lost, to be picked up in a later block:
playbook.html's Backs Moves) isn't being actively coached in Block 1; save its introduction for a later block.Block 2 (intent): focus on continuity.
(Further detail to be added as the block is planned.)