Playing inside centre

[Mr_plumber]

Anyone have some tips for playing inside centre. It's only my second season and I have only played wing and fullback. Any advice would be great as our team isn't very good and we generally play a forward dominate game.

 

[Zed]

Anyone have some tips for playing inside centre. It's only my second season and I have only played wing and fullback. Any advice would be great as our team isn't very good and we generally play a forward dominate game.

That's my posi.

You need to work on some of the simple stuff, catching and passing i.e catching the ball at pace and throwing fast accurate passes while under pressure. You have much less time and space when you're playing 12, so you need to learn to do the simple stuff well. Playing wing, those things aren't as important, you have much more time and space. One skill you can concentrate on is catching the ball with two hands without bringing it to your chest and passing it all in one motion. Work on your running lines/angles, especially with your 1st phase moves. e.g for example a move may involve using you as a blocker, ball goes behind you to 13. Your line & timing needs to be spot on for the move to work and that's something you will need to work on. Also straight forward things like switches and moves are often not done correctly or effectively, ask your 10 for some guidance.

 

[Zed]

Also play competitive touch either in winter or in summer. That will help your ball skills and running lines heaps.

 

[sifplay]

Anyone have some tips for playing inside centre. It's only my second season and I have only played wing and fullback. Any advice would be great as our team isn't very good and we generally play a forward dominate game.

Inside center is the general in defense. Its his job to make sure the defense alignment is setup and the pitch is covered. So communication is a key. Second job is to straighten the attack. No use going sideways as the touchline is a extra defender and will always win. Its the 9/10 job to get the atack on the go but for that they need space. To create space you need your bruising ball cariers (tight five) to make the yards upfield and you need the quick recycles (back three) so that they can have that space to work in. So do what you do best. Run straight and if you see a gap use common sense take it but always run towards support if you get thru one. Look at JdV his brilliant at all those things and its his work that the Stormers defense is so neatly alligned able to shut out team.

Oh and you need to have great hair. So make sure you have always that comb available to get the hair in order. Or you can try a flashy hairstyle with a bit of hair gel. But that is important.

 

[lucky number 7]

Sifplay is it not 13 that is the key in defence , that's where the D is ran from up here anyways , 10 / 12 work as a block while 13 calls the shots between interior and outside defence?


Having Dabbled with many positions in the backline in recent years and playing a good few games at 12 , I'd have to say it's not my favorite , you're mostly used to bosh up and run dummy lines which is grand if you're a big boy that looks for contact , but being a bit more of a snake myself I didn't like that element.

Advice for you if you wan't to run at 12 , bulk up and work on acceleration over 5-10 yards...run ready for impact as you will find it..just about every time you lay your hands on the ball.

 

[nadoss]

All I can say is make sure you work on your ability to take down anyone you come in contact with. You're the man they count on to not miss tackles.

 

[Saint Matt]

I played a fair bit of my early Rugby at 12, before moving into the 10 position when I was about 15. As a 12, your all round game needs to be strong, and your game understanding superb. Playing 12 gives you that little bit more time to look around for options, and it's important that you give your 9 and 10 another option in midfield. Your ability to run decoy lines is absolutely crucial, and in order for your outside backs to function, you need to make sure your doing your job properly in that area. However, as pointed out, your main role is to offer a second phase - again, to give your outside backs decent ball to work with. You need to be comfortable in contact, but as I said earlier, you need to have the footballing ability to offer an alternative option in attack.

Defensively, you have a huge role, and it's true when people say that your 12 needs to be a 'defensive captain'. You need to be organising things, and along with the 15, making sure that players are in the correct position. As I said, you need to be an all round Rugby player, and you are a vital part of your teams attacking potential.