This month we have been working on waves of attack, which builds further on the diagrams above.

So many times players are advised (or advise themselves) to "spread out" or spread across the pitch. This gives the ball carrier restricted options, and as a consequence provides little challenge for the defence. By having a fly half, inside centre, outside centre, winger first it is unlikely that the ball will travel from scrum-half to winger and secondly the defence will simply drift across giving the winger 2 or 3 defenders to beat.

Imagine an attack which had a first wave of fly-half, inside centre and winger, and 10 metres further back the outside centre, full-back and other winger who can hit the line anywhere. If this was from open play there might even be an inside ball option to a fast and powerful forward (No. 8) to run into the fly-half channel.

This formation gives an inside and outside option to the ball carrier, an option for decoy runners, and options to pass short and long. it takes practice, communication and a commitment to work as hard off the ball as on it. Those who were at Richard Hill's session will inderstand the "pocket" runner - and this is something that can be practiced as a warm up - even without the coaches bidding!