Alright, so today I decided to get back on the field and really understand how scoring works in rugby. I haven’t played in ages, so I was pretty rusty, to say the least.
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed my old rugby ball and headed to the local park. I spent some time just getting a feel for the ball again, practicing some basic passes and kicks. My handling was shaky, and my kicks were all over the place, but it felt good to be moving.
Practicing Tries
- Grounding the Ball: I set up a makeshift try line using some cones and started practicing grounding the ball. I focused on diving and making sure I had control of the ball as I touched it down.I practiced about twenty * took ten times just to get it to look presentable.
- Running Lines:Then I worked on running some lines, pretending I was dodging imaginary defenders. I started slow, just getting the footwork right, and then gradually increased my speed.
Conversion Kicks
After tries, I moved on to conversion kicks. This was tough!
- Setting Up: I placed the ball on a kicking tee and tried to remember the technique.
- The Kick:My first few kicks were awful – either slicing wide or not having enough distance. But I kept at it, adjusting my stance and the angle of my foot. Slowly but surely, I started to get a few through the posts.
Drop Goals
Drop goals were next on my list. I’d never really practiced these much before.
- The Drop: The tricky part was getting the drop right – bouncing the ball and kicking it at just the right moment.
- More Kicks: Most of my attempts went sideways or bounced pathetically short,I practiced about fifteen * after a while, I managed to slot a couple through. It felt amazing!
Penalty Kicks
Finally, I practiced some penalty kicks, which are similar to conversions but from different spots on the field.
- Consistency: I focused on trying to be consistent with my technique, aiming for the same spot on the ball each time.
- Distance:I also experimented with kicking from further out, gradually increasing the distance to see how far I could realistically kick.
By the end of the session, I was exhausted but felt like I’d made some real progress. I definitely need more practice, but it was great to refresh my memory on the different ways to score in rugby. I’m planning to make this a regular thing, so hopefully, I’ll be back to my old form in no time!
