The shape
Once the set piece breaks down, the forwards organise into pods of three across the field: one near the ruck, one in midfield and the third wider, or two pods with a pair floating between them. The scrum-half plays from the base of each ruck. The fly-half is first receiver with a pod on one shoulder and the centres on the other, and a second playmaker at 12 or the full-back sits a channel wider so the ball can reach a second receiver without coming back to 10. The wings hold the touchlines.
Roles
- Front row. Carriers in the tight pod near the ruck. Take the ball flat, square and low; the two without the ball clean out.
- Locks. Midfield pod carriers, and the main lifters when play restarts with a lineout.
- Back row. The mobile pod. 7 links with the backs out wide, 8 is the hard carry in midfield and 6 the first cleaner.
- Scrum-half. Paces the game from the base, calls pod or wide, passes flat and quick, and box kicks when the shape is lost.
- Fly-half. First receiver. Chooses the pod carry, the pass to 12 or a kick, always with a forward on the inside shoulder.
- Centres. 12 is the second playmaker standing wider; 13 straightens and attacks the outside shoulder of their 13.
- Wings and full-back. The wings hold the touchlines and arrive on the inside pass; the full-back joins as second playmaker or stays back in our half.
Strengths
- Every forward has a clear job each phase, so rucks are fast and the ball keeps moving.
- Two playmakers mean the ball reaches the wide channels in one pass fewer.
- It can be run at walking pace with young players and sped up as they learn.
Weaknesses
- Needs forwards who know their pod and arrive on time; stragglers kill it.
- Too many pod carries become predictable and lose ground.
- Width without carries into the middle means the defence never has to fold.
When to use it
Once your players can catch and pass under pressure and the forwards understand the ruck. For club sides it suits a pack that is fit rather than heavy and a 10 who reads space. In wet weather keep the pods tighter and the passes shorter; in the dry, stretch the field. At under 12 and below, with fewer players and smaller pitches, two pods and one playmaker is plenty.
What to coach in training
- Pods on cones: three forwards, a carrier at the front and two cleaners, working across the pitch and resetting after each carry; shields rather than live tackles for younger age groups.
- Two-playmaker shape: 10 and 12 or 15 at first and second receiver running three phases unopposed, then against a passive line, with 9 calling pod or wide.
- Clean-out technique with a qualified coach: body height, entry through the gate and staying on your feet; live only where the age grade allows.
Works well against
It copes well with a defence that commits numbers to the ruck, because the ball goes wide to the second playmaker before they fold. Against a drift defence the pod carry inside pins the defenders and the next phase goes back the other way. It also handles a line that rushes, provided 10 has a pod on the inside shoulder to feed.
