You’ll see the best scrum-halves in the world darting over to a breakdown near the touchline, talk to their half-back partner, quickly make a calculation before clipping over a box-kick. What’s more than that, the best No 9s do so with sublime accuracy and get plenty of height on their kick. Just watch New Zealand star Aaron Smith.
One of the keys to a good box-kick – once you tick off good hand-eye coordination and perfect timing – is that the scrum-half is flexible enough and has enough power at the end-range of their follow-through to be able to pull off a good box-kick. So we thought we’d help you with this aspect of a nine\s play, giving you three exercises to do in the gym that will help you achieve your box-kicking aims once you get to the breakdown. Follow these exercises as part of your fitness regime and you should see your flexibility and follow-through improve.
The lads are Performance Pro gym in London take some time out to show you how to work on your hammy kick, hurdle steps and wallball plank position leg lifts. Have a gander and try it yourself. Hopefully these exercises can help you realise your potential.
And if you want to share your gym experiences with us, get in touch via Twitter – @Rugbyworldmag – or on Facebook – Rugby World Magazine. Good luck!