Offense vs. Defense
First things first, everyone plays both offense and defense, as play doesn’t
stop when there’s a tackle, let a lone a turnover, so everyone must be willing
(and able) to both advance the ball down the field with ball in hand as well as
being adept at stopping the opposition from doing the same, regardless of position.
When in possession of the ball, you want to attack from depth (and therefore with
pace), making it more difficult for the defense to come up and tackle you behind
where the ball started and easier for you to make ground and eventually score.
When not in possession, the defense should come up quickly and stay in as flat
a line as possible so as to minimize the size of gaps. Coming up in a crooked
line can leave holes through which experienced players will run and create scoring
opportunities- which you want to avoid.
Now, all rugby players are broken up into two groups, Forwards and Backs.
The Forwards
It is the forwards’ responsibility to gain and maintain possession of the
ball and present it to the backs. They are then expected to remain in support
of whoever carries the ball. They are also often referred to as the pack or the
scrum.
A SCRUM is also the name of the formal conglomeration of forwards when they
bind together in specific positions at certain times during a game. It is the
basic set formation of rugby and occurs after various minor infringements of
the law, when the ball becomes tied up, and other times you'll learn about later.
It is a face-off of sorts and a favorite among forwards. Form and timing are
more important than brute strength, though strength certainly helps. A birds-eye
diagram might help make things more clear:
1: Loose Head Prop (sturdy and fearless)- supports the hooker’s
left side
2: Hooker (quick, ready to take control)- uses his foot to hook the ball back
for his team
3: Tight Head Prop (see #1)- supports the hooker’s right side
4,5: Second Rows (Locks) - (big and strong- typically the tallest players on
the field)- the ‘Power Houses’ of the Scrum
6,7: Flankers- (quick, aggressive)- typically the best tacklers on the team
8: Number Eight (smart, good foot and hand skills)- must be as aggressive as
the flankers, but have good handling skills as well
9: Scrumhalf (smart, experienced, quick, good passer) -- technically not a forward,
but the link between forwards and backs - special rules apply to the scrumhalf.
The scrumhalf puts the ball straight into the space between the two front rows
(the tunnel). By combining a DRIVING PUSH and a quick foot strike by the hooker
each team attempts to win the ball. It is then channeled back to the #8 who
lets it out to the scrumhalf (who has moved to the back) or breaks off and picks
it up. The team who gets to put the ball in has the advantages of timing and
having their front row closer to the put-in point. By driving forward we not
only win the ball, but give momentum to any subsequent offensive moves after
the ball is out.
More spontaneous versions of this type of formation are the RUCKS and MAULS
which can occur at any time. These will be discussed in the skills section.
The Backs
Backs are typically the fastest players on the field and work, generally, in less
traffic than do the forwards, trying to move forward by creating gaps with fast
footwork and good ball handling skills. Backs still have to be able to perform
all of the same contact skills as forwards (tackle, rucks maul, etc.). A typical
back line looks like this:
9: Scrumhalf (as you know)- directs play and runs the flow of the game. Passes
the ball to either the forwards or the backs.
10: Flyhalf (great hands, cool head- preferably has a good kicking leg)- The
flyhalf is like the quarterback of the backline, he calls plays, and sets up
both the offense and defense during the course of the game.
12: Inside Center (good change of speed- good tackler)- must have great hands
and like contact, many backline plays involve the inside center
13: Outside Center (same and faster)- again, must enjoy contact but needs to
be able to read and hit holes in the defense more often than creating them
11/14: Wing (supposed to be the fastest guys on the field- must have great hands)-
It is the wings’ job to capitalize on the hard work everyone else does
during the course of a game.
15: Fullback (very good foot, able to read game- good at counterattacking)-
The fullback is the last line of defense and must be an attacking
threat as well.
The backline puts its strength on the larger side of the field from where the
breakdown is (STRONG SIDE). The other side is logically referred to as the WEAK
SIDE. The wings remain on the same side of the field and thus play both weak
and strong. If the ball is in the middle the backs can split.
Rookie Primer
|
