Right, I'm getting back into playing rugby after a 20 or so year absence. I've got my head around tackling again (by far my favourite part of the game) but my positioning is awful. I try and get myself to the breakdowns as fast as possible but frankly I'm too old and knackered to ball-chase for 80 minutes. When I see a ruck which, say for example, our team has won, where do I stand? I don't want to get in the way of the backs getting the ball but I also want to be in with a shout of actually getting the ball myself to try and smash through the opposition. I've looked for tips on the internet and on youtube clips but can't quite get my head around where I need to be when we have won a ruck and setting up a new phase. Is there a simple rule of thumb I can follow until I get more experienced?
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2nd row position around rucks
- Thread starter Kathan
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Try stand flatter to the line, and have others with youin support. That way you can provide an option for your fly half, and commit the opposition to marking you, while the 10 also has the options behind you.
If you are not of use in that current phase then you need to look and see where the ball is going and either be on the shoulder of a back (to support him) or calling at him for a pop and run a line off him.
The biggest thing I see players struggle with who haven't played in a while is positioning in general play.
I'd suggest going to a few games and picking a lock and just watching what they do the whole game. Will give you a bit of an idea.
The biggest thing I see players struggle with who haven't played in a while is positioning in general play.
I'd suggest going to a few games and picking a lock and just watching what they do the whole game. Will give you a bit of an idea.
I'm not a forward, but what I've noticed about a lot of those who are still good intelligent rugby players but a little "less mobile" (read: old and/or fat) is they have a knack for being in the right place. Essentially this means they are not trying to get to every ruck or even every second ruck but are reading the play and have predicted accurately where play will be by the third/fourth/fifth ruck. At amateur level structure has often broken down by this point, so one canny old campaigner might be the only forward there, either securing ball which might otherwise be lost, or competing to win ball against backs who don't know how to protect it.
A shorter way of putting it - ball flies through backs' hands to one wing; everyone follows except canny old fella; ball flies back to other wing; canny old fella is in the right place after a good rest; everyone else is in the wrong place and knackered. Guess who's winning
A shorter way of putting it - ball flies through backs' hands to one wing; everyone follows except canny old fella; ball flies back to other wing; canny old fella is in the right place after a good rest; everyone else is in the wrong place and knackered. Guess who's winning
Does your club have any sort of game plan for this situation? My club wants spare forwards to by and large get on the fly-half's inside shoulder, but any back's shoulder does, assuming there's not a call for pick and drives/short balls.
In general though, either standing flat in front of the 10 or on a back's shoulder is the best place to be.
In general though, either standing flat in front of the 10 or on a back's shoulder is the best place to be.
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I'd say you need to think about two main things.
1) Is it quick ball or slow ball? If it's the former then get on a back's shoulder and be ready for a pop pass/offload or to support them if they take it in to contact. If it's the latter, stand flat (preferably with another forward in support) and truck it up. You probably won't make much ground but you'll keep the defence occupied and make more time/space for your backs. You're probably taking the pass of the 9 on a flat play rather than the 10.
2) It depends where the ruck is on the pitch. Similar to the above. If it's a defensive ruck in your 22, you're probably better off standing flat - either to take a pass off the 9 for a short play to keep their defence occupied and set-up field position for a better exit strategy or as a decoy to keep their defence interested enough to give your 9/10 time to clear. If you're further up the pitch, get on the shoulder of the backs and look to get involved!
1) Is it quick ball or slow ball? If it's the former then get on a back's shoulder and be ready for a pop pass/offload or to support them if they take it in to contact. If it's the latter, stand flat (preferably with another forward in support) and truck it up. You probably won't make much ground but you'll keep the defence occupied and make more time/space for your backs. You're probably taking the pass of the 9 on a flat play rather than the 10.
2) It depends where the ruck is on the pitch. Similar to the above. If it's a defensive ruck in your 22, you're probably better off standing flat - either to take a pass off the 9 for a short play to keep their defence occupied and set-up field position for a better exit strategy or as a decoy to keep their defence interested enough to give your 9/10 time to clear. If you're further up the pitch, get on the shoulder of the backs and look to get involved!
Five Meters Out
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Well out of the way, you big boofa.
