Centre arriving at tackle / loose ball before flankers

[TDeg]

Hello and thanks for looking at this post.

As a centre, I'm expected to play centre and be in position. However in a team I have recently joined, I am often at the scene of a tackle or loose ball sooner than the flankers, if the tackle or loose ball has happened just that bit closer to me. I can also be there sooner than the scrum half sometimes.

In practices, my team mate has been tackled and both he and the opponent are on the ground when I arrive at the ball, and no one else is there, neither attacker or defender. So there is the ball.

What are the options for me as centre in this circumstance. Most often I act as scrum half ie collecting the ball and passing it out to the backs, at which time the scrum half as assumed another backs position for that phase.

A forward has suggested I form a ruck, but there's no opponent there to bind on to, so when I did that I was just standing there which obvioulsy is not going to be the way to go.

Thanks for looking at this post.

 

[big ginger 8]

Take the ball yourself are stay in position and wait for it to be passed out.

 

[Nielsch]

Take the ball yourself, run, offload to your wing and support him on his way to the try line.

Take the ball yourself, run, crash into whoever is awaiting you and go for the ruck. Forwards will have to play the next phase so you can get back into position.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Matches are usually different to practices. There, the opposition will challenge for posession much faster. Rule of thumb is, if you passed the ball to the tackled player, you have to be the first support, so either join the ruck or take the ball if it is available. If the tackled player is inside you (i.e. you're playing 13 and no. 12 was tackled), then you should move open to be the FH's first passing option when continuing play on the same side.

 

[Feicarsinn]

If this is happening regularly I'd advise you to work heavily on you passing game. So many teams (even up to international level) suffer horribly from slow ball as the first players arriving at a ruck aren't good enough passers to fire the ball out to the back line at quality. No harm in having a second scrum half on the pitch in my books.

 

[TDeg]

Thank you big ginger 8, Nielsch, Ze Frenchy, and TRF Feicarsinn for your replies. All helpful thank you.