Rugby, unlike most sports, requires each player to master all of the
common skills of the game: in any given game, every player will have a go at
running,passing, tackling, rucking, and mauling. However, the game also requires
players to develop specialized skills. Broadly speaking, the team is
divided into forwards and backs. The central responsibilities of the forwards
are 1)to gain possession of the ball through set pieces (line-outs and scrums)
and 2) to retain possession of the ball in open play through support play
(rucking and mauling). Meanwhile, the central responsibilities of the backs are:
1) to advance the ball downfield tactically, through running, passing, and
kicking; and 2) to defend the large open spaces on the field to the rear of the
forward Line. Generally, forwards are larger, stronger, and have a nose for hard
play,while backs are smaller, faster, and handier with the ball.
Nevertheless, itmust be stressed that all players should be able to handle all of the
general skills. The specialized skills in rugby thus develop from the specific
goals of each position. The following will introduce the players by number,
advancing from the props, through the pack, into the backline through
the half-backs, culminating in the fullback.
Props
#1, 3: As the anchor of the forward pack, the props insure the stability
ofthe scrum. These players usually have well-developed arm and shoulder
strength and a wrestler�s sense of physical manipulation. Head to head with their
opposition in the scrum, the props engage in tactical pushing, pulling
anddriving to advance their own scrum and destabilize the opposite scrum.
In the line-outs, they often lift the jumper, as their strength insures a
maximum of height gained. In open play, they will often be found running off the
sides of rucks and mauls in the third or fourth phase of play. The props are
split between tight-head and loose-head, with the tight-head bound into the
scrum and the loose-head with his head outside the scrum, insuring a faster
exit from the scrum. --Ollie Le Roux (South Africa), Enrique Grau (Argentina), Os du Randt
(S.A.)
Hooker
#2: The hooker is perhaps the most specialized player on the field.
Often smaller than his front-row compatriots, the hooker nonetheless must be a
tough, strong player. His name derives from the hooking motion he uses
tostrike the ball back when the ball is placed into his scrum. He is
suspended in the front row and needs extreme flexibility to insure his ability to
reach in the tunnel to strike the ball. He is usually the last player out of
the scrum, but a crafty hooker, of which there are many, will be found
lingering in the open field during open play and will often score tries in later
phases of play. In the line-out, the hooker usually throws the ball in, as
well, and must have developed the ball skills necessary to insure accurate throws,
even if his hands are too small.
--Keith Wood (Ireland), Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
Locks
#4, 5: The second rowers, also known as locks, form the bridge of the
scrum, insuring its stability. The term lock derives from the way in which
second row players lock their legs out to insure the scrum will no longer be
pushed. These players need great leg strength and perfect technique in order to
maximize the driving force of the scrum. They are usually tall, as well,
as a tall player maximizes the scrum distance, and thus creates a space for
the attacking team. The locks are often the jumpers in the line0out, and
will thus be expected to have solid and reliable hands. Because of these goods
hands, they can often be a tremendous asset in open play, forming a crucial
link in later phases.
--Kevin Eales (Australia), Martin Johnson (England),
