Scrum Half
#9: The scrum-half acts on a split-personality: on the one hand, he
leads the pack and busies himself insuring the continuity and control of the
forward game; on the other hand, he participates in back line play as an
attacking runner. Above all else, he forms the crucial link between the scrum and
the backs by delivering consistent and well-ordered ball to his fly-half for
attack. The scrum half should have strong leadership skills, feeling
confident directing the large pack players around rucks and mauls, although he is
also often a smaller player who is close to the ground and can thus deliver
quick and efficient passes from a scrum or ruck. The scrumhalf should have the
best pass on the team: it should be fast, accurate, and flat, in order to
insure that the ball arrives at the flyhalf with enough time for him to set up
an attack. The scrumhalf will often be a darting runner with a good
sidestep who can throw off defenses at the gain-line and keep the defensive back row
engaged. He will often have a crafty kick or two in his arsenal, sending
pop kicks to the space behind the scrum or laying down a grub-kick to be
chased by his back row. He will often be a tenacious defender, as well, capable of
harassing his opposition into miscues. --Robert Howley (Wales), Joost Vander Westhasen (S.A.), Sid Going
(N.Z.)
Fly Half
#10: The fly-half is the brain of the backline, responsible for
directing the offensive attack and insuring the flow of the game and the ball to the
players most qualified to advance the team�s cause. Fly-halves are often derided
for their poor defense, and often compensated for in defense by back row players
who take out his opposition. But this lack of defensive skill is more
than compensated for in the good fly-half by invaluable technical skills that
put points on the board and win games. Fly-halves traditionally are the best
kickers on the team, as they are charged with doing a lot of tactical
kicking, probing the space behind the opposition defense for any space. They also
need an excellent pass and a keen sense of timing with it, as they will
frequently be the one to distribute the ball to a player running into a hole. A
good fly-half will be a creative strategist, looking for ways to set up the
opposition defense by plays and movements that will baffle, overwhelm,
or otherwise bemuse them. He will pay close attention to field position and
insure that the team�s overall strengths are being augmented, and
weaknesses being protected.
--Gregor Townsend (Scotland), Neil Jenkins (Wales), Stephen Larkham
(Austr.)
Phillippe Castenede (France)
