It's time to stop protecting rugby's most sheltered position
By Paul Dobson
Change the laws and you change the game. Add in ways of playing that are not laws and you have, perhaps, set the game on an unhappy road.
And this may be the case with altered laws to make a scrum-half’s life easier.
In the beginning it was not so, not easy at all.
When the game moved from hill and dale and from the streets of a town to the playing fields of great schools, it achieved a measure of control and even laws to regulate the way the game could be played.
The laws were important, for they determined what sort of game it was. Tiddlywinks and rugby differ because the laws/rules of the games differ.
Continue reading below…
When the game got to schools its aim (goal) changed. Instead of taking the game’s prize (later a ball) back to the leader’s house, it was taken forward to the opponents’ house. It was a game that took the ball forward – a game for forwards. But as they marched forward they left a player back at the home goal to guard it. He was the whole way back, fully back, the full-back. They filled the space, growing with the forward advance, with two players who were half-way back, the half-backs whose main task was to fall on the ball if the opponents broke back. For their trouble they risked been manhandled, especially by flaying boots.
Then there were players three-quarter way back, the three quarters, and the game developed.
Into the 20th century, the two half-backs would take turns to be close to the forwards or away from them. Then along came the famous Harlequin, Adrian Stoop, and he developed different responsibilities for each half, one called the scrum-half, who was close to the forwards, and the other further away, called sometimes the out-half or stand-off half or fly-half or, in New Zealand, the 1st five-eighth from the fraction between a half and a three-quarter.
The post-Stoop scrum-half was to be a link between forwards and backs. In essence it was to take the precious ball which the forwards won and give it to the fly-half. This he did under great pressure from the opposing forwards. It took great skill and courage to be a scrumhalf.
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A lawyer in the Boland town of Moorreesburg developed the dive pass to get the ball and his passing actions safely away from the forwards while being able to look at and concentrate on the fly-half. The lawyer’s name was Freddie Luyt. The man who developed the dive pass and made it famous was Danie Craven.
It had its place in the game though it was criticised for taking the scrum-half off his feet and out of the game. That meant that there was a place for the standing pass. But the standing pass rendered the scrum-half more exposed to opposing marauders, and so changes were made to the law to create greater space and security for the scrum-half. What he did for himself now became the law’s responsibility.
The scrumhalf was vulnerable for years because there was no offside line at the ruck. In fact there was nothing defined as or regulated as a ruck.
It is not till 1964 that the ruck came into the laws and then it was called the loose scrum. And in that loose scrum, the ball was the offside line. Which meant that opponents intent on laying waste the scrum-half could advance on him as the ball moved backwards towards him.
Then it got its own name from ancient Norsemen – a ruck, a jumble of players fighting for the ball. And inevitably this new concept got laws and an increasingly important place in rugby football. A wise old priest who coached rugby at Blackrock College in Dublin, Father Anthony Hampson, once proclaimed: “After the grace of God, the most important thing in life is quick ball from a ruck.”
Then along came changes that sought to protect the scrum-half, but which gave birth to the deliberately slow ruck, the scrum-half standing rolling the ball under the sole of a boot, the scrum-half with hands on the ball and foot back for as he prepares to kick. There is even a bit of non-law that is applied – that the ruck is not over even if the scrum-half has hands on the ball until the scrum-half lifts the ball.
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The dive pass is rarely used nowadays when the scrum-half has greater protection. No longer is the ball the offside line.
Now passing the ball as accurately as possible – in front and at waist high – is no longer the scrum-half’s prime responsibility. He came to be praised and received awards for kicking, running and tackling whether or not he could pass the ball quickly and accurately. The laws now give him room to pick the ball up and take paces before shovelling the ball at some targeted player, cutting down the space to potential creators of opportunities and leaving them vulnerable to rush defence.
But instead of creating more space for a more creative game, it may well have dumbed the game down to predictable repetition and tedium. The statistic of more ball in play may be a misleading one. Phases are counted but in effect they are often the same phases repeated, sometimes more than 15 times in one sequence.
Look at the World Cup Final, arguably the top match of four years of rugby.
The ball came back to the scrum-halves something like 137 times. The scrum-halves kicked 16 times – that new rugby phenomenon the box-kick, aided and abetted by restricting the mark/fair catch to within the defenders 22. Each scrum-half ran with the ball twice. They passed it 119 times – 62 times to a forward, 34 times to the fly-half and 23 times to another back. More than half the passes were to a forward.
It may well not have been what law-makers intended or wanted. It may well be an example of the law of unintended consequences.
It may just be a better idea to suggest that the ruck is over when the scrum-half plays the ball, i.e. touches it by hand or foot.
It may even be enough to apply an existing law.
Law 15 DURING A RUCK
11. Once a ruck has formed, no player may handle the ball unless they were able to get their hands on the ball before the ruck formed and stay on their feet.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Forget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
21 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
14 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
14 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
21 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
21 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
14 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
21 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
14 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
14 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
1 Go to commentsWhat a difference Rodda and Carter made. Rodda has been out for ages but he is really the only world class lock in Australian rugby. Him, Carter and Beale made a huge difference on the weekend. If only they had a few decent props they’d be a much more dangerous team. Hamish Stewart was excellent last week as well. His carrying has improved significantly and has to be next in line after Paisami at 12 for the Wallabies. He’ll benefit hugely with Beale at fullback, there’s just no better communicator in Australian rugby than him and his experience will make a huge difference for the Force. No one sees space like Beale and he’s still sharp. I can see Force making a late charge into the top 8 if they can get some consistency.
2 Go to commentsRodda will be a walk up starter at lock. Frost if you analyse his dominance has little impact and he’s a long way from being physical enough, especially when you compare to Rodda and the work he does. He was quite poor at the World Cup in his lack of physicality. Between Rodda and Skelton we would have locks who can dominate the breakdown and in contact. Frost is maybe next but Schmidt might go for a more physical lock who does their core work better like Ryan or LSL. Swain is no chance unless there’s a load of injuries. Pollard hasn’t got the scrum ability yet to be considered. Nasser dominated him when they went toe to toe and really showed him up. Picking Skelton effects who can play 6 and 8. Ideally Valetini would play 6 as that’s his best position and Wilson at 8 but that’s not ideal for lineout success. Cale isn’t physical enough yet in contact and defence but is the best backrow lineout jumper followed by Wright, Hanigan and Swinton so unfortunately Valetini probably will start at 8 with Wright or Hanigan at 6. Wilson on the bench, he’s got too much quality not to be in the squad. Paisami is leading the way at 12 but Hamish Stewart is playing extremely well also and his ball carrying has improved significantly. Beale is also another option based on the weekend. Beale is class but he’s also the best communicator of any Australian backline player and that can’t be underestimated, he’ll be in the mix.
8 Go to commentsWhy do people keep on picking Ardie at 7 when he's a ball in hand 8? A modern 7 is the lead tackler and ruck clearer which isn't his strength.
21 Go to commentsSly dig there at Ireland’s propensity to back a non-Irish coach. Must really want it. I’m not sure I like ROG very much. Comes off as unpleasant. But he’d gain my respect if he took a number 7 ranked team and turned them into WC winners. Not even back-to-back. Argentina? Scotland? Or how about Wales? France would be too easy, no?
1 Go to comments