Rucks
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Introduction
The Runner carries the ball into the tackle. The Tackler Is the first person to tackle him, must roll away when he brings the runner to the ground by gogin off his own feet. The Fetcher is the third player to arrive at the ball. The Cleaner is the next opposite side man to get there to stop him.
It is really frustrating watching week after week as NZ teams dominate their opponents in the ruck. After the tackle this is the most numerous activity that any player gets involved in and yet we leave this technique as is it some God given gift. No - you can practice this.
The idea of "pulling" people away from the Ruck was first introduced to me by Doug Mclymont of Canterbury Tech.
Winning the Gain Line
While the gain line is generally won or lost before the ruck (when the ball gets to the ground), there is still another meter or two in it.
Good ; Get ovver the ball and take the contact over the gain line.
Bad : Stoop doan and try to pick up the ball ensuring that the gains lein os at the ball or worse.
With 150 + rucks in a game there is 300 Meters or approximately 20 points available o the team that dominates this process.
Turnovers
Hard tackles are primary to turnovers. An Ideal tackle hits the runner so hard that for a short moment the world goes black or he sees star and he forgets to hold onto the ball.
The bad tackle lets him land softly and place or off load the ball. The Ruck then starts to take precedent. The 3rd man to arrive The Fetcher, and the next opposite man after that are crucial to the retention or turnover.
There are very few turnovers of not made by the tackler, the fetcher or the cleaner.
Bad posture
You will see this bad posture even in top international fetchers Pat Sanderson, Schalk Burger. You don't easily see it in McCaw or Hayman.
The Fetcher (Light red) is coming through Springbok style
- Back concave - weak.
- Head Down looking for the ball and not focusing on the man
- Leaning with his left Elbow on the Tackled player, because he can't even balance in his own feet.
Now the Cleaner (Maroon)
- Makes the mistake of trying to push him back off the ball. In the this position push as much as you like, even from his paffy weak position the Fetcher has won. The ref will soon be shouting "Hands off Maroon".
- Makes the huge mistake of Not using his left arm to grab the left shoulder of the Fetcher and rip him over the ball, leaving a vacuum for the Cleaner to step into and create the turnover.
Fetcher (no 7 in dark Blue)
- Head down, Back Bent weak, gets his arm tangled up
The Cleaner (Baldy) should be grabbing the Fetcher with his left hand onto the fethcers left shoulder and ripping him away from the ball.
Here is the "blind school". Fetcher (green stripes) shows all the weaknesses.
Cleaner should hit out at the Fetchers left hip (Marked "O") and knock him off the ball. This never enters the cleaners mind because his head is down
HEAD UP AND HIT!
Correct way - Fetcher
The absolute ideal position for the Fetcher is :
- Head Up, play the man and not the ball
- Try to keep the Feet Free and moving
- Step over the ball, leave picking it up to the Scrumhalf
- Grab the Cleaner and use him as a Shield to those that come next.
- Have the hands up and ready to use Offense Blocks on the first Cleaner
From the low position use the 3 Point Stance
- Head up
- Back Straight
- Keep one hand up and ready to engage
- Use your hands to keep the Cleaner away from you
If you do have to go down over the ball
- Use the 4 point stance from Goal Line Defense
- Hands are lightly placed on the ground
Correct Way Cleaner
- Keep your head up and play the Fetcher
- First choices is to knock him back off the ball
- Use one of the Offense Blocks.
- Play the man and not the ball.
Once you have really lost the battle and the Jam, Club, Scoop, Bull will not work for you, use the Pull to pull him towards you.
TRAIN YOUR DEADLIFTS OTHERWISE NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE!
