Usa Tomahawks (Note: This Thread Is About Rubgy, Not Team Name Change) Met

[Englands Team]

I have two sporting loves, Football, not soccer and Rugby League. Its currently the rugby league world cup over here and the USA are the surprise package of the tournament.

 

They are likely to qualify for the quarter finals and play the tournament favourites Australia.

 

Jusy thought it may interest one or two of you. Its also a topical nickname in these times.

 

http://www.rlwc2013.com/

 

#httr

[pointyfootball]

I have two sporting loves, Football, not soccer and Rugby League. Its currently the rugby league world cup over here and the USA are the surprise package of the tournament.

 

They are likely to qualify for the quarter finals and play the tournament favourites Australia.

 

Jusy thought it may interest one or two of you. Its also a topical nickname in these times.

 

http://www.rlwc2013.com/

 

#httr

I, too, love rugby.  Played it (probably poorly) after college for about 10 years.  IMO, a much better sport than our football to both play, and watch due to it's non-stop action and ability for anyone to score.  Easy rules to understand as well, especially when compared to NFL.

 

'Roos look good this year, so would be tough for US to get by them.

[Elessar78]

I used to get Setanta on DTV. Someone explain to me the rules and tactical nitty gritty. I enjoy watching it and want to understand it better. 

 

How is a player running with the ball "stopped"? Is he considered down, like in pointy football, when knee/elbow touches the ground? But then he can roll it back to a teammate? How does possession change?

[pointyfootball]

Rugby is about possession, not about distance, when it comes to runner except for when he's trying to score a try (touchdown in NFL).  When a runner gets tackled and taken to the ground, he is supposed to immediately release the ball (immediately is relative).  His teammates come protect him by forming what is called a "Ruck", where at least 1 player from each team meets over the player on ground and tries to drive them over the ball.  The attacking team holds the the defenders off, the scrum half comes in and passes the ball out again, and we're off.  A maul is where the ball carrier is held up and doesn't go to ground.

 

Unlike NFL football, if you get tackled out-of-bounds (in touch) you lose the ball and the other team gets to do a line out (throw in).

 

Offside is similar to soccer, in that everyone must be behind the ball, or at least not actively participating in play.

 

Possession changes by a defending team winning a maul/ruck, intercepting pass, running to touch, attacking team knocking the ball on (fumbling forward), or another foul where the referee awards the ball to the other team.

 

Things I also love about rugby:

* Having to touch down the ball in the try zone.

* the kick for 2 points after the try occurs at a spot straight out from where the ball was touched down, hence the desire to try and center the ball when scoring.

* Line outs

* Grubber kicks (which I could never do).

[Elessar78]

okay, just looked up Rugby ruck. It looks like just a mass of bodies. Which player are they trying to protect and how are they protecting him? It looks like a fumble and a pile of bodies?

 

Line outs are when they hoist a guy up in the air, right? 

 

Can you create turnovers? Like by ripping the ball out of the ball carrier's arms? 

[pointyfootball]

okay, just looked up Rugby ruck. It looks like just a mass of bodies. Which player are they trying to protect and how are they protecting him? It looks like a fumble and a pile of bodies?

 

Line outs are when they hoist a guy up in the air, right? 

 

Can you create turnovers? Like by ripping the ball out of the ball carrier's arms? 

 

Ruck is different from a scrum which is 8 manly men for each team trying to compress the spine of the hooker.  THe ruck is protecting the attacker that was tackled, who should always go down in such a way that he is facing his team and can place the ball so they can get it.  Attacking teammates protect the player/ball by stepping over player with one foot and driving defenders off, or holding the line.  If a tackler can tackle the player, stay on his feet and pick the ball up, that is a turnover.  That's why the attacking team always has support behind the ball, in case a player gets tackled they can clean it up, pitch the ball out and go again.  A ruck is not a fumble, b/c the ball carrier has to place the ball on the ground when he goes to the ground or else he can be called for a penalty or worse, get raked (with cleats).

 

Line outs - correct.

 

Yes you can create turnovers, by tackling a player trying to pitch the ball, stripping it if possible, winning a defensive ruck, intercepting a poor pass, etc.

[Predicto]

This old hooker approves.   Such a fun sport to play.  

[pointyfootball]

This old hooker approves.   Such a fun sport to play.  

 

Tape yer ears down.  My wife forbid me to play 1-5, not that I was big enough to do it.  Plus...didn't want to get my #13 jersey dirty!

 

 

[Predicto]

Tape yer ears down.  My wife forbid me to play 1-5, not that I was big enough to do it.  Plus...didn't want to get my #13 jersey dirty!

 

 

 

 

Hooker isn't big like the props and locks.  More like a Master to their Blaster (Thunderdome reference).

 

My teams probably wished that my wife would have forbidden me to play hooker (or even play at all) because I wasn't very good.   But I was too slow for the backs and too small for the props and locks, and not skilled enough to play scrum half or 8.  The only real requirement for hooker is that you be willing to suffer being smashed into in the middle of that mess.   That was the one thing I had the ability to do.   

[pointyfootball]

Hooker isn't big like the props and locks.  More like a Master to their Blaster (Thunderdome reference).

 

My teams probably wished that my wife would have forbidden me to play hooker (or even play at all) because I wasn't very good.   But I was too slow for the backs and too small for the props and locks, and not skilled enough to play scrum half or 8.  The only real requirement for hooker is that you be willing to suffer being smashed into in the middle of that mess.   That was the one thing I had the ability to do.  

 

True...most hookers I knew were like 5-7, 180# and played drunk, or didn't care about their bodies at all.

 

As I got older and speed was reduced I moved from outcenter to scrum half which I loved.

[Elessar78]

I google "rugby ruck" and here is an some image that came back:

 

 

is this a ruck or  a scrum? Which player is the Pop and Locker?

[pointyfootball]

A ruck. Notice the black jersey player placing the ball as his teammates "clean up" the ruck.  The guy with his hand in the air is the tackler and is telling the ref:  "I'm not doing anything, I just can't get up and get out of the way".  Notice how the attackign team is in position to protect their player & the ball and the defending team will never be able to drive them over the ball as they're too late to get there.  If they were to send guys in to try and ruck over, the black team scrum half (equivalent of center) would pitch the ball out and beat them with numbers.

 

The goal is for the black team to always have 1-2 players behind the person with the ball, who can then either pitch to them, or if they are being tackled, those support players (doesn't matter what position it is) can ruck over the ball and keep possession.  Everyone passes, runs w/ ball, tackles, rucks, mauls and about 1/2 also kick on occasion.  Kind of like soccer in that everyone has to attack and defend, although different overall resonsibilities.

 

 

 

Can't tell what positions those guys play for sure, although normally numbers mean an assigned position, but once play is going on, anyone can ruck, and should!  I'm assuming the guy with the two on his jersey is the "in-center", a back (much reviled by the guys who play in the pack, or scrum).

 

Props (not pop) are normally numbers 1 & 3 on jerseys, and in my experience the two most important players on a rugby team (kind of like LT & DE).  Locks normally wear # 4 or 5, and a lot of the time are big/tall guys.

 

This is a scrum.  Good pic, although hard to see #s of front row players (1-3).  #9 is scrum half who is responsible for rolling ball down tunnel to his hooker, who "hooks" ball with his feet and the pack passes it back with their feet while preventing 1-ton of men from the other team from driving over the ball.  #8 (normally) stops ball with his foot and holds, while shielding his scrumhalf from other team's scrumhalf.  The ball is the offside line, so opposing SH can't go around 8-man or SH to pick it up, unless it is kicked out the back of the pack.  SH picks ball up quickly (can get tackled as soon as he touches) and pitches out to his backs (us pretty boys) and the game resumes full-field.

 

Scrums are when the backs (#s 9-15) feel crappy, as they're just standing around waiting for the ball to come out, while guys are having their spines compressed.  If the score, all is ok, if the knock the ball on and lose possession, the heavies are not happy.

 

[Predicto]

my neck hurts again just looking at that picture