I have an opinion that there are three important positions on a rugby field, tight head prop, scrumhalf and fly half.
If you have these three good players you can build a rugby team around them.
Having watched, coached and played for over 40 + years, I have long been mystified why a great percentages of coaches play their very gifted scrumhalf in a multitude of other positions than where they are most suited at scrumhalf.
These coaches instead play a lesser gifted player in this position, therefore lessening the value of the position. I’ve watched club rugby and Super Rugby over the years and I see this on many occasions.
In my opinion the role of a scrumhalf is to commence the play at each breakdown or set piece, to deliver fast efficient ball to his runners, be it backs or forwards. The scrumhalf is vital to the direction of the play also the speed of the play.
But on so many teams I see a scrumhalf that has slow service, a loopy pass, slow to get to the ruck and slow around the park, all the exact opposite for what is required as a scrumhalf.
Most genuine scrumhalves are very gifted in a lot of areas within the game.
They can pass either right or left, usually they are quite fast across the ground, they can kick very well, most times of both feet either for touch or goal kick, are very good defensively.
They also must have that vital ingredient “vision”.
Coaches see these admirable traits and seem to be blinded to the fact that these gifted players should be playing at scrumhalf and proceed to play them at fullback or centre or wing, anywhere but the position that they are most suited.
Watching club rugby on the weekend, I first saw a Colts grade where the captain was a excellent scrumhalf with all these above qualities.
However, he was played in four positions other than scrumhalf in the one game. He was filling up holes in the defensive line while the team really struggled with slow service and poor defence from the player that the coaches put at scrumhalf. T
he problems of direction and defence were only exacerbated the more times the coaches shifted the captain around the field to plug the defensive holes.
Then straight after this, I watched first grade and the same thing happened. Because of injury in the forwards, the incumbent scrumhalf played on the side to the scrum and then at number eight.
A far inferior player was preferred in the position of scrum half. This lead to the side getting slow service from the ruck and the side’s performance suffered enormously.
Even when the Colts Captain who I referred to earlier came onto the field in the second half he was placed at fullback which then negated his skills to an extent.
The team suffered by taking their main playmakers out of contention in the play.
I also see this at Super level. Nick Frisby is supposed to be the Queensland Reds reserve scrumhalf, but plays at fullback for his club.
By the time he gets a run at scrumhalf in the Queensland Reds team, his skills are not what they should be because he doesn’t get to hone them at club level.
An example of this was in the last couple of games the Reds played Frisby, he was at times quite good but his passing was not snappy and his options at times were not quite right.
This is an example of being a bit rusty in my opinion.
If he had been playing consistently at scrumhalf he would have made a better fist of his opportunity.
I have also seen where some scrumhalves have been converted to other positions through their need to get to the top. Some examples are in the Welsh side.
Leigh Halfpenny commenced as a half back converted to fullback, Shane Williams was another, converted to winger.
While this has happened on a few occasions and has been quite warranted it doesn’t always mean that because a player is great in a position he will automatically be good in another.
In my opinion coaches in general think that the scrumhalf’s job is to just get the ball out to the fly half and he will make the play, but what they miss is that play cannot commence until the scrumhalf says it can.
He controls the direction and speed of play.
A good scrumhalf can make or break a team.
I just cannot understand why a lot of coaches trivialise the position and do not see the importance of what a good scrumhalf does for a team.
Double Agent
Guest
I don't see anything wrong with a halfback standing in the defensive line. Presumably if they are defending his passing from the back of a ruck is not required anyway. Can't stand feeble halfs that spend the game hiding behind their forwards terrified of contact.
Rassie
Roar Rookie
Hougaardt is a wing.
Rassie
Roar Rookie
Agree but the best at I want to mess with positions are the blokes coaching the Bulls Spies from wing to kakkest 8th man in history Pollard match winner 10 to a useless 12 CJ Stander great flanker to hooker almost luckily he fled JJ Engelbrecht from wing to center Hougaardt from wing to 9 Some others Percy Montgomery from fullback to the worst center in Tri nations history Willie Le Roux from flyhalf to wing to fulback - disaster or not. Time will tell Worst positional move in my book ever after Spies was Cullan from fullback to center
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Just to add to that, Wilkinson played wing and 13 in his first Test season (the 99 5N, I believe).
Bakkies
Guest
There are teams that like squeeze their best players in to a team, quiet often the Bulls have played Francois Hougaard on the wing so he can get on to the field. Ruan Pienaar played some of his early caps on the wing or at fullback. The Boks wanted to give him a run but had Fourie du Preez as starting scrum half. Pienaar was talented enough to make the Boks that was the only way of fitting him in. There are teams that use the 9 as a play maker and have a limited player at flyhalf. It has worked when you have a talented 9 like du Preez but the theory has holes with a lesser light in the spot.
Bakkies
Guest
At the professional level some coaches think it's the best way for a young 10 to ease his way in to a team. Didn't do Dan Carter and Jonny Wilkinson any harm.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
You are correct about Shane Williams, but not about Halfpenny as far as I'm aware. It's not that widespread tbh given how much it happens with other positions. IMHO a lot of modern 9s are technically very poor (Luke Burgess, Mike Phillips, Ben Foden, Francois Hougaard) but they have other strengths, so it's about bringing them into the game somewhere. I recall commenting a few years ago that I thought Luke Burgess could be converted to 15 because of his breaking ability. Look how Ben Foden's conversion went, for example. Conversely, then you have players at 9 who have the technical skills but also the spatial awareness, kicking game and vision to be able to play 10 - Pienaar, Weepu, Fotuali'i, Laidlaw and a number of French 9s. Sometimes it's a real fillip to have that flexibility on the field.
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Fiji blessed with 2 great scrumhalves (Kenatale is the other one, its a shame he was ignored by the Highlanders for a japanese player), but we would kill to get our hands on a flyhalf.....we can't be too dependent on Bai (who is now 35)...so anyone with a fijian background, the coach is looking for a 10 :D stop dreaming about being a wallaby..be a flying fijian instead :D
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
I also note that most agree with my sentiments so I am quite frustrated that most coaches don't see this
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Nick, That was my son and Pen I agree with your post.
Pen
Guest
Matawalu certainly has been impressive this year, he has an amazing ability to read the game, especially the opposition opening and great acceleration. He is in the mold of many a scrum half, not that large compared with his team mates. And I might add that it is often that consideration of size that allows for a player of ability to be ear-marked as a scrum-half rather than playing other positions where he might have something to offer. We all too readily, as do coaches, fall into a reverse error to that suggested by Gary -the inability to see other potential. Shane Williams moved to the wing just because his acceleration could find the room he craved to display his ability to attack any weakness wherever it appeared, rather than looking for the pass to the fly half. He was feared exactly because he was a roving free agent who caused tremendous uncertainty for defences and Halfpenny has been a full-back/wing for longer than he's been a half back (excelling as a long-range kicker long before he came under Neil Jenkins) and yet again we see how the smaller player not only fills the role but creates again the same element of uncertainty. I need hardly remind anyone of how Jason Robinson excelled in the roving full back role. I fear what this article highlights is the tendency in rugby to redundant stereotypes mirroring the uncertainty principle where we look like league to having everyone do the same things - a sort of homogenous uniformity of ability and performance. Long may the little (littler) man find his own niche.
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Fiji have 2 good halfbacks who need to be on the field all the time but by law thats not allowed, so we have converted one of our halfbacks to a fullback and he is regarded as one of the best halfbacks around but his utility value allows him to play on the wing and fullback..even though he is much more dangerous at 9...I'm talking about the best 9 in the Pro12 this season, Nikola Matawalu.
Harry
Guest
Bad at halfback, worse is the Australian habit of converting loose forwards to props, particularly tighthead props ... encouraged by the limitations on scrummaging at schoolboy and colts level (is this still the case at Colts level?).
Sam
Guest
A very well considered article. I think Richard Kingi is a perfect example of this. Great game smarts, vision, always seems to have time. Quick to break down and a deft passing game yet consigned to fullback. Finally got a run at fullback where his talents are wasted.
Nick Turnbull
Roar Guru
Was there a Russell-Sharam playing reserve grade for Wests or GPS the other week?
Steve
Guest
I agree but my biggest gripe is coaches who play fly halves at 12.
Mike
Guest
Hi GRS, thanks for a thoughtful and balanced article. Also good to see something about one of the positions that usually doesn't get much attention in Australia.