Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett says the Bulls’ rolling maul is illegal, but the Hurricanes still need to shut it down if they want to win Saturday’s Super rugby clash in Napier.
“The rolling maul is completely illegal in terms of how it’s set up,” Hammett said.
“I’ve talked to refs numerous times, and numerous coaches have done as well, but it’s something they’re not prepared to change.”
Hammett’s issue isn’t with the maul itself, but with players continuously joining the maul in front of the ball carrier.
He says defending players aren’t allowed to enter from an offside position, whereas attacking players are.
“That’s a wide concern, not just ours,” he said.
Hammett says the Hurricanes’ best hopes of negating the rolling maul lie with limiting the Bulls’ opportunities to get one started.
“You need to stop it at the source – you’ve got to stop it before the train gets moving.”
In that respect, the return of loose forward Victor Vito couldn’t be better timed.
Vito and Brad Shields will make their first appearances of the Super Rugby season, with Vito at No.8 for Blade Thomson while Shields will be in the reserves, with both having recovered from knee injuries.
Shields’ return and Thomson’s inclusion on the bench means Ardie Savea drops out of the match-day squad.
The starting 15 for the clash at McLean Park also features the return of All Blacks winger Cory Jane.
Alapati Leiua, who scored a brilliant solo try on the wing in the 29-26 win over the Crusaders last Friday, moves to second five-eighth.
Leiua replaces Tim Bateman who injured a shoulder in the 29-26 win over the Crusaders.
In the front row, prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen, who suffered a head knock in the same match, is bracketed with John Schwalger.
The Bulls are coming off a 34-34 draw with defending champions the Chiefs last week, with lock and captain Flip van der Merwe back in action after a hamstring injury.
In other changes, Jacques Engelbrecht comes in at No.8, with Dewald Potgieter moving to the side of the scrum.
Hurricanes: Andre Taylor, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith (capt), Alapati Leiua, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Victor Vito, Jack Lam, Faifili Levave, James Broadhurst, Jeremy Thrush, Jeff Toomaga-Allen/John Schwalger, Dane Coles, Ben Franks. Reserves: Ash Dixon, Chris Eves, Schwalger/Reggie Goodes, Blade Thomson, Brad Shields, Billy Guyton, Hadleigh Parkes, Marty Banks.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Now that would be a distraction.
WEST
Roar Guru
Mark Hammett is expecting the use of the rolling maul. So he is just highlighting it for the refs to look harder at it. Maybe a bit of a mind game for the Bulls. To be careful of their tactics and the way the use it. I love the rolling maul. Maybe the IRB could change the way it is used by saying the ball carrier must be the spearhead at all times instead of transferring it through the players to the back and some players joining in front of the ball carrier are some areas that have to be observed more thoroughly. It's a great part of the game. It is a serious threat to the hurricanes and Hammett is putting some light on it.
Graeme Smith
Guest
Umm Radolph. Cough, cough, Spiros. Ok, so you've also never actually watched a game of rugby in your life. No worries. You have a potential future as a journalist. Quite a few of the ELV's were good ideas. The one that basically killed them all by association was the one where you could pull down a rolling maul. I don't think there is anyone in the world who hasn't hated the rolling maul. When the opposition is lined-out 5 meters out, it's more horrible than any zombie movie I've ever seen. To see the rolling maul, from the sidelines, you can't help but feel powerless, it seems inevitable, the try unavoidable. But then somehow, impossibly, someone in your team pulls it down. But the nightmare is not over. Probably the referees arm is already up for a penalty. They are free to throw the ball around and take the riskiest of options. And if they get it wrong... they will have another line out 5 meters... and the nightmare continues... I hate the rolling maul. May it live forever...
Digby
Roar Guru
Hmmmm, i guess it will be ok if it's fat free...
From what I have heard it is creamy. ;)
Digby
Roar Guru
I was curious as to why goats milk?
Gavin Melville
Roar Pro
Sounds like Mark Hammett is expecting a "Mauling" in more ways than one. Is he just trying to pre-influence the ref? (That's all the rage these days. There's a school of thought that Gareth Jenkins was "complained out" of the scrums during the recent 6N. "Sir, sir - #1's not playing properly, sir!") Refs are pretty hot on the warnings for the maul stopping moving, if the defence can get it to pause. Anyway, Hammett could always adopt this tactic from the recent Cardiff v Ulster game. Here's Cardiff's maul going so fast it looks like they've tripped over their own feet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26812298 Although the ref did give a pen.
Oh boy, didn't think of that, but then I have never heard of men bathing in milk :)
AndyS
Guest
See, that is the problem when it comes to the laws though - you have to be so specific. What gender were those virgins...?
AndyS
Guest
Hammett is not calling for the rolling maul to be outlawed, and I doubt anyone who seriously follows rugby is either. But I don't think it unreasonable to expect the laws applied and I don't think they are at the moment. As I read them there is only one definition of 'bound' in the laws, not separate definitions for mauls and scrums. Grasping means holding on with the hand and letting go means dropping the bind, simple as that - applies equally to someone in a maul as it does to a front rower. The ball can be passed back player to player in a maul, but if the ball carrier lets go his grasp he is unbound and the maul is over. If he rebinds it is truck-and-trailer. If the refs aren't going to apply the law, no problem; get rid of it. Better than than to call it inconsistently, just make sure the consequences are understood and acceptable. But right now I love to see but hate to watch the rolling mauls.
Rambo, I am not saying nobody can be in front of the ball carrier, what gives you that idea? I am talking about the initial contact point as the line out taker hits the ground.
a Hundred? Geez I wouldn't know where to look. ;)
Rambo
Guest
You're not called Charging Rhino for nothing! I completely agree with you, the maul to me is as beautiful as 100 naked virgins being bathed in goats milk.
Bakkies
Guest
Aussies also need to remember that Dwyer's Wallabies and Knuckles Reds were very good at the rolling maul. I am not sure why following coaches stopped using it. I think the more you use it the better you are defending it as you know what the attacking team is thinking. Since the Brumbies use it as a weapon the test side has got better at using it in attack and in defence. The Lions couldn't get it going which put more pressure on their lineout which was supposed to be a strength.
Rambo
Guest
The rolling maul cannot be out-lawed as many are calling. Because then the entire nature of rugby union will change. If you say that no one can be in front of the ball carrier, then set piece scrums are illegal, almost every ruck will be illegal for example. Rugby union is and should be a game about rewarding the team who goes forward.
Rambo
Guest
What I think make rugby union great is it is a complex game of many facets. As Ludeke says it's a game for all shapes and sizes. I personally find it much more interesting than rugby league which I think is one dimensional. The rolling maul is just one aspect of the game that makes it interesting. A coach needs to find a balance, and select the players that suit they way he wants to play. You need big strong men who can drive, push, lift and jump, and you need fleet footed men who can run and side-step for example. It's these mismatches that make the game interesting. These Kiwi and Aussies who always call for law amendments when they have a deficiency must be careful, rugby league with 15 players won't give them the exciting running rugby they are calling for. South African teams manage to counter each others maul effectively. A number of Australian teams use the maul effectively themselves, e.g. Brumbies & Warathas.
Well the theory is that the player that takes the ball in the line out makes contact with the defensive line of the opponent first(in other words there was no obstruction at the point of contact) the ball is then passed back to the last player (whilst everyone is bound) and therefor obstruction has never occurred.
Well the theory is that the player that takes the ball in the line out makes contact with the defensive line of the opponent first(in other words there was no obstruction at the point of contact) the ball is then passed back to the last player (whilst everyone is bound) and therefor obstruction has never occurred.
Wag
Guest
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY ROLLING MAULS ARE NOT A FORM OF SHEPPERDING?
Wag
Guest
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY ROLLING MAULS ARE NOT A FORM OF SHEPPERDING?