First, the maul needs to start legally. At a kick-off or line-out, team-mates often put themselves ahead of the ball-catcher. This is a ploy to protect the catcher. At a line-out, this pre-maul obstruction is used so that the ball catcher cannot be “sacked” or brought to ground.

Second, assuming the maul has started legally, confusion can arise when the ball is moved to the back of the maul. The players in front of the ball appear to be guilty of obstruction!

“Truck and trailer” is the term used to describe obstruction at a maul. However, when the maul starts, all players are onside, and when the ball is moved to the hindmost player, those players in the maul, that are caught ahead of the ball, can’t just disappear.

The situation is similar for the front row of a scrum when the ball is at the eighth man’s feet. If the player with the ball breaks away from the maul and has a player on his team in front of him, the defenders cannot get to the ball carrier, resulting in a penalty for obstruction. If, however, the defending team withdraws from the maul, leaving only attacking players ahead of the ball, then the maul can continue, as the attacking team is not guilty of any infringement.

This does not apply to a line-out, where the attackers catch the ball and the defenders do not engage the opposition. If the ball is moved to the hindmost player of the attacking team and the defenders now engage the attackers to form a maul, it is a penalty offence, because it is pre-maul obstruction – ie there was no maul when the ball was transferred to the hindmost player.

Third, “changing lanes” is where the attackers break away to the left or right from the original maul and then start a new maul. If team-mates are in front of this new maul, it is construed as obstruction.

Conversely, if the maul is moving forward and defenders peel off to the left or right, leaving the original maul with attacking players only, they can continue forward, as this is not a new maul, and obstruction does NOT apply. Extremely confusing to the public and sometimes to even referees!

Fourth, once a maul is formed, players must join, by binding on their hindmost team-mate in the maul. They cannot “swim” around the side of the maul or join the maul from the side, but, if they are “caught up” in a maul, they can work themselves through the middle until they can grasp the ball or ball-carrier.

Why would the attacking team collapse a maul. Makes no sense what so ever

I see Gatland sitting with a golden generation and Wales have certainly underperformed. They should be really doing better with the squad and the players they have

Mania

I know he stepped down. Paddy still represented a body at the time and his apology was not from himself but the one who he represents. One can not expect everyone to be happy when everyone gets different treatment rather than the same treatment.

As for Lawrence I am not a South African so it does not hurt me at all. When I look at the incident I am not referring to it because I am a supporter that is still bitter or etc etc but I think most of the people clearly saw how bad he refereed the game. But when I refer to the Lawrence incident I refer to him being told to change his interpretation to certain aspects of the game right before the biggest game of his career and during a RWC tournament left really questions that no one want to answer.

That is more of a controversy as how Lawrence handled the game. He had to handle the game completely differently than what he was use to and he had to keep quiet about it.

Mania. As you will note I mentioned after the Lawrence incident and you know as well as me that happened in 2011. And as you read I said due to double standards people let their minds run off and that is where these stories come from. I am not so ever pointing fingers and like I said it has nothing to do with the AB or its their problem. Its ruling bodies that need to sort that out and put everyone under one blanket.

You can’t win a WC but you can buy a replica from your local Chinese shop though

Brett I was looking through the history and those Cheetahs seem to have a habit of spoiling the party down there in Cape Town for some reason. But I still think Stormers will take that one considering they playing with a 10 that seems to do one week well other week he is struggling and think they have lost Le Roux as well.

But Cheetah midfield defense seemed shakey last time out vs Stormers

Mania it begs the question why Paddy went and gave a personally apology to NZ at their team hotel and he did not bother to do it with a team like South South Africa who deserved it after the Lawrence show. So you can’t blame people for starting theories as one team seem to get preferential treatment. One can not blame the AB for it though. That is a ruling bodies strange behavior and fingers need to pointed at them not the AB’s

The Bulls carry a seven man pack playing away from home. They are thinking of deploying sniffer dogs to try and locate Spies because he ends up on milk cartons during those games.

Cheethas going to lose to Stormers away I think. They will not beat the Bulls as well who have something of a psychological hold over them.

The All Blacks do transgress the laws especially at the firsr 20 minutes or so in the game. But they do it to find out what a referee allows and what he does not allow. A referees interpertation differ from one to another and the players need to know early on where the limits are. This what makes Sir Richie a class above the other. He adapts very quickly and does what the referee allows all match long. You must remember it can be a split second between right or wrong and he does get them right on the money most times.

Also NZ are clever where they try and go for the ball and where they test the boundaries. When they do see what they can get away with they do it in the area of the pitch that is they dot run the risk in conceding points. That is normally just inside the oppositions half. In that area they will cranck up the pressure on the defense and that is where they will see what they can get away with and what the referee allows.

Just think of it. You got basically nothing to lose but more to gain if you get away with it as you would have the ball in your oppositions half. Cheating? No. Their tactics is very good and they win games is by using a series of repeatable tactics to put them in positions to relieve pressure on their own line and create pressure to open up scoring opportunities. They are ruthlessly efficient at building pressure in the General Play Zone.

They tactics to all 3 zones are superior than the other teams and they are outsmarting and outplaying everyone most of the time.

But they did so brilliantly from 2010 to 2011. Lost in the final and they did score some crackers all over the field plus had that stern defense. Now the top part is lost and only defense remain. Look at the Highlanders. Have the most AB on books since the 99 team and attacking wise do not look too bad. But they are not scoring the 5 pointers in the end and losing. Suffer same problems. Adam Thompson have left a big gap and his work and speed to the breakdown was a valuable asset so was Burgers for them at the breakdown

I am curious to what you reasons are that the Blues is better equip? Yes they have a young and exciting back line which like the high risk stuff. But the concern is their forward pack which is a bit light. One do not see them survive a trip to Loftus.

I do not think Reds supporters want to hear the words Loftus even. They seem to have a problem at high altitude for some reason

David

I am curious to what you reasons are that the Blues is better equip? Yes they have a young and exciting back line which like the high risk stuff. But the concern is their forward pack which is a bit light. One do not see them survive a trip to Loftus.

I do not think Reds supporters want to hear the words Loftus even. They seem to have a problem at high altitude for some reason

While we at stats

Stormers make less runs than the average Super Rugby team but score more in the meters gained stats. They games they actually went out and keeping possession they end up losing where the games they did not worry about possession and tackled their buns off they manage to win.

Thing that stand out is the turn overs they conceded seem to be their achilles heel in those losses. Which makes one wonder how much really they miss a guy like Burger. They use their hooker as ball chaser but Liebenberg can only do so much to a extent

These guys don’t seem tired or distracted. Phenomenal

Tackles
Stormers 206

de Allende – 10
S Kitshoff – 13
Liebenberg – 11
Harris – 20
Grobler – 14
Etzebeth – 16
Kolisi – 19
Armand – 15
Carr – 29

What have Katrikilis do this season that is special or stand out except for hiding on fullback on defense and trying to avoid contact?

Mind don’t think they will mind scoring tries like this

Biltong I do agree with you there. SA kick from their set play where NZ and Australia wil first take it up and set it up in the middle before they launch their kick and chase. Reason why NZ and Aus do that rather than kicking themselves from set play is to make the opposition tired first before handing over the ball. Its especially a good tactic to tire down the big forwards. Especially those of SA. So the perception will make it look like they are running the ball all over the place where SA kick everything away. Its not like that as NZ need a tactic to nullify SA big pack of forwards.

People especially Aussie supporters will go bezerk when they run it couple of phases then kick it. Its not that they kicking possession away its that they launch their kick and chase game like any other side.

Jerry

Why is Kevin Skinner a folk hero then in New Zealand?

Ricardo
It really baffles me how some can call the actions of Botha on Cowan cowardly. Please explain how is running of the ball and looking for trouble with a bloke twice his size? What did you expect to happen? Bakkies giving him a shake down and a Christmas card?

The same Cowan who got sent of for a hit on Gosperth in 2009?

You must remember Botha’s other job was to take out Du Preez as he was pulling the strings. His back up was a 5th class scrum half so you can see he had a target on his head. Cowan is not a angel as he threw punches all over the place if you look down the years.

Jiggles. Where does Botha or did he ever used his faith as a excuse? And what exactly has made him such a thug? Did he broke someones arm or tried to choke someone? Does he run around off the ball holding people back or grab their balls in a maul?

I wouldn’t know the Saffer version cause I am not South African. Then I believed it happened in the 3rd test. He did not play the first two. Then played the third and threw a punch at the on Saffer prop switched sides at scrum time then smacked the other. Saffer prop attempted to hit him back and got penalized and warned.

Burger is known as the Terminator

Bakkies Botha can strangle you with a cordless phone

Think the last team one want to face in a final is those Cheetahs. They seem to get better knocking bigger teams over when they reach them

NZ amateur boxing champion I heard was brought out of retirement to have a go at the Saffers. That is when NZ started to play the intimidation game back. People call them thugs but I think they do not understand what goes on at the bottom of a ruck or in a maul. Every game. Some just get caught. If you allow yourself to get intimidated then you already lost the game. Guys like Thorn and Botha give a 100 percent heart for everything they do. That is the beauty of them you would never get less than a 100 percent. That is how rugby was played in the old days and you had 30 such guys battling it out on the field. I saw some of the photo’s of matches between NZ and South Africa and the one game the sides ended up with 14 against 13 guys due to people being carried off. The one guy was in Disney Land played like that for over 10 minutes. Asked them if the other team was dirty and they would say best game I played in my life!