III.

Start of Play and Scrums

A game begins with a place-kick from the middle of the centre line. After half-time the game is restarted in the same way. After a score the game restarts with a drop kick from the centre spot. Thereafter each side tries to gain as much possession of the ball as possible and, by dint of passing manoeuvres (plus kicking to gain ground and position), to score tries. As in rugby league the ball must be passed backwards or laterally in order to get it forward. The ball may be knocked, thrown, or deflected from one player to another in any direction except forwards. If a player unintentionally throws the ball forwards the referee orders a “scrum” where the infringement occurred. A scrum is formed by the two sets of forwards closing up for the ball to be put on the ground between them. A minimum of five players per side take part; the number is usually eight. There must be three players of each side bound together in the front row of the scrum. The front rows crouch and interlock so that no player’s head is next to the head of a team-mate. All other players in the scrum must bind with at least one arm and hand round the body of a team-mate. There are two scrum formations adopted by teams: the 3-2-3 and the 3-4-1; the latter is generally favoured, with variations such as 3-3-2 and 3-3-1 for forward link penetration with the half-backs. When the ball is put into the scrum (usually by the scrum-half) it has to go into the middle of the tunnel made by the two front rows who will then attempt to “hook” or heel the ball back through their scrum so that another movement may begin, often through the half-backs and three-quarters. A scrum is also ordered when a knock-on occurs. This happens when a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forwards or when the ball hits a player on the hand or arm and goes forwards to touch the ground or another player before the player who has been hit can catch it.

Two recurrent and important features of open play are the “ruck” and the “maul”. A ruck is formed by one or more players from each team in physical contact and on their feet, closing around the ball when it is on the ground and between them. A maul is formed by one or more players from each team (at least three in total) on their feet and in physical contact, closing around a player who is carrying the ball. A maul ends when the ball is on the ground, the ball or a player carrying it emerges from the maul, or when a scrum is ordered. When the ball becomes unplayable in a maul a scrum is ordered. Neither ruck nor maul can take place in the in-goal areas.