How to Dominate the Ruck (Part 1)

Buckle up, buttercup - we’re talking about RUCKING today.

The breakdown, the ruck, the great free-for-all…..an aspect of the game of rugby that novice viewers observe with a mixture of confusion and awe. A place with its own rituals and mythological heroes of rugby history—Richie McCaw, David Pocock, Michael Hooper—where the rules are inscrutable and the judgement of the referee exasperating. A place where emotions run high, the elation of a successful poach on your own 22, and the utter bewilderment of a hands-in-the-ruck call (you know you were there first).

But to those few players who know and love the breakdown, the ruck is above all an opportunity; an opportunity to capitalize on the chaos and swing the game in your favor, or to settle some old scores with your opposite number. A place where a brave, creative and ruthlessly opportunistic player can win the praise of his teammates, and the undying hatred of the opposing scrum half.

Rucks occur almost every time a tackle is completed on a ball carrier, and according to the IRB's World Rugby Passport there are an average of 176 tackles per match. That’s a lot of rucks man…

What does this mean? It means you and your team better have a plan for what to do when the rucks start coming and they don't stop coming.

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Over the course of this 3 part series, I’ll take you with me as we explore the ruck, introduce a high-level view of offensive and defensive strategies, and offer some advice on how to navigate the - sometimes goofy - enforcement of the laws. i.e. How to deal with the referee.

Let’s get to it.

What is a ruck strategy?

Dwight Eisenhower?? When did he play rugby?

Well he didn't, but I'm a sucker for good quotes, and I think there is an important message hidden in there. Eisenhower has inadvertently given us some profound rucking advice.

He makes a distinction between plans and planning. Planning is the act of analysis, decision-making and communicating. The plans are the steps to accomplish the goal determined by planning. But plans can quickly go wonky.

You might plan on executing a ruck perfectly; you’ll get there fast, you’ll go in low, and you’ll pump your legs in perfect form. But then you enter the first ruck of the game and the guy doesn’t release the ball, someone’s finger goes up your nose, and you’re getting a massive wedgie from one of your overly enthusiastic teammates…and then you get called for hands in the ruck.

But Eisenhower believed that "What we want" (planning) is far more important than "How do we get there?" (plans). So if you know what the goal is - or desired end state - of the ruck, then you will be able to roll with the punches and find an opportunity to accomplish that goal.

Don’t get me wrong, you definitely need to know the fundamentals of "how to ruck" i.e. how to enter a breakdown, what your body position should be, and knowing the rules of the breakdown - BUT, preparing for every possible scenario and memorizing the appropriate response is never going to work either. Rugby is just too fluid for that.

To sum up, the core element of successful rucking is knowing what you are trying to accomplish in the ruck, based on the overall game plan and where you are on the field.

Here are some things to think about:

• Where are we on the field?

• Are we trying to avoid penalties at all cost right now?

• Are we trying to test the referee’s limits?

• Are we trying to bait the opponent into committing a penalty?

All of these things have a place during the game, and there are many more objectives that are dependent on that particular game, opponent, time on the clock, referee, and score.

Ultimately, you need to think about rucks as an opportunity to shift the game and not a mindless scramble for the ball.

This attitude shift will give you the freedom to unleash your inner ruck monster. It will also help you take advantage of the many hidden ways you can use the ruck as a platform for winning a lot more games.

In part 2 of “How to Dominate the Ruck” we will dive into offensive strategies for rucking.