Club president's guide to Rugby World Cup for rugby league fans

Dave Jervis, whose guide to the 15-man game is featured below, is currently president of Warrington Rugby Union Club and has played rugby in both codes over five decades.

He began in the Wigan under 17s league and ended his career as captain of Newton-le-Willows Vets rugby union side at the age of 52.

Jervis, who has lived in Warrington since 1967 and describes himself as an avid follower of both codes, said: “This has not been an all-embracing, totally comprehensive view of the laws of rugby union.

“ It has been an attempt to explain those facets of the game which can be most mystifying to rugby league supporters.

“Hopefully, it helps to do that and hopefully it will allow many rugby league supporters to enjoy the six weeks of rugby of the World Cup. After all, it is on ITV and free to watch.”

A highlight of this week's World Cup calendar is England's clash with Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, kick off 8pm.

DAVE JERVIS’ INTRODUCTION TO RUGBY UNION FOR FANS OF RUGBY LEAGUE

The Rugby Union World Cup has now kicked off in earnest and the next few weeks will see a festival of Rugby played by teams from all over the globe.

However, Warrington is a Rugby League town and many people may be put off watching the game because of its seeming complexity.

However, the two codes are very similar in a lot of respects and both offer the spectacle of glorious tries and resolute, and sometimes brutal, defence.

This short article is an attempt to explain the intricacies of Rugby Union and to point out the differences between the games.

Hopefully, it will allow Rugby League stalwarts to enjoy the rugby on offer and may even persuade some amateur Rugby League players to try their hand at Union in the League close season.

The main differences are how each sport rules that the game should be re-started after a breakdown.

For example, in both codes, a scrum is awarded after a knock-on or a forward pass, but the scrums are quite different.

And in Union, a scrum is awarded if a player touches a ball down behind his own line whereas in League this results in a drop-out under the sticks.

So let’s have a look first of all at that major bugbear – the set scrum.

THE SCRUM

There are eight players in a Rugby Union scrum.

Unlike Rugby League, all players in a Union scrum push. Consequently, rather than being a simple way to restart play after a breakdown, the Union set scrum is a trial of strength and technique and is a very important part of the game.

Also unlike Rugby League, the scrum half should put the ball into the scrum down the centre channel between the two opposing front rows.

Both hookers may then strike (or hook) for it. However, in most scrums, it is only the hooker who has the advantage of the feed, who strikes. The opposing hooker will push with the rest of his pack to put the opposing hooker, and the opposing scrum, under pressure.

At international level, this pressure can be awesome. Naturally, with all this force being applied, sometimes something gives and a penalty is awarded.

Typical offences include the front row standing up or a prop collapsing the scrum. Unfortunately, in today’s game, many packs try to make the opposition commit such an offence to gain a penalty and that is one of the bugbears of the modern Union game. Having said that, the scrum is still a very powerful attacking weapon, as the side which has won possession can then drive forward to demolish the opposition and even score a push-over try from close range. Or it can use the possession to allow the back row (the two extra wing forwards and the number 8, who is the equivalent of the number 13 in league) to take advantage and carry out a pre-planned back row move.

Every position in a Union scrum is a specialist position and there is no way that a back row forward would play hooker or a second row play prop. In addition, all the players in a set scrum play specialist roles in the other ways that Rugby Union restarts the game. So let’s look at the line-out.

THE LINE-OUT

If the ball, or a ball-carrying player, goes into touch in Rugby League, the non-offending side has the put-in at a scrum, unless it is a 40-20 when the attacking side gets the put-in. (Of course when the ball is kicked into touch from a penalty, play is restarted by a tap.) In Union, a line-out is called whenever the ball goes into touch (Except when it is kicked directly into touch from a kick off, when play is restarted with a scrum on halfway.) A line-out can consist of two to seven forwards, but usually seven. The eighth forward, the hooker, throws the ball in.

In many respects, the line-out is the most technical aspect of the Union game.

Usually, each side has three designated jumpers in the line-out. These stand at 2, 4 and 6. The reason for this is that a jumper can be lifted by the man in front of him and the man behind him.

The line-out also has a designated caller and he will give a coded message to his hooker to tell him, and the rest of his line, especially the lifters, where the ball should be aimed.

Until the ball leaves the hooker’s hands, players may change position in the line to confuse the opposition. When a clean catch is made, this is either distributed quickly to the scrum half or held in so that the rest of the pack can form on the ball carrier to create a driving maul. Which brings us to the next technical aspect of the game – the maul.

THE MAUL

The maul, which used to be known as the loose scrum, is essentially that. From a line-out, the pack form a loose scrum around the player holding the ball and try to drive the opposition back.

This then becomes a driving maul and could become a rolling maul if the ball is fed back to players behind the initial ball carrier and these break off to set up a second, third and even fourth maul, adjacent to the original one.

In a maul, all players must remain on their feet and a maul can take place after a tackle if the players remain on their feet. Once the ball, or the ball-holding player is on the ground, it becomes a ruck.

THE RUCK

The ruck is generally the way that play is restarted after a tackle. Unlike Rugby League, where the player in possession plays the ball back to a team mate for the first five tackles, and his side is guaranteed possession, the ruck in Union allows both sides to fight for possession at every breakdown. Consequently, it is a very important part of the game, as it takes place in broken play, with all the gaps in defence that that implies. It can also be a very messy part of the game.

The first point about a tackle is that when the tackled player hits the ground, he should release the ball and try to roll away.

Similarly, the tackler cannot grab for the ball whilst on the ground and he must also release the tackled player. However, if he stands up immediately, he can take the ball.

But what usually happens is that there is a contest for possession between other players, usually the forwards, who are first on the scene.

A recent change in the laws now means that the first player to arrive at a ruck can now pick up the ball with his hands, as long as he remains on his feet.

This has allowed a new breed of “scavenger” to enter the game. Just watch Ritchie McCaw of New Zealand, Justin Tuperic of Wales and Bismark du Plessis of South Africa, who are experts in this role.

However, when other players arrive, the ball must be played with the feet and all entrants to the ruck must remain on their feet, with their head and shoulders not lower than their hips. In fact, what usually happens is that players arriving at a ruck drive in with force to try to drive the opposition backwards to clear the ball for the scrum half to pick up. Unfortunately, this theory is sometimes not translated into practice and penalties are often awarded at the breakdown.

THE BACKS

There is not much difference between the roles of the backs in both codes. This is especially the case since the move into Rugby Union, as coaches, of ex-Rugby League players such as Sean Edwards, Mike Ford and Andy Farrell.

The most striking difference is in the kicking game. In Rugby League, the kicking game is now very important, whether to conclude the five tackle sequence with a cross-kick to the wing or to gain scrum advantage in the opponent’s 22 with a 40-20.

Although Rugby Union has progressed from the old “kick and clap” days, it is still an important feature of the game.

Kicks to touch from a defender’s 22 result in a line-out at the point where the ball crossed the touch line. However, if a defender passes the ball back to a team mate in his 22 and this player kicks into touch, then the line-out takes place level with the position where the ball was kicked. The “up-and-under’ is still a potent weapon in Union and scrum halves often kick ahead from a line-out for their teammates to chase.

AND FINALLY...

Enjoy the Rugby World Cup everyone!