Can I pull opponent through a ruck?

ndolan

I am 12 stone and when arriving at a ruck a can't easily clear out the props. I usually try to push them sideways or unbalance them rather than meet head on. Can I pull them through into an offside position?

Amz

You can pull them off their feet over to your side of the ruck, but if they're "on their feet" and correctly balanced, this shouldn't happen, so it's up to them to make sure this can't be done.

ndolan

If they are not on their feet I wouldn't be able to pull 20+ stone anywhere!
Thanks for the reply

Tim Robbins

ndolan wrote: »

I am 12 stone and when arriving at a ruck a can't easily clear out the props. I usually try to push them sideways or unbalance them rather than meet head on. Can I pull them through into an offside position?

Technically you are supposed to bind onto one of your players, so are they or else you both offside. This sound like an unusual bit of counter rucking.

In which case, you have to bind onto your opponent rather than pull.
So it sounds like illegal rucking to me.

Amz

I'm about 3 stone lighter than you and if they're not on their feet, they're not balanced, you should be able to use their 20+ stone against them.

dub_skav

My understanding is that it is up to them to maintain their feet and you can do what you like to unsettle them. However, if you visibly pull them over the ref is unlikely to penalise them for offside or going over the top so they may actually hinder your team's chances of recovering the ball.

It is usually a good idea to try and grab an arm and a leg and try to unsettle them until somebody arrives to help.

Amz

Well if they're on your side after you've pulled 'em off their feet, they're out of the game, there's also one less person to ruck against.

dub_skav

Amz wrote: »

Well if they're on your side after you've pulled 'em off their feet, they're out of the game, there's also one less person to ruck against.

I just meant that they may be over or around the ball for a few seconds making it harder to get hold of. For instance if you pull them directly over/onto the ball, the ref may still give them a few seconds to get away because you put them there.

Amz

But they should have been on their feet ...

If they were on their feet, I shouldn't have been able to pull them there in the first place.

Sparky14

ndolan wrote: »

I am 12 stone and when arriving at a ruck a can't easily clear out the props. I usually try to push them sideways or unbalance them rather than meet head on. Can I pull them through into an offside position?

U can pull them through, but if u pull them thru the centre of the ruck they won't be offside. So won't be much use unless u can actually unbalance them enough to fall to the ground, might be difficult if there is a big weight difference. Good technique (low body position with head up, hit ruck at speed and pump legs) can go along way as long its done with plenty of aggression.

Sundy

Just be aware some refs will give a penalty for pulling a player into the ruck

NaiveMelodies

it shudnt matter a bit about who weighs what.

Just drive in as low as possible and pump ur legs.

randomname2005

Hmm, a ruck is formed when one or more players from each side are on their feet, bound together and contesting for a ball on the ground (or something very close to that).

If you are the first player arriving and contesting with a 20 stone prop and you are both on your feet, you could try pull him to the ground, you probably won't give you a penalty because he will be able to see that you pulled him down. If he lands on you, he will take you out of the game. If he is not on his feet then he should be penalised straight away for killing the contest for possession.

If you are not the first player there and the ruck has already formed, by pulling their players to you, you may cause your team to lose possession. If you pull one of their players towards your team and the ruck collapses, the opposition will be the team going forward and you may concede a scrum. Alternatively, it may help them ruck past the ball giving the opposition scrum half easy access to the ball.

In all my years coaching and playing I never heard this suggested as a good rucking technique. The goal of rucking is to push the other team back so you can get the ball, not pull them towards you so they can get the ball!

il gatto

Just push. Even if you don't move them back, you're stopping them coming forward. The laws don't list a specific offence against pulling a player off a ruck, but it's more complicated than that. If they're behind their ruck but not in it, as a scrum half would be, you're interfering with a player. If you pull at a player in the ruck, you're offence is that you haven't created a bind with one of your own players. To enter a ruck you must enetr from behind the hindmost foot and bind with a teammate. This is now more strictly enforced making bigs hits to clear out a ruck more difficult as you must push your own player forwards rather than knocking opposing players backwards. Alot of refs will blow up for pulling a player, but rarely explain the reasoning behind it. If a player is on the wrong side, you can pull him out of the way, as happens in a maul.

Heroditas

Some refs can interpret it as tackling - in which case you're tackling a player off the ball and you could get penalized.

Nukem

Plainly it comes down to; are you attempting to pull a player through the ruck directly inline of the ball, otherwise you cannot legally access the ball, therefore pointless!

I have been bridging a player protecting the ball and the player on the deck and some hefty forward catch me by the back shorts and pull me straight over the top, ass over head. Thats is legal as he is was inline with the ball and technically attempting to ruck me out of it.

IMO if your not going to have a chance of rucking the player out of the way either by pushing or pulling them out of the way, you shouldn't be there. Trying to move a heavy forward is near impossible & unless you hit him at pace legally you must come through the gate inline with the ball.