Dancing on the pitch

Amabokke

Apart from rule changes and the way the game is played, which I don't believe had an effect on this can you remember the time when players used to do a dance move before passing the ball. The legs, upper body and arms to one side and the bum to the other side.

I was looking at a clip the other day but can't find it now so here's a French one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDn3MgNME8g

On a rugby tour as a child we had the boks coach (Ian McIntosh) who told players not to do that anymore

Today's professional players don't really do it anymore.

Anyone know why players did that?

jfitz92

I presume it was an attempted feint?

Stealdo

Amabokke wrote: »

Anyone know why players did that?

Dunno - it's an odd thing isn't it? As though they were winding up to make the pass when they seem to shape the body about 3 paces before passing.

The only two ideas that spring to mind are firstly to fix the defender and secondly to position the body to take the tackle. These guy's bodies wouldn't have been conditioned to anywhere near the extent of the current mob of roboplayers.

d'Oracle

I'm confused by this thread.

If you are talking about dummy steps and such, its alive and well.
In fact, the vid of Earls try against Leinster, (posted as to support a point of kearney not being strong defensivly the other day) Showed a sly little fade from Earls.

Plus, you see it a lot from Fijians.
Masaga is really fond of dancing.
Does that little Jump and step thing. David Smith for the Hurricanes does it a bit too.

Actually, Fitz did it up untill the year before last.

Riskymove

watch any of the Sevens tournaments to get your fill of this!

itsallaboutheL

it brings the tackler up that same bit farther and forces him to commit, what they are doing really is stopping very quickly and pulling the pass, it means the receiver is comming like a train and as already passed out the first tackler by the time he gets the ball..... has an awful habit of drifting forward tho

Trojan

I'm pretty sure it's the pendulum motion from a soft "pop pass" that you're seeing. Means the ball gets good hang time in front of the oncoming receiver. Ball starts at 3 o'clock, swings down through 6 o'clock and is released at 8/9 o'clock.

Not sure why it's done less now - maybe because the game has gotten faster and you need more space between pass and receiver (excepting the crash ball and pop from the tackle obviously).

Amabokke

I'm not really referring to dummy steps and such...

As a centre I can dummy pass, side-step and dummy step very well so not really what I'm referring too. It's more of a "loop-pass" with the body in an "awkward" position.

Look at 6:24 of the clip how they passed it to each other.

As for the sevens and Fiji not quite the same thing. Especially as the Fijians like to run with the ball in one hand and can offload and side-step better than anyone.

If I find the clip I watched before I'll post it.

anonymous_joe

Amabokke wrote: »

I'm not really referring to dummy steps and such...

As a centre I can dummy pass, side-step and dummy step very well so not really what I'm referring too. It's more of a "loop-pass" with the body in an "awkward" position.

Look at 6:24 of the clip how they passed it to each other.

As for the sevens and Fiji not quite the same thing. Especially as the Fijians like to run with the ball in one hand and can offload and side-step better than anyone.

If I find the clip I watched before I'll post it.

If ya ever listen to ruggamatrix they mentioned this a while back.

It's to do with technique really, newer ones are in vogue more than anything.

dub_skav

Haven't got youtube here but it sounds like you're talking about the fundamentals of passing changing.

In the olden days they used to reach out for the ball coming towards them, sticking their arse out the opposite way for balance. The arms would then swing all the way acorss the body (switching sides with the arse) allowing momentum to be applied to a pass.
Basically shovel passing, or the rugby league style non-spin pass was a lot more prevalent

Nowadays most players will only use their arms to give momentum to the ball, using wrists to apply spin.
Whether this is due to increased strength or just different fundamentals I do not know.

As I say no you tube so I could have taken you up completely wrong and be speaking through my own arse

nerophis

dub_skav wrote: »

Whether this is due to increased strength or just different fundamentals I do not know

Those old leather balls I'd reckon explain some of the differences

Stealdo

nerophis wrote: »

Those old leather balls I'd reckon explain some of the differences

Yep - not just the lack of grip - but they were a much rounder shape than modern balls making it more difficult to spin pass in the current style. I'd say you've hit in on the head.

dub_skav

nerophis wrote: »

Those old leather balls I'd reckon explain some of the differences

Good point

I was actually about to edit my post mentioning that. I just remembered when I played with a mitre multiplex how much more difficult it was to pass than a Gilbert, never mind the old leather job

stephen_n

I still do it when I'm passing of my right not sure if it's psychological thing but reckon it helps me pass more smoothly and get more distance in my pass since I can't spin to the right.

Amabokke

The old leather balls. Yea the ones we played with were made from pig skin and since we played bare foot (nothing to do with not having shoes) playing at flyhalf proved to be a real pain in your feet as they'd be red and purple after the game from all the kicking.