Tips for rugby second row?

Question

i've just turn 14,and im playing for my school age 14-15 team. i just want to ask for some tips on playing. As most knows this is when they introduce lifting lineout,and im being lifted for lineouts. i just want tips on getting the ball in the air,and general

play.

Answer 1

Yes the answers above are great!  I love being a lock- its the best!

I am a woman and i play second row, but because im 6'0 and not a skinny mini- i end up lifting... (i actually started playing before lifting was allowed!) and from this vantage point... it is important for the lifters to watch how you jump before they lift you.  the timing is key.  i separated my shoulder in the spring from lifting a girl that was too flopsy and arched her back- not rigid enough- becuse she ended up too far over my head and i had to yank her back into psoition or else have her and the other lifter fall on/ over me.  

you should take a step and explode up with your knees together.  as a front lifter the best bind i've found has been grabbing above the knees using the bottom of the quad muscle as leverage ridge to keep from sliding (you can also tape your thighs like most prof's do) and either tractor seat or shorts bind from behind.  the lifters should lift up and actually step towards each other so their chests are together.  make sure not to kick them!  

during scrums i have experimented over the past 15 years with differnt binds to the props.  The best that i've found and confirmed with USA eagles womens coaching staff is to reach for the prop's shorts with your palm facing away from his body and have him give you the waist band and then roll the waist band down your fingers and into your palm so you are making a fist like you are going to punch the opposing prop.  this way you drive the prop forward instead of pulling the prop back onto you by holding his leg or pulling down on his shorts.

other than that- become a rucking machine.  usually the loose forwards (flankers/ 8 man) will be the first ones out of a scrum- but we need to be there to ruck over, support the backs,  or possibly create a second pod  for a crash option.  

good luck!

Answer 2

In the lineout the most important things for the jumper are:

1:  ALWAYS jump as high as you can.  Even though you are being lifted, it makes it so much easier on your lifters the higher you jump naturally.

2:  NEVER kick your feet around while you are up in the air, from the waist down, you should be absolutely rigid, locked knees.

3:  Do all your reaching with your upper body.  Lean over from the waist up.

4:  Time your jumps.  The lifters should get you up to the top of your jump as fast as possible and then come straight back down.  If they are holding you up there and waiting for the ball, then thats bad because it gives the other team time to lift someone and steal the ball.

5:  Try to jump forward a little so that you are in front of the opposition jumper.  If the ball gets to you before it gets to him, you'll probably win your own and steal some of his.

6:  As soon as you catch the ball, rip it down to waist level and twist your entire body so your back is to the opposition.  You'll have competion there so you need to get the ball away from them as fast as possible and avoid hands coming through to steal the ball.  Your lifters should be almost glued to you so no hands can reach around.  Keep your arms straight and away from you so it is easy for a ripper or scrum half to take but dont hold the ball up in the air, keep it low.

In general play, just make sure you get to the rucks ASAP and if you are going in, then go in hard.  The tight five are the engine room but Props are always stuck in the scrums long after everyone else so you need to do a lot of the work from second phase ball.

Answer 3

Ok, I can't give you too much advice on being lifted, since I don't get to experience it myself.  However, being a prop, a few things I can tell you is get a good bind, and work with your front rowers to get a good, tight scrum.  Communication is essential to accomplish any goal, be it in sports, relationships, business or otherwise, so offer constructive criticism (keyword: constructive) to anyone who's game is off techincally or otherwise.  The tight five is the engine that drives the pack.  Also, locks have an intimidation factor when they get ball in hand, and if a lock with some good pace gets in the open, it is d**n hard to bring them down, so it's also good to develop some good open play skill as well.

Answer 4

The guy above answered well but technique wise you should also aim to;

1. Don't bend knees deeply when jumping (only for lifters to do) instead bend knees lightly and spring rather than lunging.

2. Point your toes down.  Assists balance and keeps them out of lifters ways

3. Stay rigid in the air.  Again makes you easier to lift and achieve initial height.

4. Don't at any stage lower your hands - keep them up, open and in front of you.

5. Once the ball is secure, move it down and out to your outside hip as soon as possible in order to secure it from the opposition jumper.

Good luck son

Answer 5

Go to your local rugby club and see about some training.

They will be delighted to see you.

Best of luck.

Answer 6

Trust your lifters, be committed on the jump,

dont waste time on the jump, if you have good lifters a quick spring will get you up, its mostly about technique so practise with the props and get to know what suits them. when you are in the air lock out your legs, if all goes well you will be able to stay up there as your foot will lock in around the props chest.

A good lineout will involve you keeping straight and when at full lif the lifters should be almost kissing each other through your legs ( i know that sounds bad but once everything is close then you have a solid platform). As you catching the ball, its much easier than what you were used to of jumping off the ground and swatting the ball back.

on your ball try not to focus too much on your marker, he will try and swat the ball away, but if you keep your cool and get up first he will then react, at that stage you should have the ball in hand or if not knocked back towards your scrum half.

When you catch the ball and want to give it off the top twist your upper body and pass to the scrum half, it'll be a cleaner delivery. Remember dont turn your legs or the lifters will loose their support of you. and dont try swatting it back, i know the internationals can but they are pros, went i first started jumping in school we kept it simple, before you know it it'll be second nature to you.

On the defense take a look at your oppositions first few line outs, for the first one or two stay grounded and take a look at the other jumpers form, next time try and predict his movement. Usually at that level of schools you an rob a lot of opposition throw at 2, usually the hookers are trying to get used to throwing higher too so even if you distract the hooker he has a good opportunity as messing up his own throw.

Most importantly, make sure your lifters bring you all the way down, at the end of last season we were playing on hard ground (it hadnt rained in a while) the lifters released me and i fell straight down on my ankle, luckily it didnt break but it gave me lots of trouble. just dont let them release you while in the air, when your feet touch the ground then let them break or bind...

And Best of luck, hope this helps