Winger Positioning?

Question

Where should a winger position himself during a lineout on his own flank?

Answer 1

I am a hooker, and for lineouts i prefer to know someone else is behind me. There are moves from lineouts that will get past me and if theres no one there then we just lost ground.

IMO wingers should always stick to there wing unless there is a move called, or the full back is busy...

Answer 2

I play wing and It really depends on the position of the lineout, and the oppositions game plan which u try and predict most of the time!

There are 3 zones in a rugby field where most coaches use these terms in defence and vice versa on attack. Green Orange and red zones! Red is ur try line to the 22. orange is 22 to 22. green is 22 to oppositions try line and these colours are vice versa if you are the attacking team.

If the lineout was in your red zone, it is pointless to stand on the wing on the side the line out is being thrown from!  You sorta try and move into the defending line and try and cover the inside channels when u operate a drifting defence assuming u know ur fowards well and their role to cover that hole u left out in the wing because rugby nowadays is far from the rugby played in the olden days. You learn how to play anywhere possible now, so long as the 15 operates as a tight unit! it is no longer like the traditional rugby where u mark ur opposite number! Fowards nowadays learn how to play like backs and so does the backs! But if its your line out, its best to use yourself as a blocker to the first five while he kicks and chase the kick up so that the opposition dont use quick lineouts.

Back to the wing theme, in the orange zone, if ur the attacking team, it is best if u move into a position just behind the first five out because sometimes thats a good inside channel where backs are drifting and fowards must cover that hole between first five eight and the forwards. If on defence, its good to read the positioning of the opposite wingers and first five to cover ur line when they kick or move up to the line when they attack. Somehow this is the zone where it is hard to predict what opponents do but a good place to place urself here is just behind the first defensive line. Not too far back because they may run the ball and not too far foward because they may chip it or kick it! place urself somewhere out in the wing in the middle of the first line of defence and the fullback!

Green zone in defence is where u drift back with the fullback and help him out, ready for the kick. If its ur lineout, its best if u always try and stay on that inside channel between the first five and the lineout fowards! that way it gives one more option for the first five to use and to keep ur attack unpredictable because when people run different lines, inside and outside, it is very hard to read the plays! It is also good to come inside occasionally to look for work and ease the workload for fowards because staying out in the wing, u rarely will get the ball, and its not the balls job to look for u. U gotta go in, and look for the ball, find some work inside! Surely those fowards wouldn't mind u running the ball up sometimes and give them a break!

I hope that helps! There are alot of positions wingers should be depending by various factors, such as the different set pieces. Scrums, penalties, lineouts etc! This is just part of the wingers role.

Answer 3

In front of #15~~nowhere near the lineout

Answer 4

There's no single answer to that.

Totally depends on where the lineout is on the pitch.

Who's line out it is.

And how the two teams involved are playing.

If you're unsure;

In attack, have a word with your flyhalf

In defense, ask your fullback