Attacking in Sections of The Pitch

An important aspect of understanding how to play rugby effectively, is understanding “how” to play the game in different parts of the pitch. When the play is occurring at different places on the field, the intent of the attack and the defence should change accordingly. The easiest way to define what should be done in each area of the field is to split it into distinct areas. It should be noted that everything in this article is up for debate and that it shouldn’t be taken as fact; your team/playing style as well as that of the defence may change how you wish to play in certain sections of the field. Take this article as a basic, core philosophy which should be altered and adapted for each team and maybe even for each opposition. 

The first way to split the field is into four sections down the field; A – try line to opposition 22, B – opposition 22 to half way, C – halfway to own 22, D – own 22 to try line. We will first look at this from an attacking point of view as understanding this will then dictate how to defend in these areas.

Section A

The obvious aim when in the opposition 22 to is to come away with a try and failing that, at least get some points. Key to achieving this is ball retention, the longer the ball is in the opposition 22, the higher the chance there is a defensive error. To do this, simplicity is important, there is no point running a complicated, risky play which could waste all of the hard work spent to get in the 22 when there may only be a handful of meters between the ball and the try line. Due to the proximity to the try line, basically any line break is a try scoring opportunity unlike in all the other sections where a break could occur and the defence could chase the ball carrier down. Because of this, a good strategy is to run simple “crash” lines where the ball only gets passed once or twice before a runner takes it hard into contact. This keeps the ball close to the attacking forwards so possession is easily maintained and also tests the defences ability to make the tackle every time, one missed or bad tackle by the defence can easily lead to a try.

When the ball is very close to the line (~5 meters) it is typically the best strategy to just allow the forwards to “pick-and-go” and wear down the defence and make small gains over the gain line. This can draw more and more defensive players in tighter to the breakdown as they are desperate to not allow any ball carrier to make any distance, this is where the backs come in to play and should get it out wide to exploit the space. By going wide, there is a risk of the ball being turned over because the forwards will be tied up in the repeated short phases which have taken place, therefore it is for the backs to either score the try, or be able to recycle possession by themselves. If the defence does manage to make a tackle while the attack is going wide, due to the depth of the attacking line, it can be a significant gain in yardage. This makes it even harder for the attack to recycle possession as they will now be on the back foot.

The basic rule is, if you are very close to the try line only go wide if you know you will score. The other beneficial outcome for being in the opposition 22 is that a penalty can result in 3 points, this means that defensive indiscipline can be a positive outcome for the attack. Also with this, it may afford the attack to have a “free play” due to the referee playing the advantage. This would be a good time to gamble and play a risky move as the penalty is guaranteed if the play doesn’t come off. This could include a long miss pass out to the wing or even a short chip or grubber to test defence. Any penalty in this area of the field should be treated as a golden opportunity to go for a try as there is no risk associated with it going wrong. 

Section B

This area of the field is where a team’s patterns and moves can really come into play. There is limited benefit for going for a kick as if they are caught in the 22, the opposition can kick straight to touch and set up defensively again in probably a better field position. The attack’s own kicks to touch can be a useful tool but do require good accuracy to land them in field before going out, and also give away possession when the attack were in a strong field position. Therefore, typically in this section of the field, the attack should keep the ball in hand and try to stick to their game plan. A team would typically want to try to move the defence around, attacking in one direction then the other, forcing the defence to realign and ensure they have the correct numbers on either side of a break down. The attack can be varied, from keeping it in tight with the forwards, to distributing the ball out wide; this will all keep the defence guessing and should eventually lead to a line break which then, provided sufficient support, can lead to a try.

There is no specific emphasis for this section of the field, B & C are where the majority of the game will be played if the teams are evenly matched so it should be where the team feels most comfortable. The patterns of play and a lot of the predefined moves should be created with playing in this section of the field in mind. On key for this area specifically is the support runners. It is not as close to the try line as section A, where one line break can easily result in a try, but it also is closer than C & D, where a number of defensive players may have time to track back and cover a line break. In section B, one line break may not simply mean a run to the line and score, but it may mean that the ball carrier only has the full back to beat to be able to go on and score. Having at least one support runner makes this a very easy 2-on-1 and therefore almost a certain try. In section B, support runners can easily be the difference between just a line break and a try.  

Section C

This area of the field can be a little bit awkward, as if you are closer to your own 22, there is a high threat of the opposition scoring from any mistake, while nearer to halfway line there is much less of a threat and it can be seen as a strong attacking position. A good option for this section of the field is to look to utilise tactical kicks, whether that is a high kick to allow the chases to compete in the opposition half, or a territorial kick, deep into the other team’s half when they are not set up to deal with it. Obviously this should not be the only strategy, you should not just immediately kick the ball away in this area of the field it is just a good option. When keeping the ball in hand, nearer the 22 the breakdowns should be kept relatively quiet close as to not overly stretch the supporting forwards who are needed to recycle possession.  Nearer the halfway line the play can spread wider, looking to exploit the outside channels and test the wingers. The kicking players (typically 9 and 10) should be constantly monitoring the back field, looking for opportunities to kick and gain an advantage due to the defence being out of position. 

Section D

If a team has possession in section D their priorities are very different from anywhere else on the field, this is mainly because any accidental loss of possession has a high chance of resulting in an opposition try. The attacking side does however have the additional benefit that (provided the ball hasn’t been taken back into the 22) they can kick directly to touch and the lineout will be marked at where the ball crosses the line, not where the kick took place. These two facts do lead to the obvious conclusion that the main intent should be to get the ball out of the 22 and most likely get it into touch. Granted that if the ball has been taken back in to the 22, touch will not be the best option but still getting the ball out of the 22 should still be the focus. 

Typically, if there is possession in section D it has either come from a set piece (scrum or lineout) or it has come from a turn over. For both cases, there should be no rush to “clear the lines” as any mistakes can be very costly. From a set piece this is easy as the kicker and backline will be able to get set for the clearance and will have time to get it right. If there is a turnover, there is always an appeal to rush the clearance as the back 3 may be out of position and a counter attack option can look promising. This is a good option sometimes depending on many different factors, the quality of the opposition back 3, the ability of the clearing kicker, the score and time in the game, etc. It is slightly more risky but there can be a large reward.  If a quick clearance kick is not an option and the ball is not coming from a set piece, time should be taken to get set correctly. This may entail trying to move the ball to a different position across the field to suit the kicker, i.e. getting a better angle to find touch. To move the ball across the field, some simple “forward crash” moves off the scrum half is typically the best strategy, the intent with these is safe and secure ball retention so should not be rushed. Once the ball is in a good location for the kicker, the kicker, the chasers and forwards (blocking for the kicker) can be set in place.