While Rugby is a sport requiring fitness, strength and constant effort, it is unwise to assume that chasing every breakdown and hitting every ruck hard is an indicator of effective play. Many players give 100% but by doing so play themselves out of the game and negate any impact they could have. By slowing down and thinking more on the pitch, a player can have more effect on the game and continue affecting the game for the full 80 minutes.
This article is mostly directed at forwards, not that they are inherently unthinking, but the position a back takes on the field of play is far more specific than that of a forward, simplifying the decisions they have to make during open play.
The first thing to consider is energy conservation; if you chase every breakdown, you will very quickly become tired. Depending on fitness level this could happen immediately, or in the last twenty minutes but it is largely inevitable. A tired player is less effective, able to exert less force in rucks and scrums, unable to be dynamic in the tackle and less likely to gain much ground with the ball in hand.
Clearly the longer you can conserve your energy the better and to do so a player must only remember one simple rule.
If you are not at a ruck as it forms, ignore it!
The vast majority of rucks are won or lost almost instantly, if you are there, get involved and ruck past the ball. Otherwise, realise that you now have a decision to make depending on your position relative to the ruck and whether you are attacking or defending.
Attacking rucks
If you are close to the ruck, grab a mate and drop back behind the channel between 9 and 10, being careful to be behind the route of the pass from scrum half to fly half. This allows the option to pass the ball wide to the backs or back inside to you and your fellow forwards.
If positioned further away, join the back line wherever you are, ideally dropping slightly back so as not to block the pass between any pair of backs thus spoiling a planned move. Clearly by effectively standing still you save some energy and in both situations have created an extra attacking option that the opposition now have to deal with.
Defensive rucks
Again, if you are close, look up and assess how the opposition are lined up and pick a position on one side of the ruck to guard the fringes. Anyone trying to pick and go can now be stopped, at this point you must keep watching the opposition, and listening to the scrum half who should be organising things. Be prepared to move to the other side of the ruck if the opposition are overloading one side.
If further away, hold the middle of the pitch and join the backs in a flat defensive line. When the ball gets passed out this means without running anywhere you will be positioned to hit the next ruck without having to chase play, creating a good opportunity to turn the ball over.
By holding back a little and playing intelligent heads up Rugby, a player is a much greater asset to the team than the guy who runs himself into the ground without ever contributing anything, by keeping good position and being aware of the opposition, defensive gaps are plugged, attacking holes are created and you will be fresh enough to run tries in at the end of the game while lesser players are tiring.
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