Lineout Tactics

[DPK]

Watching the Blues vs Bulls game now, and i noticed in one of the lineouts Victor Matfield was lifted by only his right leg so that he was lifted on an arc, moving in front of the opposition jumper. Is this legal or just on the edge of the laws?

Also, I think I recall hearing of a new lifting tactic in South Africa IIRC where on lifter "binds" on the shorts of the jumper while the other lifter "binds" on the socks. Is this a real tactic, or just some rugby mythology.

 

[Pfitzy]

Doesn't matter if you lift one or both legs, as long as they're brought to ground safely. Not sure if binding on the socks achieves anything.

 

[Jets]

You can lift on one leg but you are meant to lift above the knee. Quite a few teams bend this law as it gives you about 15cm extra height. I have a pic of George Smith being lifted this way somewhere and will post it if I can find it.

 

[Ash]

Even subbies teams are taught to lift on the inside leg. Front guy holds inside leg just above the knee, back guy cups and supports the buttocks. Legal and efficient, assuming the jumper can jump correctly and stay stiff.

 

[matty_k]

Front guy holds inside leg ..., back guy cups and supports the buttocks. ......... and stay stiff.

Are we still talking about rugby?

 

[Pfitzy]

We are.

Your mind seems to have wandered.

To Darlinghurst.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Watching the Blues vs Bulls game now, and i noticed in one of the lineouts Victor Matfield was lifted by only his right leg so that he was lifted on an arc, moving in front of the opposition jumper. Is this legal or just on the edge of the laws?

Also, I think I recall hearing of a new lifting tactic in South Africa IIRC where on lifter "binds" on the shorts of the jumper while the other lifter "binds" on the socks. Is this a real tactic, or just some rugby mythology.

Have a look at the article by Doug McClymont, "Single Leg Lifting in the Lineout", at coachesinfo.com, specifically http://coachesinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=77:rugby-lifting-in-the-lineout&catid=47:rugby-general&Itemid=77.

McClymont mentions: "At the beginning of the 2004 Super 12 season it was noted that the Waratah’s were gaining greater elevation in the lineout than their opposition and that there was a free leg on the outside of the line, the player being lifted on only one leg." I think that Dan Vickerman might have pioneered the technique. He certainly uses it very effectively.