Rugby fly-half

A rugby fly-half is the highly skilled, quick thinking, tactically clever prominent player in the backs. You will see plenty of the ball, make sure you can handle it

Fly-half (and other names!) in the team

You must be able to bear a lot of name calling because you`ll be called a lot of names!

Besides the one I have chosen some others for fly-half are

stand-off
stand-off half
five-eigth
first five-eigth
outside-half
and fly without-a-hyphen half

15 players are on the field at any one time.

8 forwards make up the scrum.

The forwards in the scrum or line-out get the ball for the team and send it via scrum-half to the fly-half, the key player in the backs.

The player positions on the field look like this...

Rugby fly-half position in relation to the scrum

Fly-half physiques vary greatly, skills tend to be more important.

You need a full set of abilities and skills

Great handling ability. The scrum-half makes a long pass you catch it on the move
Great vision so you can see all the options
Great thinking/decision making so you take the best options

Good speed and acceleration
Agility and elusiveness (ability to avoid tackles)
Expert kicking skills

Rugby fly-half - and the scrum

The scrum restarts play after a minor breach of the rules.

It`s a contest for possession of the ball with a small advantage given to the non-offending team.

If your forwards win the ball it comes through to the back of the scrum. The scrum-half in line with the game plan and the unfolding situation frequently passes to the fly-half.

To receive the ball the rugby fly-half stands

deep enough (towards your goalline) and wide enough (away from the scrumhalf) to make it difficult for opposition tacklers (usually their flankers and flyhalf) to get to you

yet

near enough for the scrum-half to give a fast, flat and accurate pass and to make it easier to get across the (imaginary) gain line

With a good scrum-half and you at fly-half, you will usually receive passes from the scrum-half out in front of you so you can run onto them, gain momentum and get an advantage.

At rugby fly-half you make decisions

From your position on the field you will have a good overall view of the game. You are at the centre of things.

You will be the main decision maker in the team.

When you get the ball you will have been reading the game. You will know what the options are

running to get across the advantage line or take advantage of a defensive error by the opposition

passing to attack by moving the ball to faster outside backs or maybe to another player unexpectedly injecting themselves into the line

kicking for field position or into space for yourself other backs to run on to

As a rugby fly-half in the frantically changing situation of a rugby match you will be guided by

the game plan
your excellent vision in rugby

your ability to assess quickly any attacking advantages
any opposition defensive weaknesses

You must do all this yet watch for and evade, if possible, the opposition forwards who are trying to put the you on the floor!

When the opposition gets the ball you as fly-half must hound the opposition and provide covering defense.

It all takes loads of practice but ensures you are on the spot, you are ready and you can do it all again!

Rugby fly-half - at the line-out

The line-out restarts play after the ball has "gone into touch".

The duties of the fly-half at line-out time are similar to scrum time.

You must make good decisions about what you are going to do with the ball and be able to move quickly to make it happen.

Rugby fly-half - in general play

Fly-halves tend to be more elusive, skillful, quick thinking, tactically aware players.

Your main aim of course, is always to score more points. Usually by moving the ball into the opposition ingoal area and scoring tries.

You are constantly working to drive forward, "make ground" and move the ball to the weakest area of the opposing defensive line so you can carry the ball through to score.

You will strive to get the ball over the advantage line (the imaginary line, drawn across the field, dividing the two teams)

by running hard and straight
by running elusively, being able to side step
with long kicks to gain ground

with chip kicks to avoid opposition tacklers
with high "up-and-unders" for backs to charge on to
with grubber kicks to get in behind opponents

with passes to faster players in better positions
with cut out passes to create overlaps
with moves to confuse the opposition

with dummies to supporting players
with passes back inside to rampaging loose forwards
by looping round after passing, to create an "extra player" as often used in running rugby

At fly-half you will have many options available.

You are a good fly-half when you consistently make decisions which move the ball forwards.

You at fly-half, mixing up the options taken (passing, kicking, running) produces uncertainty in the opposition which is an advantage.

They will delay committing to tackles when uncertain and tend to weaken overall in their defensive patterns.

Improve your game. Sidesteppers - step when you feel it`s best.

Some famous players at fly-half, no special order!


Cliff Morgan	David Watkins	Phil Bennett
Barry John	Dan Carter	Michael Lynagh
Hugo Porta	Jonny Wilkinson	Mike Gibson
Grant Fox	Andrew Mehrtens	Stephen Larkham
Carlos Spencer	Mark Ella	Naas Botha
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