A scrum-half is a playing position in rugby union that occupies the number nine shirt. Their main role is to link the forwards to the backs by passing the ball from the base of scrums, lineouts, rucks and mauls to the fly-half who in turn feeds the outside backs.
The Scrum-halves Role in Attack
In attack, scrum-half’s need to be the eyes and ears of the team. They need to decide whether to pass the ball straight out to the fly-half, box kick the ball, pick and go themselves, or pop the ball away to a forward on a short pass.
Scrum-halves often play a crucial supporting role when their team makes a line break as they should be able to pick an effective line to receive a pass from the player that makes the break. They may then score the try themselves or be able to link the play on to another team member to score.
Some scrum-halves specialise in making sniping breaks around the edges of a ruck or maul. This is a tricky area and relies mainly on a players instincts. If you get it right and break through a gap and score you are a hero. If you get it wrong, you will be criticised as being ‘ball greedy’ and of having poor decision making skills.
The Scrum-halves Role in Defense
In defense, a scrum-half’s main role is to cover across and behind the backline but not as deep as the full back. For example, if an opposition outside centre (number 13) breaks through your defensive line then the scrum half should be sweeping around to cover this space.
Similarly, if the opposition fly-half chips over your centres then the scrum-half should be looking to catch this ball. Furthermore, if an opposition wing goes outside your winger then the scrum half and the full back are likely to be the last two players who have to run across and tackle the winger.
Scrum-halves generally stand behind a ruck or maul when defending, and communicate to the forwards where they should be standing and generally marshal the defensive system using their vision and excellent communication skills.
Is Scrum-half a Hard Position?
Scrum-half is one of the hardest positions on the pitch because of the wide range of skills required, including: an accurate and swift pass from the ground, a reliable box kick, decision making ability, excellent communication skills as well as pace off the mark and strength to shrug off opposition backrowers.
Let’s unpick that a bit further. Firstly, no other position apart from perhaps the fly-half and the hooker has to perform so many different skills accurately and consistently. In some positions, players can go for the entire game and hardly touch the ball but be said to have had a ‘good game’.
For example, so long as a blind side flanker makes a decent number of tackles per game and a few carries they can be said to have had a ‘good game’. However, if a scrum-half is slightly too slow in getting to the breakdown and passing the ball away then it is immediately obvious to everyone.
Furthermore, if their pass is just slightly too high/low/behind the player then it slows the game down noticeably. Compare this to a blindside flanker who could be having an ‘off day’ and be getting in position for fewer carries or whose hits aren’t as hard as usual and no one will really knows.
You may think scrum-halves ‘get it easy’ physically, but in actuality, whilst they do not make that many front-on tackles, remember they are right in the thick of it mixing it with the biggest players on the pitch (front rowers) and occasionally, they do have to get involved and make tackles on those guys that are not far off twice their own body weight.
There’s also a reason why the scrum-half is one of the ‘gobbiest’ players on the pitch. It is because they have to do a lot of organising of the players, usually forwards around them.
This means that they have to have a sound understanding of the gameplan a coach wants them to play and the confidence to deliver instructions in a commanding fashion. Some would say that this gobby/communicative skill set is difficult to pick up for a more introverted personality type.
Overall though, I would say that the only position with claims to being harder is perhaps the position of hooker who has to get through a lot more physical work as well as get their lineout throw ins spot on often under intense pressure from the opposition and crowd.
Check out my guide on how to pass here: How To Actually Pass A Rugby Ball (7 Pass Types)
What makes a great scrum-half?
A great scrum-half can spot a gap in the opposition defense and break through themselves or they can manipulate defenses to create holes for other runners to punch through. These are the game changing moments that win matches, series and even tournaments.
You think of England’s 2003 world cup winning scrum-half Matt Dawson and his break in the final minutes of the game to set-up the winning drop goal. You think of Gareth Edwards and his opportunism with some of his long range efforts for Wales, the British Lions and the Barbarians over the years.
And you also think of the simply fantastic Joost van der Westhuizen who’s sniping runs terrorised defenses for years for the Boks and landed him a world cup also in 1995.
But you also think of the organisational skills of a George Gregan, Aaron Smith, or a Dewi Morris that could gain control of a match through the way they organised the team around them.
Or, you might think of the cover tackles that a scrum half often makes which can save seven points and swing the momentum of a game in their teams favour.
Seldom do we pick out the kicking game of a scrum half as being what makes them a truly great player but it would be remiss to not mention how valuable an asset a great box kicking game is to a team. In fact, some teams have based their entire game plan around scrum halves that were/are great box kickers.
Conor O’shea of Ireland is famed for his kicking game, likewise Ben Youngs, and Faf De Klerk are all up there in terms of the best box kicking scrum-halves.
Also try: Is It Difficult To Learn Rugby?
What is the ideal height of a scrum-half?
There is no ideal height for a scrum half, although 5ft 9in (175 cms) is the average height of a scrum half in the English premiership. Some would say being shorter is better as they can get to the ball at the base of rucks and mauls quicker and pass the ball away sooner.
In reality though, so long as the scrum half can display the full skill set then they should be fine. Larger scrum halves can be beneficial to a team as they can also perform the duties of a back row player and clear out rucks and mauls when needed, not to mention put in the occasional big hit as well.
Incidentally, you can check out my guide here: Average Rugby Player Size By Position Tables
How do you become a good scrum-half?
Anyone can become a good scrum half if they practice the basic skills of a scrum half relentlessly until they become second nature so that they can perform them without thinking quickly and accurately under pressure.
Aaron Smith is a modern day example of how much practice is required to become a top level scrum half. He is constantly working on the small details and the basic skills of his game. Often before other team mates have even arrived at the training session.
Here’s a gem of a video analysing Aaron Smith’s game covering much of what I have mentioned so far:
Who Is The Best Scrum Half?
As for the best scrum-half in the world, that is currently an ongoing battle between Frenchman, Antoine Dupont, and New Zealander, Aaron Smith. Dupont is the current World Rugby Player of the Year whilst Aaron Smith has over one hundred caps for the greatest rugby nation ever, New Zealand.
Dupont is more the up and coming pocket battle ship scrum half with power, pace and ridiculous vision where as Aaron Smith is more about the perfectly drilled modern scrum half making all the right calls and executing his skills to perfection.
Needless to say, both are a joy to watch and the next Rugby World Cup, in France, in 2023 should see a final showdown to see exactly who is the greatest scrum-half, should they both stay injury free!
You might also be interested in reading: How To Play Fly-Half In Rugby (Danny Cipriani Weighs In)
Image Credits:
2011 George Gregan, Australia v New Zealand – jeanfrancois beausejour from cannes, france, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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