Under valued rugby skills

This is the first insert on specific rugby skills which I feel are not practised enough and could be utilised more the game of rugby union. At the beginning of rugby training coaches are always shouting at props who have not yet warmed-up and are attempting drop-goals from the half-way line. Fair enough, they will never attempts such things in a game so get them doing laps then straight into the hamstring and glute stretches.

However, I firmly believe that if a player has a talent for a specific, unusual skill, it should be encouraged. For some people these skills come naturally, but time should also be given for players to develop such skills. At the end of every rugby training session players should be encouraged to practise certain skills, and these should include very specific, sometimes under-valued skills.


1. The spiral bomb


"Bomb" kicks or up-and-unders still play a big part in rugby union. A well-placed, high up-and-under can allow surrounding players to compete for the ball in a better position on the pitch. However, a skillful full-back who has good positioning, timing and catching skills will be able to catch a straight up and under no matter how much pressure he is under. Doing so is in his job description.


Usually the outside-half or player kicking will adopt an end on end up-and-under, allowing for more height and flight due to the back-spin of the ball. Also, in kicking the ball this way there is less surface area of the ball to target, so it is harder to miss-kick, and more accuracy is allowed.


The problem with this style of up-and-under is its predictability. The speed, direction and flight of the ball can be worked out, and for most top-class full-backs it is their bread and butter. They are attacking the ball, not chasing it, so they have the advantage in the jump for the ball if necessary and more often than not come away with the take. An end on end up-and-under in general has at best a 30% chance of success for an attacking team.


When players kick for length or position the spiral option is usually used. The ball travels faster more directly and a lower trajectory is created. Due to the advantage of distance, this style of kicking is often used when kicking to touch or clearing a defensive line. A spiral kick is easier to use for a kicker drilling the ball long and fast. However, if a spiral kick is used in the form of an up-and-under, a whole new problem weapon is created for an attacking team.


Kicking a spiral bomb is a very difficult skill, but it has been shown by certain players it is one which can be developed and performed consistently. It is difficult to control a spiral kick when it is used for height and not length, as the ball naturally rolls off the foot. However, if it is kicked from a higher angle and controlled well enough, some players can kick a turn a spiral kick into a far more affective "bomb". 

A spiral bomb has to be kicked from a higher point than a straight forward spiral kick to emphasise height, so the kicker needs more time. The angle at which the ball is kicked makes it very hard to control as its natural flight is a direct one. However, with skill and a great deal of practice, a spiral bomb creates an up-and-under which moves in the air, changes pace in the air and dips and swerves as it gets closer to the ground.

The spiral bomb is a ploy which is used a fair bit in rugby league. Danny Brough of Huddersfield and England has mastered the kick and is very accurate with it. Watch Huddersfield play in the Super-League and you are sure to see the opposition full-backs and wingers fall over themselves and fumble the ball at some point in the game due to a Danny Brough special.

This kick is usually used on the fourth or fifth tackile in rugby league as an option to reclaim another set of six tackles, but there is no reason it cannot be used in rugby union. Up-and-unders are used in rugby union to try to reclaim the ball, so why not make the percentage of error for the catcher far greater? If the ball is not caught cleanly, and in some instances a spiral bomb will not even be touched, the chance or reclaiming the ball is 50-50. With the added fact that the kicking support is moving forward the percentage of success is in fact more.

It is just one small aspect of rugby, but it can create another option for teams. A spiral bomb is definately a skill which could be utilised more in rugby union.