Defending maul

[Brandnewtorugby]

Good section in Flats and Shanks podcast about defending a maul. Basically, Flats saying it is more about separating players than pushing, all the people around the sides are just helping the attacking team create a tighter maul. As a rugby newby, I found it interesting.

[Rossm]

When I was playing rugby (a veritable ocean of water under the bridge since then) it was perfectly legal to pull down a maul.

[Trevs Big Tackle]

Wasn't that just, like, 5 years ago? Thanks to those aussie elves?!

[Rossm]

Wasn't that just, like, 5 years ago? Thanks to those aussie elves?!

I'm 70 and I wasn't playing at 65:) It was back in the days of no lifting and wingers throwing in at the line out. 'Not straight' and 'foot up' were rigourously enforced; scrum reversal was the penalty (I think).

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Nathan showed a wonderful maul defence yesterday.  Using his ridiculously long arms to get a bind onto the ball holder and when the group began to split he wrapped them up completely and stopped the ball getting out.

It was nice to see Barnes not giving the maul forever as well.  Perhaps the two are connected...