# 10 – The Fly Half
This position is the beginning and back bone of every back line attack. The Fly half has either determined where an attack is to be made or has received the call from the Inside Center, both of whom have surveyed the opposition for any weakness in the defense in which to exploit. Where ever the scrum half is on the pitcth, the fly half is near directing the backs.
Fly Half physiques vary greatly, skills tend to be more important, he’ll 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
General Play
Fly Halves tend to be more elusive, skillful, quick thinking, tactically aware players. He is constantly working to drive forward to “make ground” and move the ball to the weakest area of the opposing defense. He strives to get the ball over the advantage line:
o By running hard and strait
o By running elusively
o With long kicks to gain ground
o With chip kicks (#) to avoid opposition tacklers
o With grubber (*) kicks to get in behind opponents
o With passes to faster players in better positions
o With cut out passes to create overlaps
o With moves to confuse the opposition
o With dummies (^) to supporting players
o With passes back inside to rampaging loose forwards
o By looping round after passing, to create an “extra player” as often used in running rugby.
# - Chip kicks are small/short kicks over the heads of the opposition, but short enough for the player to gather in the ball in the air.
* - Grubber kicks are like kicking a soccer ball on the ground, because the defender shouldn’t impede the kicker. He has an opportunity to get behind the defender.
^ - Dummies is a fake pass to a supporting player.
The scrum & Line Out
The fly half stands
- Deep enough (towards his goal line) and wide enough (away from the scrum half) to make it difficult for opposition tacklers (usually their flankers and fly half) 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.
From his position on the field he has a good overall view of the game and he is the center of things. The fly half is the main decision maker for the backs. When he gets the ball from the scrum half, he will have been reading the game and his options are
o Running to get across the advantage line or take advantage of a defensive error by the opposition.
o Passing to attack by moving the ball to faster outside backs or maybe another player unexpectedly injecting themselves into the line.
o Kicking for field position or into space for himself or other backs to run onto it.
As a rugby fly half in the frantically changing situation of a rugby match, he’s guided by
o The game plan
o Your excellent vision in rugby
o Your ability to assess quickly any attacking advantages
o Any opposition defensive weaknesses.
He must do all this, yet watch for and evade, if possible, the opposition forwards who are trying to put him on the floor.