The shape
Eight forwards bind in the 3-4-1: props and hooker in front, locks behind, a flanker each side and the number 8 at the back. The scrum-half feeds from the left and moves round to the base once the ball is in. The backs line up to the right, the open side: 10 about ten metres back and across, 12 and 13 wider and deeper, the right wing on the far touchline, the left wing tucked in on the blindside and the full-back twenty metres behind the line.
Roles
- Front row (1, 2, 3). Win a square, stable platform. The hooker strikes and the props keep the scrum level.
- Locks (4, 5). Drive through the props on the hooker's call and stay bound.
- Back row (6, 7, 8). 8 controls the ball at the base and picks or holds for 9; 6 runs the short side; 7 is first away to the open side.
- Scrum-half. Calls the option: pass to 10, pass to a flat 12, or box kick down the blindside.
- Fly-half. Takes the ball with a runner off each shoulder and decides late.
- Centres. 12 runs straight or passes; 13 holds width and attacks the outside shoulder.
- Wings and full-back. Left wing on the blindside, right wing on the touchline, 15 joining between the centres or covering.
Strengths
- Eight forwards tied up on each side, so the backs have the whole open side.
- Clear options off a stable base: 8 pick, 9 to 10, blindside carry.
- A dominant scrum earns penalties and free kicks as well as ball.
Weaknesses
- A weak front row turns the whole set-up into a fight for survival.
- Slow ball at the base lets the opposition back row read the options.
- Where the push is limited or scrums are uncontested, the defence can flood the back line.
When to use it
Set the backs to the open side whenever the scrum is in the left third of the pitch, so the wider space falls to the right. It suits a solid front row and a number 8 with good feet. With a lighter pack, use the base options rather than the drive: a short blindside carry or a quick 9 to 10 before the defence sets. In the wet a pick-and-go or a box kick beats a wide move. Younger age grades have smaller scrums and a limited push, so coach the strike and the first play.
What to coach in training
- Scrummaging only on a machine or in controlled 1v1 and 3v3 sets with a qualified coach present; body position before any live push.
- Walk the back line onto cones, then run the three calls from the base (8 pick, 9 to 10 flat, blindside carry) unopposed until the timing is right.
- Add passive defenders holding shields so 10 learns to read the drift, then a game where every scrum must produce one of the three calls.
Works well against
It copes well with a defence that pushes up fast from the scrum, because the blindside carry and the 8 pick punish a back row that breaks early, and with a drift defence because 12 running straight off 10 pins the inside defenders. Against a lighter pack the drive earns a penalty or lets 8 take the ball on the move.
