gregolam

Have only have one practice under my belt and I am still having a little trouble really getting a good handle on how the game flows. Watching the games online helps, but even then it seems a little chaotic and its hard to tell what each position is doing all the time.

I understand all of the individual components (line-outs, scrums, mauls, etc) and the general roles of each position. However it is much easier to understand the players roles during scrums and line outs than it is during open play.

The best sense I can make of it is this, and please correct me if I am wrong:

On offence, the forwards are trying to advance the ball THROUGH the oppossing pack, which results in alot of rucks and mauls, so the advance occurs a bit slowly. The mass of bodies that accumulates in the middle of the field is made up mostly of forwards. The position 8, the fly half and the scrum half are close to the action shouting directions between the pack and the backs which are staying further back a bit during all this. If the scrum half or flyhalf see some openings, they might try to get the ball out to one of their backs, who would in turn make a mad dash for some good yardage. So while everybody is technically on offence, only the pack and halfs are in the front where all the bodies are, while the backs are trying to position themselves for openings on the outside of the mess. So forwards advance the ball more steadily and slowly, while backs advance the ball more occasionally but for lots of ground? In general though is it pack vs pack, and backs versus backs? Or does everybody get mixed around?