The thrill of the chase

I, personally, am a fan of running rugby, ball in hand and moving it up the field. Kicking away possession causes a rather unflattering vein in my forehead to pulsate and expletives to flow from my lips. I do understand the need the need for gaining ground and booting the ball obviously has its place in the game. Last Friday night, however, said vein was doing the locomotion wearing leg warmers and making my ears ring. I was watching the Lions play the Brumbies and it was ugly. It wasn’t the score that had my blood doing the Kylie Minogue tribute cabaret; it was the lack of urgency in the player’s follow-ups.

My vein - less attractive than her's

One of the most beautiful plays in the game of rugby is the up-and-under, but there is an integral part of that move that was not present at Coca-Cola Park that night. It is the root of the dog’s obsession with balls, the hunter’s kill, the excitement of finding a potential mate; it is all about the chase. Kicking up field without a follow up is like eating a whole cake and then going on the spinning teacup ride at a fair, it may seem ok when you do it, but chances are it won’t end well.

A chase puts pressure on the receiving player; it cuts down their time to react and often forces a fumble from an otherwise well composed player. A rushed boot for touch that comes of the side of the foot, a blunder of a catch resulting in a knock on or sometimes an embarrassing panic induced slip, can all be triggered by simply following up. If it works one out of ten times it’s worth it. Just take a look at the Edinburgh Toulouse game, it was exactly the things mentioned above that won the game – fuck ups caused by follow ups – it’s pure rugby porn.

I know the term “possession is 9/10^ths of the law” is usually used in regards to drugs but it rings true in rugby too. You can’t score without the ball, it’s not rocket surgery. My message is this: don’t give away possession without a fight. If you kick, make sure someone from your team is there when it lands. If not for the obvious, then please, for my vascular health.