Defending against a well organised, dynamic maul is very difficult. But there are actions that can be taken which will challenge the maul and the players operating it.
Since most mauls are set up at the line-out, reacting before the maul is set, often presents the best opportunity to defend it. The most efficient way to prevent the maul forming is to take the line-out jumper to ground as soon as they land from their jump. It must be pointed out that any interference with the line-out jumper before they land is an offence punishable by a penalty as it is regarded as dangerous play.
The player best positioned to take the jumper to ground is the player contesting the jump. The defending jumper should tackle the attacking jumper around the waist and pull them to ground towards themselves. Should they achieve this, while the jumper is still in possession, the ball carrier (attacking jumper) is then on the ground with the ball and a ruck immediately ensues, as players from both teams engage over the ball.
This action prevents a maul being set up directly from the line-out. To set up a maul in this situation, the attacking team will need to pick up the ball and begin to build a maul from scratch. Under the circumstances, and particularly with defending players in close proximity, setting the maul becomes extremely difficult and a risky endeavour.
If the defending jumper brings the attacking jumper to ground, but the ball has been “linked” by an attacking support player, setting up a maul is still a possibility for the attacking team. In this situation there is a brief moment when the ball is vulnerable and the attacking jumper who would normally protect the ball from the defenders is on the ground.
The players who were lifting the defending jumper should immediately drive into the space vacated by the attacking line-out jumper who has been brought to ground. It is important that the defending players react immediately to occupy this space as it will only be available for an instant before it is sealed off by the attacking team.
If the defending players can win the space vacated by the attacking line-out jumper, they can immediately access the link player who is in possession of the ball after it was transferred from the line-out jumper. Should they gain access to the link player while the link player is in possession it is possible to tie up the ball and force the ensuing maul to become unplayable, thereby creating a turnover of possession.
If the defending players, who were formally the defending line-out lifters, fail to gain access to the link player in possession, their role does not end there. They should continue to drive aggressively through the centre of the maul, where the link player is located, in an attempt to disrupt, fracture and drive the maul backwards as it is forming.
While this is happening other defensive players should join the maul in strong, aggressive driving positions with the same view in mind of disrupting, fracturing and driving he maul backwards as it is forming. The number of players that should follow the initial two defenders by driving into the maul can be as many as a team feels necessary to achieve their goal.
Obviously the more players the defence commit to the task of defending the maul, the more likely they are to achieve their goal. But they should never commit more than six defenders to defend a maul, i.e the initial two defenders who were the initial defensive lifters plus four more defenders. The remaining two forwards should resist committing to the maul in order to defend the space on each side of the maul. Each player should take up a defensive onside position behind the hindmost foot on each side of the maul.
It is important that these defensive roles each side of the maul are filled continuously while the maul is in operation. Once one of these positions are neglected or left vacant for even a moment, the opposition can attack that space very simply with serious consequences for the defence.
Despite the best efforts of the defending team, should the attacking team succeed in building and moving forward an attacking maul, the task of defending it becomes much more difficult but still not impossible.
In this situation the players who have committed to driving into the maul to defend it should continue to drive as aggressively as possible through the centre of the maul. This may force the maul backwards or even fracture it, but it us more likely to force the maul to wheel in a particular direction.
When the maul begins to wheel in a particular direction, it is important that the defender on that side of the maul, to which the maul is wheeling towards, reacts immediately. That defender should drive aggressively into the maul while trying to fracture some of the attacking player on that side of the maul away from the maul. To achieve this it is important the defender enters the maul “Through The Gate” and not in the side of the maul which is a penalty.
The player who is defending the far side of the maul, where there is now no threat as the maul has wheeled completely away from that side, should immediately move around to stand as defender on the side to where the maul has wheeled. Thos takes away the threat of the attacking team exploiting that space around the side of the maul.
As the maul is wheeling, any player who is defending within the maul and finds themselves on the attacking side of the ball (i.e. the ball is between them and their own goal line), should immediately leave the maul. The first player that leaves the maul under these circumstances should immediately fill the vacated defensive role on the side the maul has wheeled away from. The remainder of the players should drive into the maul, following the initial player who drove into the maul from a defensive fringe position, helping to fracture the maul as it wheels around. Once again it is important that players enter the maul through the gate.
It may take a number of efforts by the defence to cause the maul to wheel and then aggressively drive at the maul in the direction it wheels, before the maul will begin to disintegrate from the constant defensive onslaught. But if the defending team react quickly, aggressively and remain in an onside position throughout, it is possible to terminate the maul.
The tactic of successfully defending the driving maul requires the same amount of skill, cohesion, aggression, concentration and attention to detail as building a successful attacking maul. For that reason it is just as important to practice defending the maul as it is to practice building an attacking maul.
Eddie
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