Wales, the Waikato chiefs and the Otago Highlanders were beaten by it. Wales, humiliated in the first test and manoeuvred into hear-breaking defeat in the second by the mighty South African pack, seemed unable to deal with its simplicity and potency and crumbled. They were not the first side to do so. There can be no doubt that a well organised, powerful driving maul can extinguish the resolve of the most determined opposition.
The driving maul – it’s time to make it a fair contest
SA and their Super15 teams have developed the strategy into an art form, aping the ancient “testudo” of the Romans. The lessons from one of the most successful military empires have not been lost on the Bokke as they similarly seek to overwhelm their opponents. The key to their plan is to gain a penalty, secure field position, anywhere 5-15 metres from their opponents’ try line and they are confident that they will score. From the ensuing lineout secure and safeguard the ball, adopt a united tight position and as a unit drive over the line. This tactic was also used by the Irish in the 6 Nations against Wales to great effect, and SA inflicted such mortal damage upon the men in red that the success of their driving maul almost overshadowed a wonderful virtuoso performance by Willie le Roux. Across the rugby world this tactic is used by a dominant pack to win tight games or simply to suffocate the fight out of the opposition, Leicester, Toulon, Munster, the Sharks and Ulster to name a few, certainly utilise it more than most.
Yet, so much of this much-vaunted tactic is illegal, but conversely it is the defences that are penalised as they do their best to deal with a phalanx of obstruction before them. Referees appear all too often to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacking side allowing them far more laxity in how they go about their business, and it is in danger of suffocating the game. It should not come down to flair always losing out to power.
The process begins often with a “Not Straight” throw, ignored by the referee and the assistant. The fact that the opposition generally does not contest the throw should make it easier for this offence to be seen but from then on the offences really begin to snowball. Once the ball is caught it is passed through several pairs of hands to the rear of the constructed maul, placing several substantial bodies between the opposition and it. Anywhere else on the field and it would be called “Obstruction”. The referee focuses almost exclusively on the defence and their choices of how to defend by the time the ball is safely pouched are minimal; if the maul collapses they will be deemed to have pulled it down, pushing from the side will mean “entering from the side” and so on. Worse, as Wales found, referees will now use the yellow card as well. Men from the attacking side though can appear to join the maul with impunity often from the side or beyond the ball. This occurs when the maul has lost momentum. Another opportunity for the referee to intervene is that if the maul stops for 5 seconds he can order a turnover – which never happens! For the defence the inevitable result is a try or another penalty and the whole grinding process begins again.
The driving maul is not killing the game, yet as a spectacle it is doing it no favours. Watching two huge packs slugging it out is not as good to watch as great passing moves, counter attacks or even a bit of open play. For the sake of the quality of the game a fair contest has to be allowed. There are no rule changes required here, but as with the scrum it only has to be refereed to the rules. Apply them properly and consistently and the game, players and spectators will all benefit. South Africa at the moment would lose one of their principal attacking weapons, but as Wales and Scotland would contest, they have plenty of others at their mighty disposal.
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