Irishmen Primed For All Blacks Battle

The events of the last week have been tremendously painful to us all.

As of June 1st, many rugby teams have been granted the option of getting together to conduct practice. However, the practices must adhere to the six feet social distancing rules and players are not allowed to use any equipment. Therefore, options for a practice plan are going to be extremely limited, but that doesn't mean you can't still get some good out of having the team together. 

For many of rugby players out there, especially us smaller ones, we're all too familiar with the sight of a large, rampaging big man or woman lined up across from us about to get the ball. Our fight or flight instincts kick in, and in that moment of instinctual reaction we dictate the likelihood that the tackle does or does not get made. 

One of the best ways to completely unhinge a defense is to beat your defender one on one with a step or a tackle bust. While not all of us can step like Cheslin Kolbe, we do all have the ability to break a tackle and get our team on the front foot. No matter your size, speed, or strength, you can always bust out of a tackle with some clever use of footwork and a trust in your balance. 

What is rugby and what does it mean to those who play it? I had the privilege of speaking with eight different USA National Team players over the past couple of weeks, and I asked each of them that very question, "What is rugby?"

Somewhere, someday, somebody in 19th century thought to themselves, "Hmm, rugby would be a lot cooler if there were less players and more space to work with." The solution to this pondering was the invention of rugby sevens, which as the name would suggest, involves two teams of sevens playing on the same size pitch as a standard rugby game. 

Though it's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, sports in the world, rugby remains a relatively unknown commodity in the United States. Yes, it's continued to gain some traction through the years and the garden variety sports fan has come to know what the sport is, but by and large it's still a very niche game in the states. 

One of the beautiful things about rugby is that it doesn't take much more than a ball, a pair of boots, some shorts, a shirt, and a mouthpiece to play it. It's an excellent sport that requires little in the way of setting it up, whether it's a real game or just touch. 

My name is Alex Rees and  I am introducing a new FloRugby column titled "Rees' Pieces". I currently play rugby in Austin, Texas for the Austin Huns and the Austin Gilgronis, as well as write and create content for FloSports. 

One of the most effective ways to cross over the try-line is the use of an efficient rolling maul. From club rugby to professional rugby, all the way to the international level, you'll see teams put opponents to the sword with a powerful maul. But, what are the rules surrounding this move, and how can a team make the most of a maul in a given situation?