UBB, who was penalized in the last counter ruck in Lyon, lost the victory at the very end of the match (28-26). The paradox is that the Gironde club is particularly effective at this stage of the game and since last year has been taking more and more initiatives to regain its advantage. Facing off at the Stade Français or LOU, Bordelais collected a lot of balls in counter-rucks. “Since last year, we have been very focused on this,” said Christophe Laussuk, the coach in charge of the Gironde defence. “In terms of the counter-ruck, we’re top of the table.”
“Chances to Win”
Since last season, the Girondins have used this weapon more and more to win the ball back and have been quite effective. “It’s because of refereeing rules that are getting tougher against ball scratchers,” explains second row Cyril Cazeaux. Sometimes it’s easier to counter ruck than to scratch the ball and get a penalty. We work on it every day in training, spend five to ten minutes on it. We work hard at this stage of the game, because there is a lot in the match.” Between 200 and 300.
More than scrums or touches, this phase of the game has become the most important in modern rugby. “If you have the balls or spoil the opponent’s balls, you give yourself a chance to win,” said Cyril Cazeaux. All that remains is to gauge the right situations in a fraction of a second in the heat of the moment. “We cannot work on all loads. If the defense of the other side is in place, we will not fight for ten years. If there is an opportunity, we have to react to it and go for it. We, the players, have freedom of choice.” When we know that more than half of the 130 attempts scored by the Gironde club last season came from rebound balls. The counter-ruck is a deadly weapon that must be handled with care. But we saw it in Lyon, it can be two-sided.