Stopping the maul

Most driving mauls start from lineouts or from a kick off receipt. Gone are the days when we used them off scrums, but there are more instances of mauls being formed from rucks, especially after a dead phase.

Once a maul forms properly, the defenders know that the referee will give the attacking team two chances to move forward. If the maul stops twice then their 9 must “use it or lose it.” So, the defenders either have to commit resources to stop the momentum, or splinter the maul.

Therefore, the best form of defence against moving mauls is not to let them start moving in the first place.

Stop the “set”

Not allowing the maul to even get setup is great defence. If the tackler puts the ball carrier on the ground to start with then the maul can never start.

Even at lineouts the laws permit a team to “sack” a catcher. One player pulls the catcher to the ground as soon as their feet land. No other defenders should touch the catcher at this point otherwise it might be perceived a maul may be formed and the “sack” becomes collapsing the maul and a penalty kick.

See our practice on page 4 to build this tactic up.

Isolate the ball carrier

Particularly with mauls that begin in open play, the initial blockers at the side of the ball carrier are slow at getting into position. Getting a defender into that gap beside the ball carrier can be the head of a wedge that can drive through the maul and split the ball carrier away from the bulk of their maulers.

Add weight – like a scrum

Even if a good “set” is made by the attackers, getting more bodies behind the ball before the drive starts can halt the maul in its tracks before it has begun moving.

To add weight effectively, the players should take up scrum positions. Don’t let them have their heads up.

If it is moving, then the players should drive into the maul, not just lean in and push. If they can work in pairs, even better.

Turn the tables

If all else has failed and the maul is starting to move, a higher risk strategy may be to attempt to use the attackers own impetus against them. Concentrating a drive against one side of the maul may spin the maul and leave the ball carrier at the rear exposed to a waiting defender (see isolate the ball carrier above) if fast enough, or at least the momentum may halt long enough for weight to be added subsequently.

This is not a tactic for close to the try line. It requires plenty of coordination between the players. In my experience, it works well for more established teams who have been used to using disruptive tactics before. They understand the mechanics and basics of stopping mauls and are open to new ways to do so. That’s why it’s a high risk strategy.