Fifteen men spread across the field, all making their tackles, is generally enough to blunt any attack and force a tactical kick. Because there is no requirement for the defense to put players into a Ruck situation, they should always retain a numerical advantage over the attack. Ironically, it is the attack that needs the defense to push for possession. By luring defenders into the Ruck contest, space is created, and attacks are more likely to be successful. For the defenders, the decision to participate at a Ruck or stay in the defensive line will be one that is made dozens of times a game. Any incorrect decision here creates the opportunity for the opposing team.

Going beyond possession

Territory (position on the field) is an independent, but also an interdependent, aspect of possession. Territory is a critical factor in a team’s ability to score points. Since very few points are scored from a set piece within the attacking team’s own half of the field. More on this in our piece about coaching a zone system in rugby. An advantage in field position leaves less chance for the defense to stop a line break before a Try is scored. The defensive line, adjacent to any Ruck, is the primary stopping force that halts attacks. But if this line is breached, cross-cover defense, in the form of sweeping fullbacks or scrum-halves can effect a greater percentage of tackles if they’re given more territory between the try-line and defensive line to work with.

For this reason, kicking the ball away, the voluntary sacrificing of possession is a tactic often used to gain territory and put the opposing team’s attack in a position on the field from which they are unlikely to score. The decision of whether to kick or run the ball resides with the team’s leadership and decision-makers. If it’s more likely that they can win back possession from a defensive lineout in the opposition’s half, they should kick. If it’s more likely that they can continue running the ball towards the same position on the field, they should not kick.

(Fig.2) It becomes far easier in rugby to score from a position on the field that is deep in enemy territory. This is where phrases like ‘playing rugby in the right areas’ come from.

Possession of the ball comes with its own risks. Because possession is constantly being contested, it can change hands in an instant via a loose pass or an under-resourced Ruck. Mistakes on the attack can be devastating. Because the attacking team is generally shorter on numbers in the line (due to securing the Ruck) they are naturally vulnerable if a turnover occurs.

Having possession is the best way to avoid the opposition scoring points. But having territory is often the best way to score points yourself. On their own, though, these two states don’t achieve much. To be in possession without territory demands an exit strategy. While to have territory without possession requires your team to take risks to win back the ball. Only in combination are territory and possession truly threatening.

1000 smaller battles

Rugby is sometimes thought of as one thousand smaller battles within a larger conflict. It is not just about getting over the try-line more than the opposition, every decision every player makes during the game has consequences. Each action a player performs during a game of rugby is aimed at winning territory, possession, or both. If an action is successful, it is usually because the player’s team has gained territory or obtained possession. An action is a failure if territory is lost, or possession conceded with no reward.

For example, Team A, in their own 22, kicks onto the opposition fullback – in the other 22, Team A put in a good chase on the kick and force Team B to kick the ball out in their half. Team A now has made 30 to 40 meters of territory, and has regained possession – Team A has won this battle. In the same example, if there is no kick-chase, the result will be a staggered defensive line who have not transitioned quickly enough from attack to defense. Team B would now have the chance to run the ball back to halfway, chip kick to empty space, regather and score.

A big tackle is important because it gains the tackler’s team territory and a chance to compete effectively at the ensuing Ruck. A miss-pass resulting in a line break has a similar effect for the attacking team. These smaller battles are part of the eternal contest for possession, territory, and the combination of both.

Opportunity and pressure

It’s common for a team losing both possession and territory stats to be still winning on the scoreboard. Common, but not the norm. Territory and possession do not immediately translate into points. They just make scoring points more likely. How teams use their territory and possession is what counts. When the opportunity comes knocking in rugby, you have to answer that door, because it does not knock often.

Phrases like: ‘not using the ball’ crop up from time to time in rugby analysis. This kind of language is generally used when a team fails to capitalize on their territorial and possession advantages. While as we’ve been discussing, rugby’s smaller battles are about possession and territory, these are just the building blocks that must be stacked to score points.

It goes without saying that to be in possession is the only way to score a Try, but that does not necessarily mean you need to have the lion’s share of it. Tries can happen within five seconds of possession resulting from an intercept or turnover. In fact, the measure of a quality rugby team is actually how little possession they require to score points. Opportunity often arises from pressure, and pressure comes from the eternal contest.