Rugby ATL Produces ‘Rugby 101’ Episode 6: The Lineout, as Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on the Set Piece

For our sixth episode of the ‘Rugby 101’ video series, pro player Neets Gericke is assisted by a few of his fellow forwards as we educate you in detail about the lineout. After a quick refresher on where a lineout takes place and what the attacking team hopes to accomplish, Neets walks us through the process, on-field, with our own ATL players. 

As our camera angle changes to Neets’ “Coachie Cam,” he explains the variations of lineouts that are possible: from a seven-man lineout down to a three-man lineout; and the channels that may be attacked: in the front, the middle, or the back.

Just before the guys begin to compete, Neets offers some wise words, “it’s all about outsmarting the defense, to get a clean lineout ball for the backline to attack from.”

Marno Redelinghuys, the attacking captain, identifies that seeing and attacking the space of the lineout optimizes a teams’ chances of success. Finding the easiest ball, along with the hooker anticipating the throw perfectly, are invaluable traits for the lineout specialists.

The final part of our video involves Neets teaching us more about the micro-skills within the lineout: the jumper, the lifters, the steps possible if a jumper is being marked by an opponent. When the pods have their core skills drilled to proficiency, the team is in a great place to win their own ball.

Follow along on with the next video for our ‘Rugby 101’ series, as Neets takes us through the other set-piece: The Scrum.