Rugby union positions
The flankers and number eight are expected to be the first players to arrive at a breakdown and play an important role in securing possession of the ball for their team.
During early rugby union games there were only really two positions; most players were in the forwards, who formed part of the scrimmage (which later was called "scrummage" and then "scrum"), and a few defensive "tends" (from "goaltenders").
On attack, they can enter the back line, usually near the centres or wings, with the aim of providing an extra person and overlapping the defending players.
Good hands are needed to ensure the ball is caught cleanly to deny the opposition the chance to regain possession.
To provide effective cover behind the defensive line, good full-backs are careful not to get caught out of position and must anticipate the opposition's play.
[23] Wingers are usually the fastest players in the team and tend to be either elusive runners or, more recently, big, strong and able to break tackles.
David Campese, a member of both the International and IRB Halls of Fame,[31] played 101 times for Australia and held the world record for most tries in test matches.
[41] In 1994, International Rugby Hall of Famer John Kirwan retired as the (then) most capped player and highest try scorer in All Black history.
[30] Also in the IRB Hall of Fame is Bill Maclagan, a 19th-century player for Scotland and the Lions, who played at three-quarters, which eventually evolved into the modern position of wing.
[48] Brian O'Driscoll is the fourth-most-capped player in rugby union history, having played 141 test matches, 133 for Ireland (83 as captain), and 8 for the British and Irish Lions.
[53] Other centres in the International Rugby Hall of Fame are Jo Maso and Philippe Sella from France, known for their flamboyant attacking play.
Fly-halves in the International Rugby Hall of Fame include Cliff Morgan, as well as fellow Welshman Phil Bennett, the latter of whom unleashed two great sidesteps to set up what some have described as "the greatest try of all time".
[60] South African Naas Botha scored 312 points (including a record 17 drop goals) despite playing most of his career when the Springboks were boycotted.
[63] Barry John was known simply as "the king" to Welsh rugby fans[64] and was rated third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
[68] Hugo Porta is regarded as one of the finest players that Argentina has produced and has been a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy since 2000.
Gareth Rees of Canada[44] played in all of the first four Rugby World Cups, and remains the country's all-time leading test points scorer.
[70] Kennedy Tsimba of Zimbabwe, younger brother of the aforementioned Richard, only played four times for his country, but was one of the world's top fly-halves in the early 21st century, twice being named the player of the year in South Africa's domestic Currie Cup.
Australian George Gregan, inducted in 2013, retired from international rugby in 2007 with a then-world record 139 test caps, and also captained the Wallabies 59 times.
The number eight, or eighthman in South Africa, binds between the locks at the back of the scrum, providing extra weight at the push.
[80] Number eights are often strong ball carriers and run off the backs in an attempt to break through or push past the opposition's defensive line.
[81] Both positions have a high workrate, meaning the players need to be fit, fast and good at reading the opposition's attacking plays.
[81] Teams often use their openside flankers to 'charge' the opposition fly-half, putting pressure on him and forcing him to rush his decision-making, kicking or passing.
Flankers in the International Rugby Hall of Fame include: Dave Gallaher, Michael Jones, Ian Kirkpatrick, Graham Mourie (all New Zealand), Francois Pienaar (South Africa), Jean Prat (France), Jean-Pierre Rives (France), Fergus Slattery (Ireland and Lions), and Wavell Wakefield (England).
[85] At the line-out the locks are lifted and supported by teammates, allowing them to compete for the ball, either passing or tapping it to the scrumhalf or setting up a drive.
Hookers in the International Rugby Hall of Fame include: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) and Keith Wood (Ireland and Lions).
Some of the more successful props have short necks and broad shoulders to absorb this force as well as powerful legs to drive the scrum forward.
However, flankers can usually play number eight, like Grégory Alldritt, David Pocock, Caelan Doris and Kieran Read.
Many players may also be capable of playing lock as well as a back-row position, with several modern examples being Sébastien Chabal, Maro Itoje, Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Courtney Lawes, Steven Luatua, and Cameron Woki, all with international caps in both rows of the scrum.
South African captain and IRB Hall of Fame member John Smit has played test matches in every front row position.
[104] 2013 IRB Hall inductee Waisale Serevi,[105] although most famous as a sevens player and primarily a fly-half in 15s, also started tests as a scrum-half, full-back and wing, and came off the bench once as a centre and once as an emergency lock.
