As the game has evolved, so too have the roles that different teams use in different backline positions.
The discourse around rugby hasn’t fully caught up with this evolution, although I will say that people are more likely to talk about player differences in certain positions in the backs than they are in the forwards. I mean, the differences are plain as day, and not just in the 2020s. Look at the #12 jersey historically, for example.
Jeremy Gusgott wore #12 for England in the 1990s, but he was a very different style #12 than, say, Scott Gibbs, who played at the same time.
If anything, the conversations surrounding the modern game don’t give the backs enough credit for the various roles and player archetypes that have evolved over the last 30 years.
So let’s get into it.
Half Backs
Winger 9: This style of scrumhalf is probably the most sought-after in the game at the moment, in part because it’s so effective in contemporary, transition-based attacking systems where speed, support lines, and improvisation are more important than their ability to feed possession into a structure. I call this role a Winger 9 because the players who best fit this role could easily double as wingers without much of a change in what they do on the field.
High-Level Examples: Antoine Dupont*, Jamison Gibson Park, Alex Mitchell, Cam Roigard
* I’ve listed Antoine Dupont here as a general example of the role, but he’s an outlier in that he could realistically embody all of these roles because of his being a once in a century level talent.
Pass Controller: This scrumhalf shows all the classic traits of the position, with a big focus on pass quality, accuracy and speed of delivery. It’s not that these #9s break less often than Winger 9s, but their first instinct is passing the ball, and the best Pass Controllers will have incredible range, as well as a cultured kicking game.
High-Level Examples: Craig Casey, Maxime Lucu, Aaron Smith
Air Raid 9: You might say that the Air Raid 9 is beginning to cycle out of relevancy, but for most of the last decade, this type of scrumhalf ruled the roost. Their big strength is often directly tied to their physical stature; these scrumhalves are almost always physically bigger than most other players in the position, and as a result, are usually better, more impactful defenders and can finish tries through collisions that others cannot.
Their other primary skill is their kicking game, where they either have incredible distance, accuracy or variety; the very best have all three, on top of good passing fundamentals and territorial control.
High-Level Examples: Conor Murray, Jack Van Poortvliet, Faf De Klerk, Ben Spencer
Every one of these scrumhalf role types fits with a certain type of flyhalf as part of the most important relationship on the field – the one between #9 and #10. In the last few years, I’ve realised that role combinations that worked in years gone by – Peter Stringer (Pass Controller) with Ronan O’Gara (Deep Pivot), to give a relevant Munster example – don’t really work on their own in the modern game without a lot of work going on in the overall attacking scheme or wider builds.
That’s the key thing with role sets and team builds; the most important thing is how they relate to the other roles in the team as part of the grand vision of the coach.
Slashing Playmaker: These players create a lot of their own attacking space through their athleticism, pace and power. As a result, they can sometimes be seen covering #12 or fullback, because of their athletic qualities. This type of attacking playmaker does most of their best work on the run, and pairs best with a Pass Controller or Air Raid #9 in most cases.
High-Level Examples: Jack Crowley, Romain Ntamack, Mathieu Jalibert, Beauden Barrett, Marcus Smith, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Deep Pivot: This is a role type usually filled by veteran playmakers who are entering the last few years of their careers. It’s normally filled by players who have a massive game IQ, a really sophisticated passing game and kicking game, but who don’t quite have the legs or athleticism for the kind of contact they might have taken when younger. They normally play quite deep from the gainline and look great when an attack rotates around them. Sam Prendergast is a notable exception to the “veteran” part of this build, but has the game understanding and pass variety to be a very modern version of it.
High-Level Examples: Johnny Sexton (2020-23), Dan Biggar (2019-25), Sam Prendergast, Owen Farrell (2020-25), Handre Pollard (2019-25)
Floating Playmaker: This playmaker archetype is something of a mix between the Deep Pivot and Slashing Playmaker in that the players who fit this description can sometimes embody the key traits of both without ever really settling into either.
They are normally incredibly nimble around the gainline when they do carry the ball, and often have a tight offload in their arsenal as well as being well able to dip back into the second or third layer as a “floating” playmaker. Slashing Playmakers often transition into Floating Playmakers as they age. They can also find a second usage in the #15 jersey or as #23 in a 6/2 split.
High-Level Examples: JJ Hanrahan, Finn Russell, Joey Carbery, Richie Mo’unga, Damian McKenzie
Impact Playmaker: This type of playmaker emerged in the late 2000s and dominated the 2010s when it came to elite defensive robustness and real threat with the ball in hand, due to their physical stature. These players sometimes featured as ball-playing #12s, such was their ability to handle collisions on both sides of the ball. The very best exponents of this role mixed up their physical directness with an excellent short and mid-range passing game. They often transition into Deep Pivots later in their career.
High-Level Examples: Johnny Sexton (2009-19), Dan Biggar (2010-19), Owen Farrell (2011-20), Handre Pollard (2015-20), Andre Esterhuizen, Jordie Barrett
Power Hitter: This role type has a few different sub-roles within it, but the main job is usually the same – carrying the ball and impacting as a tackler. These players will be incredibly durable physically and athletically, but they are also expected to have an incredibly wide skill set. They are expected to pass the ball all through the ranges, lead edge defence and set piece scenarios, and be an offensive and defensive ruck player. They can play #12, #13 or both wing spots as the scheme requires and, in truth, even when they play in midfield starting numbers, they will end up on the wing incredibly often depending on the play.
High-Level Examples: Alex Nankivell, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Ollie Lawrence, Jessie Kriel, Damian De Allende, Timoci Tavatavanawai
Edge Playmaker: This midfield playmaker – who shouldn’t be confused with someone who can play as the primary playmaker, even if they might have played at #10 when they were younger, before they were professional – is a pretty rare archetype these days because you need a high possession, high width game plan to take advantage of it. They will usually base most of their playmaking on offloading or short/mid-range passing.
High-Level Examples: Tom Farrell, Antoine Frisch, Nicolas Depoortère, Émilien Gailleton
Second Five: This isn’t a new role and is probably one of the oldest role variations there is. A Second Five is a midfield player who displays a lot of the same playmaking skills as a #10, but doesn’t really play at #10 all that often, barring emergencies due to injury or suspension. They are usually a blend of either a Slashing Playmaker or an Impact Playmaker with a Strike Playmaker, and you’ll know this role type because they’ll always have a strong kicking game. These players will often alternate at first receiver and are sometimes selected to balance out a high-carrying Slashing Playmaker or Impact Playmaker, even though they wouldn’t be typically considered to be as good creatively. They are usually more instinctive when it comes to their playmaking, and their usage reflects this.
High-Level Examples: David Havilli, Len Ikitau, Ciaran Frawley (as an Irish example)
Inside Winger: These are incredibly quick, creative players who play as a looping winger or as a fullback, and sometimes they’ll have minutes all across the backline, depending on the individual. They are marked out by their creative passing game, offloading ability, and kicking variety close to the gainline without necessarily being primary playmakers.
High-Level Examples: Mack Hansen, James Lowe
Strike Runner: This player can fill midfield spots or on the wing, but in the last few years, the kicking volume expected of wingers has forced a lot of players in this role into the #13 jersey. They are marked out by their power in contact, initial explosivity through contact, their offloading ability, their pace/acceleration and their ability to finish from range.
High-Level Examples: Rieko Ioane, Joseph Sua’ali’i, Huw Jones
Power Winger: This winger archetype is the only backline role that has specific physical traits because its entire point is to overwhelm either the 3/4 space or the edges with physicality, power and athleticism. I note this as Power Winger because of how many players end up wearing #11 or #14, but it’s not unheard of for some players in this role type to end up as midfielders, either via scheme or later in their career.
Physical Traits: Almost always 6’2″+. They weigh in at 100kg+ without exception.
High-Level Examples: Duhan Van Der Merwe, Joshua Tuisova, Jiuta Wainiqolo
Slashing Outside Winger: These wingers are defined by their top-end speed, evasion, agility, chasing ability and finishing. It’s as simple as that. They will be quite balanced from a skill-set perspective – good passers and kickers – and you will sometimes find them playing as fullbacks, but their identifying feature is their speed and evasion.
High-Level Examples: Thaakir Abrahams, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Darcy Graham, Will Jordan, Aphelele Fassi, Damian Penaud
Strike Playmaker: This type of player is almost always used as a fullback or even a winger, but also acts as a kicking option and secondary playmaker, both at first receiver and in the wider channels. In some schemes, they can even be their team’s primary playmaker when it comes to phase play, but you’ll rarely see them starting with #10 on their backs. They’ll usually be quite good in the air and as backfield positional players.
High-Level Examples: Willie Le Roux, Blair Kinghorn, Thomas Ramos, Elliot Daly
Lockdown Fullback: This role type relates to the players who spend the majority of their career as a fullback because they offer traits that are vital to the position. They’ll be brave in the air, have great spatial awareness when it comes to their backfield coverage, and be excellent communicators when it comes to managing transitions, edge defensive plays and set piece sequences. They’ll usually be pretty quick or, at the very least, be quick off the mark when it comes to their ability to read attacking plays. The best lockdown fullbacks have an extraordinarily good record of landing last-ditch tackles, but, conversely, are rarely known for their attacking prowess, either creatively or as strike runners. They will almost always have an excellent kicking game when it comes to exits or managing kicking duels.
High-Level Examples: Hugo Keenan, Mike Haley, Freddie Steward
This is about all of the roles that I’ve identified at the time of writing, but I’ll keep this article and the previous one updated with new High Level Example players and list out new roles as I spot them.
In the next instalment of this series, I’ll be explaining terms like Pass Per Carry, Kick Per Pass, the 3/4 Space and others.
