RBP Player Rankings: Top Ten Scrumhalves

The scrum half position is of vital importance. He gives the forwards a common enemy to hate, uniting them in a way, for without his presence they’d amble about in the wide channels, attempting to side step *GASP*. The primary organizer of the team in attack, the scrum half must have the decision making ability to be able to make pinpoint passes to the right players, all while having hungry forwards breathing hard down his neck. I’ve chosen to leave out Fourie Du Preez because, well, he hasn’t played in ages.

10. Niko Matawalu:

The Fijian excitement machine is a thrill to watch at scrum half…well most of the time. When his bold decisions don’t come off, he can be brutal to watch, but most of the time they are so unexpected, they work out in the end. From quick taps inside his own 5 meter line, to being unsure of whether he is a scrumhalf or a wing, Matawalu is great to watch, but I do feel that if he were playing on my side, I would be terrified of what he is going to do next. The pace at which Matawalu runs the game can be problematic for opposition, especially late in the match, when players are tiring, and Matawalu’s sniping runs and remarkable offloads become harder and harder to stop.

9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde:

The Toulon scrum half has recently become the favorite for France at 9, and he suits their newfound style of play very well. He controls the game very well from the base of the ruck, marshalling forwards to where he wants them, before giving crisp ball out to his outside backs. Another great skill that Tillous-Borde does possess is a mastery of the box kick, which keeps France and Toulon in the right areas of the field. The Frenchman has quite the resume, having won three Heineken Cup titles with Toulon, and absolutely has what it takes to win big games. He is more than likely to be the starter for France at 9, and with any luck can provide the structure they need to compete with Ireland to win Pool D.

8. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne:

One of the younger members of the list, a good World Cup could see him skyrocket up it. Hidalgo Clyne plays the game at a high pace, and if he cannot be controlled early on in the match prepare to see him running with great frequency. While he is a relative newcomer to the 9 shirt, and his box kicking is frequently poor, with any sort of clean ball, Hidalgo-Clyne sets the match at a furious tempo, exhausting the opposition and keeping his side on the front foot. He can also take over place kicking duties, a role which he took on admirably for Edinburgh further adding to his long list of skills. Greig Laidlaw currently has the 9 jersey pretty much locked down for Scotland, but there are not many who deny that Hidalgo-Clyne is a more than capable replacement .

7. Eoin Reddan:

Conor Murray has suffered his third concussion in 12 months, meaning Ireland may have to contemplate life without the Munster star, but fortunately for them, Reddan is in flying form at the moment. With three Heineken Cups, a Challenge Cup, a Premiership title, and 4 Pro 12 titles, so it fair to say that he has big game experience. Reddan runs the game at a high pace, but unlike some, he also has an ability to control that pace, which has yielded plenty of rewards for Leinster and Ireland over the years. Ireland’s win over England in 2011, shattering English hopes of a grand slam was led by Reddan’s uptempo attack (coupled with great work from a dominant forwards display). Another great example was Leinster’s come from behind win over Harlequins in this years champions cup, when Reddan came off the bench with Leinster reeling, and completely changed the momentum of the game, dummying through the Quins defence and then taking a penalty quickly, which put Leinster in position for Ian Madigan’s game winning penalty.

6. Danny Care:

There was a time when we thought that no one could usurp Danny Care in the England pecking order. He was in such a rich vein of form that no one else was even a viable option at 9. Care and Farrell, that was the way forward for England. And then the idea of Ben Youngs and George Ford started to catch on, and now the tables have turned. Care is still an excellent scrumhalf, there’s no two ways about that, but he seems to have fallen out of favor for England. Care is something of an all rounder as a scrumhalf. His boxkicking keeps his side in the right parts of the field, and he possesses an array of attacking kicks to gain territory and create scoring chances, He can control the game very well, but is capable of speeding the pace when he wants, and his agility and acceleration mean he is always a threat with ball in hand. Youngs is in outstanding form at the moment, but should Care be given a chance against Fiji, he may just win the 9 shirt back for himself, perhaps even with a moment of magic like this.

5. Ruan Pienaar:

The South African is in very good form right now, and is likely to force Heyneke Meyer to make a tough decision regarding who will start at 9 for his side. Pienaar has a bewildering arsenal of kicks at his disposal, and there are very few who have the talent that he has for pinning opposition players deep in their own 22. While he may not be the most exciting of players, he consistently supplies clean ball to his fly half, and controls the game very well. That does not mean, however, that he is ponderous from ruck to ruck and wastes time while gaps are closed, in fact it is the opposite. Very few are as opportunistic as the Ulster scrumhalf, who has an uncanny ability to put his teammates through the defence while organizing the next phase to do the same thing again. When he has a good set piece in front of him something Ulster and South Africa frequently provide, Pienaar can be very hard to stop.

4. TJ Perenara:

Probably the most prolific try scorer on this list, Perenara made a habit of crossing the whitewash for the Hurricanes this season, finishing second overall for tries scored and first for scrum halves by a country mile. His quick, efficient service, and darting eyes mean that the Hurricanes left no gaps unpunished, and when Perenara got quick ball, he was deadly. Don’t think that Perenara is a scorer first and a scrum half second however, as his mastery of the basics is absolute. He and Aaron Smith will be creating quite the battle for first choice in the All Blacks lineup, with both in dominant form and causing problems for not only their opposition, but Steve Hansen as well. Perenara is likely to end up as the second choice given his relative youth, but off the bench he will be a lethal weapon for the All Blacks from the get go. Having said that, should Smith succumb to injury, I would strongly consider giving Perenara a shout in my fantasy rugby team.

3. Ben Youngs:

It must be said that Youngs is in a very rich vein of form. Having overcome what he described as a “Lions Hangover” he is now playing like he was when he was selected for the Lions back in 2013. Youngs has electric pace, but has the ability to switch between being a game manager, and a game breaker. One great example is the controlled, moderate way he ran things for England during the 6 Nations, when accuracy and patience were necessities. Then came Super Saturday, and England had plenty of points to make up, so the shackles came off for Youngs and England, and boy did they flourish. Up against a French team that had not given up a single point the week before, Youngs exploded into life, he had 55 passes against 8 carries, but what he did with those carries is what is staggering, scoring 2 tries, as well as giving an assist, making 87 meters with ball in hand, 4 clean breaks, and he beat 4 defenders. Any player with such a diverse skillset simply must be on this list, and that is why Youngs is included.

2. Conor Murray:

Probably one of the world’s best box kickers at scrumhalf, Murray is central to Ireland’s plans at the World Cup. His concussion woes are a bit of a concern in the long run, but there can be no denying the Munster scrum halves excellent play over the last few seasons. Ireland routinely rely on him as their exit strategy of kickoffs, and he consistently finds touch with plenty of distance. He is also very good at leaving kicks hanging in the air, for Ireland’s high ball experts, Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney to get under. Its not as though Murray isn’t an excellent attacking scrum half though, as his crisp passing and quick thinking have put Ireland into gaps consistently since he began to take over as Ireland’s top scrumhalf. His large frame has drawn many comparisons to a young Mike Phillips, and Murray seems to be getting better and better every year. Should he be healthy at the World Cup, Ireland are in great position to claim the Webb Ellis Cup.

1. Aaron Smith:

It says a lot that the Highlanders scrum half is considered by many to be a sure thing over TJ Perenara. Smith is a great all around option for Steve Hansen and was at the forefront of his team’s run to the Super Rugby title. Smith is quick and has excellent decision making, but more often than not it’s his offloading ability that sets him apart. It means that he can force defenders to commit to a tackle, and then he still has the ability to distribute to others around him. Truthfully though, one of the key things about any good scrum half, and especially Smith, is the ability to avoid getting tackled at all. Smith is more than happy to snipe and pass which means that he is always ready for the next phase. This speeds up the game, something that the All Blacks love to do, and if his forwards are crossing the gainline and getting him quick ball, Smith and his side become an almost unstoppable machine. Now his box kicking can be suspect at times, but it is usually a very effective part of his arsenal. At 26 years old, the All Blacks will have the services of Smith for many years to come, and this is a major cause for concern for some of their bigger rivals.