What is the most challenging position to play?

First topic message reminder :

What in your opinion is the most difficult position to play on a rugby field? Each position has difficult technical challenges and requires different abilities. For example the pressure on the out half and the required game managing skill are a world apart from the dark arts of the front row, where technique and power are vital.

I have separated the three different front row players because of the major differences in tighthead and loosehead scrummaging.

eirebilly - that's certainly a good point. My reason for thinking out half to be harder is that it requires passing, kicking, running and defensive skills, while keeping cool under pressure and managing the game in terms of the ratio of kicking to passing.

Hobo - just goes to show that a lot of the players are quite down to earth if they are happy to answer your questions. It's good to see.

Physically demanding has to be the front row. You can interchange players in every other position, but you have to be a specialist to play in the front row, and with good reason.

I would have said the technique is just as important in the front row. Of course these these days they are also expected to carry and do lots of work around the park.

Hookers especially are expected to be extra back rowers which is very difficult if your on the back foot in the scrummage.

Tom Catterick (of Newcastle Falcons has tweeted to say his answer is prop.

Nice to see someone not picking their own position!

Another pro has tweeted his answers:

Rob Kearney has tweeted me that he thinks "has to be a goal kicking 10 or tight head prop!"

Cheers Rob

There's definitely a great diversity of opinion. Even a short list wouldn't be too short, but at the moment, the main candidates seem to be: tighthead prop, hooker, scrum half, and out half.

ESPN scrum reporter:

@Graham_Jenkins
Graham Jenkins
@606v2rugby I'd go for fly-half but a good prop can command big money which maybe tells you something.

@TomMay1
Tom May
@606v2rugby physically would be prop or 7 - mentally 10

Tom May (Toulon, going to Northampton next season)

@egg_daly
Elliot Daly
@606v2rugby I would say 10 probably so many things to think about

London wasps

@TomVoyce
Tom Voyce
@606v2rugby @matt9dawson 10 would say! A lot of responsibility!

Gloucester player

Out half is definitely getting support from the professionals so far.

That's some good work Hobo.

just had a major dialogue with Jeremy Guscott about the Manu punch up - check out :
https://www.606v2.com/t4912-england-quality-give-me-a-break#109686

I only used twitter for the first time properly last week - I am officially hooked!

Fly half has to be the hardest position to play, so many decisions to make, and very little time to make them. Much of the pressure falls upon the fly half

Welcome to the forum Phoenix!

So you would say it's the mental side of the equation that makes out half the hardest?

lads as a two sided prop, i would have to say loosehead is the toughest, a good tighthead will make a loosehead feel rough for a few days.

Cheers schrodinger! I think the pressure that a fly half is put under, mentally and physically, marks it out to be the most difficult position to play. Decisions have to made quickly, and fly halfs are often targeted. They are the teams key Tactical Decision maker. At pro level, fly halfs are also often one of the most prominent members of the team in terms of media exposure, which means if they make a bad mistake, it tends to be amplified, more then another players mistake might be

A lot of the debate we have been having has essentially been whether the physical aspects of the front row are more challenging than the mental pressures of the out half. Perhaps it depends on your personality - some people can cope with mental pressure better than a physical challenge and vice versa.

Winger is the only position that has no votes. What does that tell us?

Schrodinger's Cat wrote:Winger is the only position that has no votes. What does that tell us?

That it is, by unanimous decision, the second most challenging position to play.

My vote is shared between either of the half-backs, currently weighted towards the fly-half. At the highest level, the tacticians by-and-large decide the outcome, which ought to be the most difficult task.

Basic skills are common to all,Front Row need technical skills in scrummaging.
In Short there is NO most challenging position,they all have there pluses and minuses.

Hydroxymoron - The AV referendum was rejected, so it's first past the post. Therefore the one with the least votes is last!

Schrodinger's Cat wrote:The AV referendum was rejected

I didn't know this poll had shores!

Well, since there aren't transferable votes on this site, there isn't really much choice in voting methods.

Front Row is just so physically demanding and tough. You're taking so much weight on your neck and back, it's a punishing thing to do. The scrum is a thing in itself.

Any of those positions.

I voted back row....admittedly where I have spent most of my days playing...but I've played a few other positions.

The relentless physicality of playing openside....you're never stood still waiting for anything, you're either scrummaging, running, rucking, tackling or carrying. Always remember that moment when you're just about disentagled from a ruck...you take that one deep breath, look around for a second...then haul yourself up and throw your body at the next contact area.

Overall, the forwards are definitely regarded as harder than the backs, especially centre and the back three.

As an ex-tight head myself I had to vote for the position. I mean not only did I have to shove the opposition 8 back all on my own, I had to score bulldozing tries, sidestep whole back divisions at a time, send out long spinning miss passes to the wings and body swerve my way through packs of forwards.

.... ah, heck! That was last night after I had a few pints and that doobie