Know your forward pass from an offside?

YOU have eight days to brush up on your rugby speak, but it may also be worth knowing what you are talking about.

Being able to tell the difference between a conversion and a try will be crucial over the next few weeks.

Be clear about your passes. If you see a guy being slapped by a beautiful woman in a bar, it was probably because he gave her a forward pass. But in rugby it’s when a ball is passed in a forward direction from one teammate to another.

Looking at the cheerleaders on the side of pitch while the game is on is considered to be offside. But, not being behind the last feet of a ruck or a maul before the ball is played is also offside. Don’t know what a try is? Don’t be too concerned, for years the Stormers have also tried to figure this one out. In fact, they are getting an Aussie called Eddie Jones to solve this mystery.

In New Zealand, a try takes place when a player touches the ball down in the opponent’s in-goal area or on their goal line. You earn five points.

Once a try has been scored the next step is a conversion: It’s what the Stormers are going to have to do when they pay Jones in dollars.

But a conversion is also a reward for scoring a try. This is when a team gets a shot to kick for goal. It’s worth two points.

Don’t be alarmed when you see 16 burly guys in a huddle as they scramble for the ball. It’s called a scrum, not a group hug. This normally takes a while to materialise because someone’s head is either too loose or too tight. Expect a scrum after a forward pass.

A lineout takes place when a ball is kicked out of play. The opposing teams form two lines, much jostling and airlifting goes on, a bit like a chaotic ballet, and a ball is hurled down the line. Remember Naas Botha in his prime? His shorts remained white because he was a flyhalf – all they do is kick the ball.

The guys running up and down the touch line waving flags are linesmen, or assistant referees. While they are there to help the referee on the field, they mostly get advice from the “referees” on the stands. Sometimes they also get naartjies tossed at them. People seem to think they they really love naartjies.

Finally… There are 15 players in a rugby team, eight forwards and seven backline players. There is one referee on the field and about 20 000 other “referees” on the stands.