Mind your language: Bernard Jackman's guide to rugby lingo
The tail gunner is the player that stands at the tail or back of the lineout but isn’t involved in the jump or lift. He will be usually around two metres clear at the end of the lineout standing near the 15-metre line. His role is to protect the space where the out half usually defends and is so attractive to the opposition. Each week, attack coaches spend a lot of time analysing who the opposition tail gunner is and if and how he can be manipulated to increase the likelihood of a line break. Many teams are now using their hooker in this role and put their scrum half in the traditional defensive hooker spot to protect the five-metre channel. But that tactic is all about profiling your players. Wales use Mike Phillips (inset) in this role as he enjoys it and is good at defending against big forwards running from lineout peels.
