Rugby Saint II

Musts: OT(2), OG, and a DT to pair with Bresee

Needs: RB, TE, and slot CB

Wants: Safety, LB, WR, DE, and punter.

I like our Aussie punter! There are a lot of schools teaching the rugby kick because it is so difficult to field cleanly because of the way the ball spins. This kicking style has heavily limited the punt return yards and pins the opponents inside the twenty on a regular basis. One thing about Lou Hedley is that he doesn't outkick his coverage unit. He is at the bottom of the league for yards per punts though, and I could see another Aussie kicker brought into compete this offseason.

I also wonder how many of Grupe's kicks were missed because of the holder not getting the placement right? I seriously doubt that Hedley is a very experienced holder and it could factor in to the misses.

Incidentally, rugby players only hold for a kick at goal when the wind won't allow for a clean approach to the ball. USA rugby allowed it even before we introduced the kicking tee in the late 1950's. We could also use sand, saw dust, or dirt to prepare for the kick at goal. You also see a lot of drop kicks at goal which is a dynamic play to watch because they can happen from anywhere at the field.