How New Rugby Law Changes Are Fueling the Rise of the Driving Maul

Summer law clarifications transformed the rolling maul into an overwhelming try machine during the November international window, according to data from BBC Sport.

Rugby regulations were tweaked in the summer so that defending players can no longer swim up the side of the maul, BBC Sport reported. Previously, individuals could maintain their bind and work their way round to pull apart the attacking team’s momentum, but now defenders past the ball must detach and rejoin from behind the back foot.

England forward Alex Coles told BBC Sport that the change made the set-piece stakes higher and more immediate. “The maul now is so much about who wins that first second,” Coles told BBC Sport. “Under the old laws, there was more of a chance for a defence to try to rescue and recover the situation.”

Maul tries more than doubled across international fixtures in November, reaching 0.67 per game compared to 0.3 in 2025, according to BBC Sport. Similar shifts occurred in club competitions, where the Premiership recorded 0.42 tries per game this season compared to 0.23 over the opening five rounds of the previous season.

Defensive coaches sought alternative ways to counter the dominance, with teams increasing aerial competition to win the ball back at source, Coles told BBC Sport. SuperSport reported that South Africa utilised forward dominance against Italy to score through Malcolm Marx, whose brace of tries at Allianz Stadium in Turin lifted him to 31 Test tries in 95 appearances.

Scotland maul against the all blacks and an inset of prop zander fagerson celebrating a try — Photo: Planet Rugby

Scotland engineered total-team mass by having backline players sprint directly into the line-out receiver’s hip to create a 13-to-15-man unit against the All Blacks at Murrayfield, according to SuperSport. Planet Rugby said that All Blacks assistant coach Neil Barnes admitted his team struggled to contain the Scottish maul in the first half of their Nations Championship match.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: The maul takes over – cheat code or masterclass — Photo: SuperSport

Barnes rejected suggestions that the laws required further adjustment despite the defensive difficulties. “At the end of the day, it is what it is,” Barnes said, according to SA Rugby magazine.

“So, it’s just created a little bit of anxiety for the defensive side of it that you can’t control the sides as well as we could, the edges, and so people are mauling more nowadays – tactics change, you have to adjust your defence to suit it.”

Disclaimer: The analytical insights and data provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.