What is the difference between an openside and a blindside flanker?
The openside flanker is the one on that side of the scrum facing the opposing backline. The blindside flanker is on the opposite side, which is normally the narrow side of the field. (They will switch from the left to the right side of the scrum depending on the situation.) The traditional roles of these two players are somewhat different. Since most of the back play is usually on the open side where there is more space it is usually the openside flanker’s job to be the first to the breakdown of play and get his hands on any loose ball (or to cause a breakdown by tackling the ball carrier or otherwise harrying him into error). Thus, at a scrum where the ball has been won by the opposition, he will generally break as soon as the ball is out and make a beeline for the flyhalf who can be frequently seen desperately trying to get a kick away from underneath the body of the openside diving into the tackle. The openside must therefore have very fast acceleration and be very quick over short
