Scrum Half Boots
Sniping around the fringes, nipping at the ankles of the big men in the forward pack, and even yapping at the referee - the life of a halfback is a high-energy, fast-paced one which never relents. More than any other player a halfback needs to be mobile. They are expected to make it to every breakdown, where they must quickly establish a stable platform for themselves, retrieve the ball, and deliver it to their team-mates for the next phase of play.
Best Boots For A Scrum Half
The scrum-half wearing an Adidas Predator XP is a player who can remain agile and nimble on their foot thanks to the overall lightweight profile of the boot. The upper is of a knitted construction, the soft ground soleplate is made out of nylon, and the achilles part is padded, all working together to ensure that the scrum-half can move around the scrum, dart in and out of spaces, survey the pitch, and make the right call.
The new combination of soft P16 yarns and Nike's high-tenacity yarns for the boot's Flyknit upper ensures that the wearer benefits from the lightweightedness and pliability of a knitted boot without sacrificing responsiveness. The scrum half therefore can stay light on their toes and be prepared for any explosive action.
Gilbert designed the Kaizen X 2.1 Pace to be a boot suited for speedy and agile players. The boot has a newly engineered Knitspeed Ultra upper for the ultimate fit, combined with a Pro Kaizen Weld on the rear for structural reinforcement and responsiveness. The Airflow XC footbed inside the boot not only provides underfoot cushioning but also ensures breathability and proper ventilation, keeping the foot fresh all the time.
This boot has a 1.1mm Wallaroo material that expertly blends leather with the engineering, durability, and stability of synthetic. The said material forms the upper's FormTrue technology where it would flex under pressure to stabilize the wearer even in high speed. This technology is assisted by an internal auxetic layer so that the Magnetico Control Pro truly moulds around the foot for a glove-like fit.
Halfbacks are expected to be able to kick as well, employing a variety of techniques including the box-kick, the grubber and the chip. Their boots must offer protection around the forefoot (they are, after all, frequently mixing it up with the forwards), be light enough to ensure nothing hinders their ability to sneak through a gap when the opportunity arises, and also offer something when kicking.
The Scrum-half is the key player in the team and at the centre of all that happens. He is the link between the forwards and backs and as such he tends to be the first decision-maker on plays.
Most scrum-halves tend to be the smaller players as they need to quickly get in and out of situations. Their skillset requires that they can pass off both hands without delay and from any position. They ideally will be able to kick with either foot. They need quick acceleration and speed. In defence, they need to be tenacious tacklers often taking down big forwards as they are the first line of defence around the scrum or breakdown.
With all these skills the majority are also cheeky outspoken guys who can bark orders to the big forwards and get results. With these attributes scrum-halves will have their boot preference, however, our thoughts are that they need a boot which is lightweight, but robust and not necessarily long-lasting as they will take a lot out of their boots in a short period.