Advantage: The situation when a referee decides to allow play to continue and not blow for an obvious transgression immediately, due to a mistaken impression that it somehow benefits a team.

Blindside: The term used to describe the referee's inability to see a foul committed. Following a technique refined by former All Black hooker and captain Sean Fitzpatrick that allowed him to commit a foul usually in a ruck or maul at the very moment that the referee turned his back to check on the offside line.

Cap: Compulsory headgear bearing sponsor's logo worn at post-match interviews.

Chanting: Something that other teams fans do to inspire their boys. These often involve various collections of different words strung together, except at Steamboat where the words "Go Steamboat" repeated ad infinitum appears to work with more success.

Conversion: The situation when a Welshman remembers that he's Welsh after he has been ignored by the All Black/Australian/South African/English selectors.

Free Kick: The punishment for lying on the wrong side of a ruck or maul.

Goose step: Change in running style from a sprint to high kicking in order to slow down a defender only to sprint once defender has slowed down.

Grubber: Mistimed drop kick from any where on the field.

Laws: Rugby has laws, not rules; therefore it is that which you have to disobey in full view of the referee in order to be punished.

Mark: If you can cleanly catch a ball! l kicked several hundred feet in the air within your own 2 2 metre line and call 'mark' while the entire other side is pounding towards you intent on doing you damage, you can have a free kick. You deserve it.

Maul: Free-for-all brawl where the ball is kept in the air (See ruck (1)).

Offside: A natural break in the play called by the referee every 35 seconds to let everyone get their breath back.

Offside (as in offside line): An imaginary line passing through a ball without puncturing it.

Openside Flanker: It is this player who, when approaching the end of a Cup Final, assumes the role of Scrum Half and puts the ball into the scrum.

Place kick: A defensive offensive tactic to prevent the scoring of tries.

Prop: Front row position that has finally solved the mystery of who did actually eat all of the pies.

Ruck: Informal, impromptu get-together for forwards and a few close friends.

Ruck (1): Free-for-all brawl where the ball is placed on the ground. See maul.

Ruck (2): Accidental! l stepping on an opponent lying in an offside position. Sidestep: A maneuver perfected by South African rugby administrators to avoid choosing black players.

Sin Bin: A tactic used by some referees to increase their impact on the outcome of a game.

Up-and-under: (An integral calculus term in rugby competitions) the inversion of global geographic - the southern hemisphere teams are usually 'up'. while the northern hemisphere teams are usually 'under'.

Wing (1): Northern hemisphere - extra defender.

Wing (2): Southern hemisphere - top try scorer.