So what’s changed?
Partly the laws.
Rugby’s regulations were tweaked in the summer,, external so that defending players can no longer ‘swim’ up the side of the maul. Previously, so long as they maintained their bind, individuals could work their way round, pulling apart the attacking team’s momentum and threatening to steal possession.
Now, once defenders are past the ball and no longer in a position to push, they have to detach and rejoin from behind the back foot.
England forward Alex Coles says the change has made the set-piece stakes higher and more immediate.
“The maul now is so much about who wins that first second,” he told BBC Sport.
“Under the old laws, there was more of a chance for a defence to try to rescue and recover the situation.
“Now, essentially, that opportunity to swarm up the side and make it a mess from behind has gone.
“The law change hasn’t completely changed it, but it has shifted the balance towards the attack.”
As the maul has become a more reliable route to the line, more attack coaches are heading that way.
Maul tries are more than twice as common in this November window than the last, with 0.67 per game compared to 0.3 in 2025.
The story in the Prem is similar. There have been 0.42 per game this season, compared to 0.23 over the opening five rounds of last.
But defence coaches adapt too.
“I’d be interested to know the stats, but I feel like there’s more aerial competition now,” says Coles.
“Teams are going harder after that because if you can win the ball back at source, it makes such a difference.”
