How was it played?

By | October 26, 2011

  • There is a difference between playing successfully and playing perfectly. This game of ours can be played successfully. If we can play it perfectly we are probably in a contest that we are too good for. This is why we need to progress technique, which is the ability to perform a skill perfectly unopposed, to a game-like situation. This needs to be done at each practice.
  • We must remember that we are in a game in which a technical skill has to be performed based on the situation at the time. Seldom is the one skill performed in competition repetitively. This makes rugby unique. Other sports are based on a limited number of skills and they are performed, with limited variations, throughout the entire game or match.
  • Our core skill is the ability to choose the most appropriate skill at the time. Decision making is the repetitive skill of rugby. The challenge is that the context keeps changing frequently .
  • Players need to have a menu of skills in which they are competent in competition. The greater the range the greater the options for the player .
  • Also remember that the ability of the opposition to erode the skills will limit the number of items on the menu for that game. Against opponents of superior ability the skills we have that make us competitive may be very limited. We will be able to perform a greater number  against an inferior team.
  • In addition we need to be flexible with the outcome of the skill in mind. So long as the outcome of the skill is achieved that’s OK. We have a game in which the means justifies the ends.
  • With this in mind what options were taken and what other options are there?
  • Contest for Possession
  • Counter Rucking
  • The use of counter rucking has increased the number committed to the breakdown. The problem is that there are so many attacking players committed to retain possession that the effort to win the ball results in the defence having greater numbers. This is aggravated by many of the players being on the ground making them slower to get back into play.
  • The answer may be “zero tolerance” for the players on the ground. This would require them to clear the area. The effect would be for 2 loose scrums to contest the ball.This would be supported by the Law  not allowing handling the ball in the ruck.
  • So long as players remain on the ground in the vicinity of the ball the counter ruck may result in players being rucked and stood on which could result in a penalty.
  • If you are a Kiwi think back to the Super 14 game some years ago between the Highlanders Vs Blues refereed by Colin Hawke. In this game he had no tolerance for players close to the ball.
  • His persistence cleaned up the tackle, post tackle and ruck. It gave the defence the opportunity to win the ball and they committed more players.
  • Criticism of his refereeing resulted in this not being continued with. As a result we now have formations called rucks but which don’t approximate the definition in Law.
  • Now for the line-out.
  • A lob throw can be used to clear opponents and drop the ball on the catcher with limited interference. Maybe the ball will be in the air longer and the opposition may be able to adjust. So what I am really saying is that there have to be variations in the trajectory of the ball. At present they seem to be uniformly flat.
  • This uniformity also applies to the method of throwing no matter who the target is.To disguise the nature of the throw a method of throwing has been developed. By way of comparison the quarter back throw in NFL is made with a number of variations that are disguised in an action and it is a much easier way of throwing the rugby ball.
  • Finally, the more you reduce the number in the line-out the fewer are your options. This makes it easier for the defence to read and move with the attacking line-out.
  • Attack and Continuity of Play
  • Attack in the Red Zone
  • When teams played for field position and secured possession inside the opposition 22 metre area pick and go became the pre-dominant form of attack. Pick and go resulted in the defence muscling up very well. Attacking teams didn’t seem to realise that the defence will group around the ball.  This will create lateral space and overlaps.
  • Attacking Depth
  • Attacking from depth, so you have momentum, holds the defence if the running line is straight. The ball carrier has left and right sides to go. The space between the attack and defence seems to create uncertainty in the defence. They are less likely to rush up. Have a look at the Springboks, the Wallabies and the French. The defence has to be wary and the delay in moving forward can lead to a defender panicking and  getting out of alignment. At the very least the gain line may be conceded.
  • This did not occur that frequently from phase play because the defence had greater numbers. It was obvious from set pieces  creating  momentum for teams to move forward to the ball, creating pressure.
  • France stood deep enough to run onto the ball and wide enough to isolate each defender but they did not hold the defender even though the defence conceded the gain line. This may have been because they didn’t use the extra man to enter between 2 defenders or decoys to hold the defence.
  • The system they used to use was standing wide and angling in on the defence creating space on the outside. It seems to have been forgotten.  The way they are currently playing allowed the All Blacks to slide with the movement of the ball and compensate for lack of defensive numbers. They didn’t worry about the gain line they just avoided being penetrated. The wider the ball went the less support seemed to be available for the attack. This resulted in delay at the post tackle and the defence was able to get organised.
  • A Pattern from the Re-Start
  • A simple pattern that few have put together is to make sure that, following the kick off after a score, the next re-start is in the opposition territory. Maybe this has not occurred because the players are too ambitious and don’t see the need to play for field position. The other reason could be that the players are distracted by the score that has just occurred. If there is a pattern it is the box kick which, too often, is not contestable. As a result it is a turnover.
  • The wipers kick from #12 to the open side has not been used. This may be because the back three are positioned to gather the kick. The All Blacks used a succession of rucks to draw these players forward and then kick to the space behind. Those going into the contact at the rucks must do it in the knowledge of what is being set up. They must make sure they don’t concede momentum nor possession by going too far  and getting isolated. If a blind-side is created this may also draw the blind-side wing forward and the box kick will be more successful.
  • Alignment from Phase Play
  • Attack lines tend to lose their alignment  from phase play. The greater the number of phases the more disorganised they become. Maybe the reason is that they are unsure if the ball carrier is going to attempt to penetrate, resulting in support being needed at the tackle, or do they need to be ready to receive  the pass. They are often in a position somewhere between the two options which is no man’s land.
  • Support
  • I have stated my thoughts on linear support in previous articles and little has changed. Basically if you are outnumbered across the field you overload at a weakness and penetrate as a unit at that point with superior skill and numbers. The detail is in deciding on the method of offloading based on the behaviour of the defence. A pass before contact, a variety of passes in the tackle, pick and go and a dynamic maul are all methods of getting over the gain line and creating momentum.
  • Defence and Regaining Possession
  • Defence Patterns and Play at the Tackle
  • Tired defences concede the gain line but it is difficult to tire them out when the ball is being passed from side to side. This is because the defence doesn’t need to go ball chasing. By waiting in the defensive line they can be pretty sure the ball will come back to them.
  • Strong running but, suprisingly little evasion means that it is the power of the runner that the tackler has to cope with. This means that the defence initially makes minimum commitment to the tackle. Priority is given to the attack by the refs and the defence wants to reduce the risk of infringement.  South Africa used outside in defence. Other unions may have done it but I feel it was a reaction to the overlap when the defence wanted to snuff out an attack. Remember Reid’s tackle on Elsom in the semi final. It is suprising that it is not used more. It needn’t occur all the time but it is an option.
  • The effect of  tackles at the height of the ball to gain a turnover from the maul depended on the size difference between the initial two players at the collision. I felt the reward from this didn’t warrant the effort as too often the maul collapsed and was re-labelled a ruck.
  • Rewards and Penalties
  • The importance of goal kicking cannot be overstated. Under the present context it is difficult to attack. The reward for possession and field position is , quite legitimately, the penalty or dropped goal. These points are due reward for the pressure that has been applied.
  • Overall
  • I remember hearing a conversation amongst the Australian delegation at a conference on the game in the late 1990’s where they anticipated the game heading along the rugby league path. If this was to occur, given the depth of players in that sport in Australia, it would seem that the current mode of play should be to their advantage. I guess it is only restricted by the union’s ability to buy players.
  • Like many professional sports the game under pressure at the highest level becomes conservative as the aim is to reduce the margin of error. Points that are conceded are very difficult to regain.
  • So we have a game of territorial gain and ball retention. We have moved away from a game that creates space for one of the fifteen players to penetrate and, with support, score a try. Tony Woodcock’s try is an exception.
  • At these conferences we used the coaching, playing, officiating and Law filters to identify what needed to be done to ensure the game retained its unique character.
  • To do this we had to have criteria against which the game could be judged. These criteria were called principles, the principles of the game of two teams. This is not what the team has to do in attack and defence to win. It is what the game of two teams should look like that gives rugby union its unique character.
  • The principles that were canvassed on a number of occasions to the main unions for input were:
  • 1. A contest for posssession.
  • 2. Attack and continuity of play.
  • 3. Defence and regaining possession.
  • 4. A Multi-faceted game.
  • 5. A game of rewards and penaties.
  • The key was equitabilty. All this means that you are rewarded, usually with time and space, for positive play and penalised, by being denied possession and field position, for negative play.
  • The establishment of a charter that stated these principles was based on a similar need in the NFL that resulted in principles being established in the 1930’s for that game. They are still in place today..
  • This exercise could be a valuable tool in plotting rugby union’s future direction. This is not to say rugby should not change. The game has grown as a sport because the Laws have been challenged by coaches and players in their attempts to gain an advantage. But we need a sounding board to ensure that the options that emerge are true to the principles.
  • The Laws are the bi-product of the principles and of an exercise such as this.

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