Analysis: How the Crusaders stopped the Lions power maul in its tracks
The Lions most feared weapon heading into the final was their lineout maul, which they had deployed with devastating effect throughout this Super Rugby season.
They amassed 25 tries through their attacking lineout almost double the next best team (Crusaders scored 13). Their red zone lineout strike rate of 36.76% was only bettered by the Reds (40.0%), but considering they only had 20 attacking lineouts to the Lions 68, the South Africans proved over a larger sample size that they could yield results frequently.
The Crusaders own lineout, led by All Blacks Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, and for the final few games of the year, Kieran Read, is more than capable in its own right in both attack and defence.
They possessed the best defensive lineout in the competition, allowing just one try following a lineout inside the 22. An Iron-clad resistance resulted in 96.3% of attempts failing to score a try against them from the lineout.
It was widely anticipated that this contest would hinge on the battle of the jumpers, especially inside the five. In the wash-up, it wasn’t even close. The Crusaders destroyed and dismantled the Lions most effective tool in the first half. After one more failed attempt early in the second half, the Lions opted to take a scrum on their next penalty, abandoning the lineout maul altogether.
So, how did the Crusaders do it?
The quality of their personnel makes their lineout one of the best in the game, no matter where they are on the field. They operate an aggressive defensive lineout strategy, looking to disrupt and dominate the opposition.
With the All Blacks locking duo of Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett controlling the middle, the Crusaders can compete on most throws. Both players are versatile jumpers and lifters, meaning they can switch the point of the jump quickly and perform either role as necessary.
When you add in Number 8 Kieran Read who also is a highly skilled lifter and jumper, the Crusaders can stack all three of them in a row in 5-man lineouts, and really cause headaches. This makes the short lineout a difficult option for the opposition, as the Crusaders have the ability to contest anywhere from two to four with a world-class jumper.
Blindside flanker Heiden Bedwell-Curtis is also another lifter/jumper type that the Crusaders often use in full man lineouts at two, and provides a versatile fourth cog to the array of schemes they can run.
In the final, they contested frequently for any lineout outside the mauling ‘danger zone’, and disrupted the Lions’ rhythm early. The first throw of the match was pressured by Sam Whitelock who made the correct read and got a tip on the throw.
The twin towers Franco Mostert and Marvin Orie are undoubtedly the go-to options for the Lions, with Orie a primary jumper at the front at two and Mostert stationing the middle. In full lineout situations, the Crusaders opted to stack multiple jumpers opposite them, and leave their third option Warren Whiteley mostly open at the tail, asking the question of Marx to test them at the back.
The Lions tried their first maul at the front and were crushed as the Crusaders pressured the maul, albeit with some tactics that pushed the boundaries of legality.
They decide not to compete to allow them to flood the base of the maul. On this occasion, they immediately unsettle the Lions by pushing the lifters off the spot, making Orie come down awkwardly. Watch as lifter Mostert (5) gets pushed backward while Orie is still in the air.
https://giphy.com/gifs/3FlEm5ouz8nfwtFETe
The Crusaders get better leverage by getting the lower drive, but jump the gun a little bit in order to do so, engaging before Orie hits the ground. The margin is small, but the ref could have penalised them for taking Orie in the air to set the boundaries early.
https://giphy.com/gifs/5k1WGbAROixAmuDiYp
As the Crusaders get a good counter-drive going, Scott Barrett is forced into an offside position but proceeds to pull Orie’s leg, keeping him lifted and preventing him from finding stability in what was an illegal maneuver by Barrett. Orie’s protests to the ref go unanswered and the Crusaders stuff the first maul, winning a turnover.
https://giphy.com/gifs/1ZmijYleyWcDSTAtTi
The Lions were unlucky to lose possession on this occasion and didn’t get a ‘fair deal’ on their first lineout maul, but the Crusaders ‘flooding’ strategy illustrated how they would go about nullifying the Lions strength by refusing to compete and getting numbers to the formation point of the maul early.
The Lions can’t complain about their second maul attempt. The Crusaders delivered perfect maul defence, timing the landing well and pressuring the landing zone with three big bodies in a tight formation. Franks, Barrett and Whitelock crowd the space around Orie, getting into good position before he lands and start driving after he does, before either the lifters or Orie can get a low foundation.
The lifters are caught facing sideways when the counter-drive hits them.
https://giphy.com/gifs/cQ260vpGsJyr8f4I2o
The Lions are just beaten to the punch, and with leverage won, the Crusaders get them back peddling again. Delayed ancillary support from Codie Taylor and Matt Todd helps prevent the maul breaking off right and getting some second wind momentum.
The Lions were guilty of staying one dimensional, throwing to Orie at 2 with little variation from their first attempt.
Their third attempt moments later attacked the same spot, but this time with Mostert as the jumper.
Orie lines up at the 2 spot and performs a ‘slip’ (a jump-fake where he slips out the lineout) allowing Mostert to move forward and use the space. The ‘slip’ doesn’t get anyone to bite and Mostert is pressured again by the driving trio of Franks, Barrett, and Whitelock.
https://giphy.com/gifs/1jZ49VrsmVVSiOSg2r
The Lions try a handoff to Whiteley to form a second maul, but again, delayed ancillary support from the second unit of Moody, Read and Taylor times their contact well attacking at the weakest point and keeping the pressure on. Whiteley’s transition to Kwagga Smith is also fumbled, delaying the ability of the Lions to get set.
The Lions revert to a 5-man lineout in the second half and run a nice disguise, using Whiteley at the back as a fake and having the halfback Smith move up into the lineout to lift. Despite having the Crusaders fooled for a split-second, they still recover and manage to form another tight trio in front of Orie, beating the Lions to the point again.
https://giphy.com/gifs/U6U4Qb1lnZpHRPvRd4
The Lions tried to attack the Crusaders at the front four times and failed four times, each time jumping at 2 and getting demolished by Franks, Barrett and Whitelock. The second unit and tail of the Crusaders lineout, Moody, Read and Taylor timed their involvement perfectly to keep the pressure building to man-handle the Lions pack.
The Lions didn’t attempt to form the maul against the tail, and only tried one peel variation that was fumbled.
After this failed attempt early in the second half, the Lions gave up on the drive and reverted to Plan B.
The Crusaders pack deserve enormous credit for nullifying the Lions repeatedly, beating them continuously to the focal point of the maul. Their unit worked together perfectly to blow the Lions off the spot and dismantle the team’s biggest asset, leaving them to try and find other ideas with most of the game gone.
Defence wins championships and the Crusaders lineout defence is one of the best there is and this was a significant area of the game that influenced the Crusaders 38-17 win.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments