Analysis: How Leinster exploited Wasps' forwards on James Lowe’s breakaway set-piece try
Leinster are the current masters of line running and deception, continually coming up with new concepts and finding ways to create opportunities for players like ex-pat Kiwi James Lowe.
In their Champions Cup opener against Wasps, they opened the second half by scoring directly from a first phase play, opening up a lane for Lowe who torched Wasps for a 50-metre try which put them 21-3 ahead.
The play they used was a variation of a common concept – using a screen pass before feeding the blindside winger back inside.
What makes this version interesting is how they create the mismatch they want by using a 5-man lineout, forcing Wasps to cover the loose forward runners in the midfield with their own forwards, which Leinster then used against them.
Wasps have switched up their lineout defence, using their halfback as the hooker and their open side as the halfback, meaning their actual hooker is defending out somewhere in the backline.
Using the 5-man lineout has dispersed Leinster’s loose forwards, and they have set up with two strong ball carriers, Josh van der Flier (7) and Jack Conan (8) outside Johnny Sexton in a box formation with two backs in behind.
To counter-act the potential midfield crash, Wasps have Nizaam Carr (8) and hooker Tommy Taylor (2) as the interior midfield defence.
Wasps are missing Sopoaga’s presence inside Carr, meaning Wasps are ripe for manipulation in this area.
Carr has to monitor both Sexton and van de Flier, trusting inside help to take Sexton, while Taylor has Conan as a first assignment with Robbie Henshaw (12) and James Lowe (11) looming in behind.
There should be alarm bells ringing with so many Leinster players in such close proximity. Both Carr and Taylor are bigger, slower players and more importantly, have limited experience defending in the backline from set-piece.
One of the most difficult jobs in defence for a back is set-piece, so sending a front-rower to do it is a tough ask. Throw in a missing flyhalf and you might as well give a team like Leinster five points.
Leinster will exploit this disadvantage in personnel and experience, executing their play perfectly.
Van de Flier and Conan hold the inside defence by running lines slightly angled against the grain.
Wasps inside defenders Carr and Taylor are locked in on their first reads, and Taylor in particular, bites and prepares to tackle his first assessed target Conan.
Sexton releases the pass to Henshaw out the back. There is plenty of time for Taylor to adjust but he commits to tackling Conan without the ball, which now puts Leinster’s play in motion to open up a hole.
Henshaw bouncing out ‘pulls’ Wasps inside centre Michael Le Bourgeois (12) with him, opening up the lane for Lowe between Le Bourgeois and Taylor.
With Lowe running at full clip, Taylor cannot recover from a stationary position too far inside. The rest of the Wasps inside defence have to find a way around Leinster’s traffic, so also cannot assist.
Taylor has been isolated one-on-one with the faster Lowe and without body-on-body alignment, can do nothing to stop him breezing past.
Lowe is one of the most dangerous open-field runners in the game, with power and offloading skills to keep any movement going.
He is able to hold off the Wasps defence by looking for support and fend off a last-ditch tackle attempt by Elliot Daly to score next to the posts.
Could Wasps have done anything differently?
They were already at a disadvantage being a man-down but the question has to be asked whether Tommy Taylor was the best man to station out in the midfield, and secondly, should they have split the two forwards instead of playing them side-by-side?
Only Wasps will know the right answer with inside knowledge of all their forwards’ measurables. There must have been enough trust to use the hooker as a midfield defender instead of openside Thomas Young, but they paid the price for doing so as Leinster were clever enough to exploit it.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments