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Analysis: Santiago Cordero could be the Premiership’s most exciting player this season

By Ben Smith
Santaigo Codero could be the most exciting player in the Premiership this season.

Argentinian pocket rocket Santiago Cordero has landed in the perfect place in the Premiership.

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The fleet-footed winger slash fullback was brought in on a short-term deal to finish last season in January by the Exeter Chiefs and was rewarded with a new one-year contract for this season after only a few appearances. That commitment by Rob Baxter and Chiefs management is starting to pay dividends.

The astute pairing of Cordero with the team that will use him the most is already causing havoc in the new season. Being one of Exeter’s ‘X-wings’ – multi-purpose backs that pop up all over the park – means Cordero has been dropped into a world of possibility.

His phenomenal footwork and explosive speed has the potential to take Exeter’s attack into another dimension. Plugging a player with this ability into the Chiefs system has so far been a masterstroke, with Cordero beating a staggering 17 defenders for 7 line breaks in just two games.

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This signing is the perfect match of player skill set and team system, setting the stage for Cordero to become the Premiership’s most exciting player this year.

Exeter’s system and the role of the wing position

As detailed last year, the role of the winger in Exeter’s system has changed dramatically. No longer do they sit on one flank, waiting for the ball. Exeter’s wingers are hybrid flyhalves/fullbacks/midfielders, playing multiple roles within the structure that requires diverse skills usually seen in other positions.

They float regularly across the park, popping up in various positions allowing them to inject regularly in the attack.

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Exeter’s pattern is a hybrid version of 2-4-2 and 1-3-3-1, stuck in between somewhere. The generally operate only one pod of three before dropping down to two-forward pods or even one lone forward on the next phase heading the same way.

It is common to see Exeter in a 2-3-2-1, 1-3-2-2 type formations. This can seem confusing but the key is really the middle ‘3-2’ explained below.

The first phase back from the touchline or tramlines will typically be a standard 3-man pod, which we can see above. They will carry and clean to set up the next phase, which will only involve a two-man forward pod. We can see the next two-man pod moving into position but not quite set.

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On the second phase, the 10 or ball playing back will jump into first receiver and use the two-man pod as an option, hitting either runner flat or using a screen pass to find another back out the backdoor.

On this occasion, Wasps are already stretched so Gareth Steensen (10) plays out the back to find Henry Slade (13) to attack the edge. With Exeter’s roaming wings, at times you may find the opposite right wing linking in outside Slade, but even left-wing Cordero will be in-field looking to attack in this space.

This is the ‘3-2’ two-phase setup we see frequently with Exeter.

This allows the screen passing game to release the backs frequently, from which the ball players (10, 12, 13) can free up the danger men (11, 14, 15). This no hard and fast rule as the Chiefs have been built on flexibility, with almost all the players from 10 to 15 interchangeable in phase play.

Here is the same ‘second phase’ play heading the opposite way where Cordero sparks an Exeter line break.

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Usually within two phases, Exeter are hitting the edge, playing with constant width and a high passing volume. They play their pattern anywhere outside their 22, so with a small exit zone so you often get to watch a quality game of running rugby.

Now, imagine this guy is getting a high volume of touches, on both sides of the pitch with constant overlaps and room to roam.

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You won’t have to imagine it, because that’s the reality for Premiership defences this season. With Cordero set to be unleashed all over the park, you will see the best of one of Argentina’s finest talents. And that’s just during phase play. With potentially more action from set-piece and counter-attack, Cordero will be one of the most exciting weapons at Exeter’s disposal.

In other news:

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

39 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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