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Analysis: The Vunipola brothers bring another dimension to Saracens' lineout attack

By Ben Smith
Having both Vunipola brothers back in side transforms Saracens' lineout attack. (Photos/Gettys Images)

The return of Number 8 Billy Vunipola to the Saracens starting lineup almost paid immediate dividends, with the bullocking loose forward crashing over out wide within the first 10 minutes against Sale.

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However, it was the combined threat of both Vunipola brothers that opened things up in the lead-up work to set up Saracens’ opening try.

With both bulldozing ball carriers in the team, Saracens set-piece line out attack becomes much more dynamic, moving to five-man lineouts to utilise the Vunipolas in the back line. They attract so much attention that opposition must utilise their best defenders to neutralize the threat, which creates opportunities for others to be set free.

Saracens used a beautifully executed play with two parts – a loop around and a screen – based around their two primary ball-players, Owen Farrell and Alex Goode, and using the Vunipolas diverse skills to create the space.

In the set-up, Mako Vunipola (1) is lined up outside Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola (8) is on the edge of a 6-player formation. As the play develops, two succinct levels become clear.

The presence of Mako Vunipola has also drawn the coverage of Sale’s best defender, Tom Curry (7). A smart play design by Saracens can make Curry redundant on this play, taking him away from the action.

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The pass from the halfback is delivered directly for Mako Vunipola (1), and we see two levels forming.

Saracens dual playmakers Owen Farrell (10) and Alex Goode (15) are set up inside of each Vunipola brother in each of the two waves of attack.

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On the first wave, Saracens run a loop around concept with Farrell coming around the back. Mako Vunipola is tasked with ball-playing at the line, choosing his short option Alex Lozowski (12), or Farrell.

Sale’s defence is passive so Vunipola opts to use the loop around from Farrell while drawing Curry into contact and taking Sale’s premier defender out of play.

At the point of release of Vunipola’s pass, Farrell is still at least a metre inside him, making this pass connection one based on timing and trust, a silky piece of skill for a front runner.

Vunipola can’t see his receiver Farrell, yet has to deliver the ball to allow him to get outside the dummy line of Lozowski (12), which he does.

It’s not until that Farrell catches the pass, just on the outside of Lozowski (12), that the players in the second wave break into their lines.

Simultaneous to the catch, Billy Vunipola (8) breaks to the inside while Alex Goode (15) starts to bounce outside underneath.

Billy Vunipola (8) runs a hard ‘unders’ line into James O’Connor’s (12) channel as a short option for Farrell. With O’Connor and Sam James (13) on their heels a little bit, Farrell pulls back the pass to Goode.

Again the pass is all based on timing. At the point of Farrell’s release, Goode is at least a metre inside Vunipola, yet he must receive the ball on his outside shoulder.

Farrell plays the pass flat, committing the defender in front of him while O’Connor has opted to commit to Vunipola, also taking himself out of play.

His decision to make the tackle is based in part by the threat that Billy Vunipola brings as a dominant ball carrier – he just won’t take the risk of letting him run free.

Farrell and Vunipola have legally taken out Sale’s interior back line by drawing them into contact, opening up the lane for Goode to play David Strettle (14) back on the inside.

Sale centre Sam James (13) has been isolated with a 2-on-1 in short space, which at this speed is difficult for any outside centre to defend.

He sat back a little too much and decided not to push the issue and jam in on Goode to try close the play, but came down quite far in the process. He’s too close to bail and not close enough to take Goode with the ball and kill the play.

You have to decide earlier to bail or shoot and in James’ case he did neither.

As Strettle goes through the gap, Goode is able to run around James, maintaining most of his momentum and become a supporting player, while James has to turn around start from almost a standing start to catch up.

This Saracens line break is brought down on the five just short but a few phases later with Sale struggling to reset, Billy Vunipola gets the ball on the edge and powers through some exhausted defence to score.

The ‘idea’ of the Vunipolas undid Sale as much as the reality. Mako was used as a ball-player in the first wave but still committed Curry, while Billy was a dummy runner and got O’Connor to bite.

The ability to execute these ‘secondary’ roles outside of being a one-dimensional battering ram is what makes the two valuable assets to Saracens, who can dress them up in these formations and use them to deceive.

The two ball-players, Farrell and Goode, also delivered perfectly timed line running and decision-making to turn the cogs on this exceptional play, which is one of the most impressive run so far this season.

The beauty of this play is in the complexity of all the required parts to make this happen.

Using six players in such close proximity to pull off a loop around followed by a screen has the tightest margin of error. One mistimed line or one early pass can blow up the whole play, but all these Saracens players were perfectly in sync.

If both Vunipolas can stay healthy then Saracens attack will expand further with more brilliantly designed plays like these, and it’s not hard to see that Saracens form will turn soon. With other top line players like Maro Itoje also due back, Saracens recent Premiership struggles won’t continue for long with set-piece attack firing like this.

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Jon 3 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 6 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.

28 Go to comments
A
Adrian 8 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

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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