Analysis: What Wales can learn from the All Blacks in order to beat England
What a difference the New Year makes.
England looks to have reclaimed the form that made them back-to-back Six Nations champions in the first two years under Eddie Jones. They look like a fresher, more energetic side that is able to run a power carry game without sacrificing explosiveness, and play a tactical kicking game to control territory.
It appears the training load has been tapered off and the team is playing in optimal physical condition, as opposed to last year where the side looked sluggish.
Wales in Cardiff could be the only thing standing between England and a Grand Slam. Scotland, despite having beaten England last year, hasn’t won at Twickenham since 1983.
So, what do Wales need to do to beat England?
Build three lines of defence
Owen Farrell explained after beating France that they keep kicking in behind ‘because that’s where the space is’ and that they will ‘keep doing it when it’s there’.
If the last two weeks have taught anything, it is that England’s strength is their kicking game after a number of their tries were scored by exploiting undermanned kick coverages.
The first step to beating England is taking away that strength or ‘points pipeline’, and the best way to do that is invest in your backfield. Playing one sweeper and two fullbacks at all times will give you three lines of defence, taking away much of the space in behind.
If you lose on the first kick contest and England regain possession, you still have another fullback back to cover a potential second phase kick. Playing two-deep at all times also makes it difficult for any long kick to find grass.
When England are in their exit zones the open side winger can drop back and split the backfield into thirds by playing three-deep.
The All Blacks gave England plenty of open side space in exit zones when they played in Autumn. Just look how much room is outside Brodie Retallick (4) as Ben Youngs box kicks, leaving Jack Goodhue (13) to cover England’s whole backline.
As McKenzie makes the catch, we can see three men back covering, Damian McKenzie (15), Beauden Barrett (10) and Ben Smith (14).
The All Blacks dared England to run it out of their own 22 the whole game and made sure the backfield had ‘thirds’ coverage in all exit situations.
When England makes their way into your half, the wingers can play high to bolster the front line but you still have two fullbacks deep playing ‘halves’ coverage.
Both sides of the field are covered making it harder to find grass and pin the corners, a tactic that England employs often from 40-metres out.
For contestable aerial kicks, the wingers just need to focus on shielding as they aren’t required to turn and try and regather the kick like most cases when you play with one fullback. They can block to some degree like Rieko Ioane (11) above and re-route traffic away from the contest. They say the kick is only as good as the chase, and in this system, you can ruin the chase.
Seven out of eight high kicks went uncontested in the second half, with England regaining possession on zero kicks kept in play.
On two of McKenzie’s spilled catches, the second fullback insurance policy paid out – Barrett was there to jump on the loose ball. They say that two minds are greater than one so having two fullbacks must also be greater than using one.
England lost the kicking battle against the All Blacks in November, or you could argue at the very least, it was forced into a ‘stalemate’ that didn’t heavily influence the outcome of the match.
If you don’t want to invest numbers in your backfield against England’s kicking game, then good luck to you. You will need a back three with superior kick coverage skills as a unit and deliver to a high level of execution with little room for error. You can reduce the odds by implementing the same system as the All Blacks.
Wales played Gareth Anscombe at fullback last year against England and it was the only game in the tournament he did so. A Wales’ back three of Liam Williams on the wing (playing as a quasi-fullback), Anscombe again at fullback and Biggar at flyhalf can run the same system.
All three of them should be in the backfield for England’s exits while a combination of Williams/Anscombe or Williams/Biggar should play deep when England enters their half.
It won’t completely save Wales from making execution errors but will increase the probability that England won’t score from kicks, and that can be enough to keep the game close. Ireland was only down only by four, 17-13, when England landed the decisive blow in the 65th minute.
Taking away England’s primary means of scoring points is the first step to beating them.
Creating gain line wins through scheme
The addition of new defence coach John Mitchell is currently paying dividends for Eddie Jones.
However, so is the return of the bruising Vunipola brothers and the emergence of a world-class openside in Tom Curry, who looks like he’s put on 7-10kg of size in the last year and has been in great form with Sale.
England’s improved sharpness in game speed, combined with their physical pack is hammering teams behind the gain line in close channels. Curry, Wilson and both Vunipola brothers are dominating these areas.
With England’s big men in close, they were able to fly up and put on a dominant tackle, stopping runners in their tracks and often sending them backward consistently for the whole 80-minutes.
In order to neutralize and take them out of the game, Wales need to play with a few variations up their sleeve.
Ireland’s first phase working back from out wide past the 15-metre line is usually a carry with the middle runner in a three-man pod, see Cian Healy (1) above. Wales base pattern is a 1-3-3-1, using two pods, so they will encounter the same challenge with their ball-carriers as Ireland did, and perhaps run into potentially even more trouble.
One solution to this is to play wider off nine and hit England where no line speed is coming.
By increasing the width of the first pass from the halfback and playing the third option in the pod, the attack can put stress on the 4th defender out from the ruck, a player who usually isn’t bringing any line speed, Kyle Sinckler (3) below.
Play with an ‘empty’ blindside and move the blindside winger (14) back across as a tip option outside the pod, and use the tip pass to hit the disconnection between England’s 3rd and 4th defender.
Wales have a big power winger in George North that would be perfect for this, but will need quick ball from nine and consistency with the long pass from either halfback Gareth Davies or Tomos Williams.
This simple adjustment can scheme Curry and the Vunipola’s dominant tackles out of the game, by playing away from them and having them not tackle at all, whilst at the same time finding a way to manufacture gain line carries to work off for the next few phases.
If you can find the gain line on that first carry, the rest of England’s defence has to retreat and can’t get off the line as quickly.
A good tip pass to wingers like North coming at pace off the third pod runner not only will likely create go forward, it also has the chance to make a clean linebreak itself, especially between two disconnected tight five forwards in a fragmented line.
Alternatively, you can spread ’em out by implementing more two-pass phases through 10. Instead of playing pods off 9, you play them off 10, widening out the distance between the rucks and taking the interior ruck defenders out of the game.
In the Crusaders 2-4-2 pattern, this is just the normal ‘modus operandi’.
We can see from above that from close to 5-metres in from touch, using Mitch Hunt to widen the next pod takes the next ruck to somewhere in midfield, and all of the Highlanders ruck defenders aren’t going to be making any tackles.
Widening the rucks can be done intermittently and however frequent you desire, dependent on how it’s working and whether it is having the impact you want, but is another way to scheme the likes of Vunipola and Curry out.
Taking away two things that are currently working for them, tries from kick pressure and dominant tackling in close, will go a long way to staying in the game against England. There will be a host of other ways to nullify England’s strengths through scheme alone, and Wales have enough of their own talent to cause England some problems.
The team that specifically game plans smartly to take away what England do well, which can be done in multiple ways, will be in with a decent chance to stop England capturing a Grand Slam.
Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell post-match press conference:
Comments on RugbyPass
Some dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
1 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
7 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
7 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
7 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
7 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
7 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
7 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to comments