Analysis: Why Super Rugby still has the edge over Northern counterparts
North versus South. Set-piece versus multi-phase. Kicking versus running the ball. Defence versus Offence.
Comparisons between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are more popular than they have ever been. If anything, they have become both more interesting and more pertinent as Southern Hemisphere methods – via both its players and its coaches – have interpenetrated every serious competition in the North.
The coaches of the three top teams in the 2019 Six Nations tournament hail from either New Zealand or Australia. Even in the English Gallagher Premiership, for so long the bastion of conservatism and the preserve of home-based coaches, five of the 12 head coaches now come from Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.
Only four years ago, there was just one – Aussie Brian Smith at London Irish. By 2016-17 there were three, and now there are five. It is a growing curve.
The impact of the best Southern coaches is seismic. Warren Gatland revolutionized the conditioning and dietary regimes of the Welsh players before he addressed the issue of skill-sets. Over the last two seasons, he has had the courage to change playing styles from power-based to movement-based, and that too has paid dividends.
On the domestic front, ex-Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has transformed the playing values of the English Premiership’s Northampton Saints in only his first season in charge.
Where Saints were renowned for the power of their scrum and maul under the long-time stewardship of Jim Mallinder and Dorian West, under Boyd they run the ball from all parts of the field.
Where Northampton scored 52 tries in Mallinder’s final season at the club (2016-17), they had upped their total to 73 in 2018-19, with Saints resuming into their traditional role as one of the top four playoff contenders in the competition.
So the dynamic in the North is one of rapid change, with the constant rain of Southern coaching ideas steadily eroding and transforming the sediment of traditional values at set-piece, kicking and defence in the Gallagher Premiership.
Try-scoring in 2013-14 by both the top (Northampton with 72 tries) and the bottom (Newcastle with 23) teams in the league has risen steadily as that process takes place. The top side (Exeter) scored 89 tries in the regular 2018-19 season, while the bottom team (Newcastle) managed 43. Newcastle’s try total last season would have been good enough for them finish above five other teams in the league six years ago. The landscape of the game has changed.
As the example of the Northampton club has amply shown, Southern Hemisphere coaching know-how has the power to transform the attitude and even the skill-sets required to achieve attacking width, ball movement and try-scoring potential in a relatively short time-frame.
That attitude and those skills remain however the basis of the game in the South, even if the gap is closing. The recent Super Rugby game between the Reds from Australia and the Blues from New Zealand was a superb illustration of both.
Both sides took turns in trading blows in the wide 15-5 metre zones throughout the match – and particularly during a spectacular ‘fireworks display’ of offloading in the first half hour.
It is the ability to offload in contact which enables wide attack to function to its fullest potential. Keeping play fluid against the thinnest area of the defence always pays out healthy dividends, if you have the skill-sets to do it.
Let’s begin with two simple examples, one from each side:
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To enable the offload, you need to get separation from a defender. This means establishing, and maintaining a space in which you can deliver a pass in contact without any interference. It need not be a big space, but it has to be a definite one.
In the first instance, Blues left wing Tanielu Tele’a first brushes off the attempted tackle of his opposite number Jock Campbell, then he extends the (right) offloading arm to maximum length before delivering the pass:
Taken together, the two actions achieve the desired ‘separation’ and allow the break to be made.
The second example is a mirror-image from the Reds’ side. Centre Samu Kerevi first attacks the outside shoulder of the defender in front of him (number 8 Akira Ioane) in order to take his body past the tackling arm. As soon as he has clear separation from the last defender, he delivers the pass.
When the basic skill-set is firmly in place, you can think about expanding your horizons further, by linking multiple offloads in the same ‘kill zone’ outside the 15m line:
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Here is Kerevi again, separating from Blues’ blind-side flanker Dalton Papali’i to get in behind the defensive line. Then the momentum is turbo-charged by left-wing Filip Daugunu, getting his offloading arm well past the tackle of Blues halfback Augustine Pulu:
The right offloading arm of Daugunu is fully extended, so that separation from the tackler comes to mean ‘full shoulder’s width apart’.
At the end of the play, another essential aspect of wide attack is clearly visible. Selected forwards – typically at least two of your back-rowers and the hooker – have to be able to co-operate effectively with the backs in the wide areas. In other words, they have to be able to run with the outside backs, and pass and offload in contact as accurately as the men with the high numbers!
It is this aspect which is evident in the Blues’ next counter-punch, featuring both number 8 Ioane and number 6 Papali’i prominently in the left 15-metre corridor:
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Akira Ioane demonstrates the same skill level as an outside back, running towards the seam between the two defenders (Kerevi and Campbell) to get his shoulders past the tackle, then delivering the offload. The skill level required is in fact even higher than in the previous examples, because Ioane is making a left-hand offload out of the back of his hand, rather than the (easier) right-handed underarm pass:
Back-of-the-hand offloads often involve a loss of control and ‘feel’ at the point of delivery, but Ioane’s pass is close to the ideal in both respects. Papali’i completes the sequence with another full extension out to Tele’a on the left.
The fun wasn’t over, however. From the ensuing restart, the Reds came straight back with a terrific offloading sequence of their own:
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The ball goes out through Reds’ number 8 Scott Higginbotham to Kerevi, and then Higginbotham doubles around him to become the last attacker on the side-line – just the sort of ‘second touch’ instincts we are looking for in our back-rowers out wide.
Once again there is a double offload once Kerevi gets the initial separation from Blues’ defender, number 13 T.J. Faiane. Kerevi offloads to Jock Campbell, and then Campbell provides an illustration of a refinement of the Ioane back-of-the-hand offload:
Campbell is not only delivering the pass out of the back of the right hand, he is also looking downfield, and hence running in a straight line while doing it. This ‘no-look’ pass has the effect of committing the final defender (full-back Melani Nanai) and fixing him in place for long enough that he cannot shift out on to Higginbotham near touch.
That was not all she wrote. There was still time for the Blues to reply with one more counter-strike, unravelling on the very next sequence of play:
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This passage of play spotlights one of the most important strategic impacts of successful wide attack: as soon as the defence begins to spread out its personnel to cover the touch-line, it opens up running lanes for inside running and inside support.
At the beginning of the sequence, it is evident that the Reds have spread their defensive line all the way across to the far 5 metre line, with the last defender angled out towards the widest attacker. This enables Blues’ second five-eighth Ma’a Nonu to use Dalton Papali’i on the right as a decoy, and turn the ball back inside instead.
At the critical moment all of the Reds’ cover defenders are pointing towards the corner-flag, and away from the key inside support runner, number 9 Pulu:
The first 30 minutes of action from the Reds-Blues game contained all of the signature elements which lead to success on wide attacking plays, and from both sides – the desire and technical ability to find seams and achieve separation from defenders, full extensions of the offloading arm in contact; deliveries both underarm and out of the back of the hand made with equal dexterity, by outside backs and back-rowers alike; the understanding of where space will appear as the defence begins to (over-) compensate to the outside. If it is an area which the Northern Hemisphere is making great strides, it is also one in which the South remains the acknowledged Master. Down South, they still have the edge.
RFU Chairman discusses the latest Nations Championship proposal:
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe 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.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 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.
11 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.
61 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.
8 Go to comments