Breakdown dominance lays platform for Auckland
Auckland is winning the crucial breakdown tussle and that has gone a long way towards a 9-1 record in the Mitre 10 Cup.
While the bare stats show the province has won 94 percent of its own ruck ball and has made 88 percent of its tackles – that is comparable to a number of other Premiership sides – you have to watch the tape closely to see how Auckland’s commitment to clean and fast ball at the collisions areas gives them that crucial extra space either out wide or close to the ruck.
Just two years ago New Zealand Rugby experimented with the breakdown laws for the Mitre 10 Cup. What transpired was a shemozzle, as players ended up kicking the ball through the ruck as they were not permitted to contest in time-honoured fashion. Akira Ioane wore the No 7 jersey through much of that season as there was no need for a fetcher. Thankfully common sense prevailed.
Now Auckland has found an effective loose forwards mix, even allowing for Blake Gibson’s absence. Ioane is strong as an ox in the mauls and wins turnovers, Dalton Papalii is a tackling machine who rarely misses but has added the softer touches to his name that have propelled him into the All Blacks. Evan Olmstead has filled the Steven Luatua-type role at lock and No 6, winning lineout ball, shifting bodies and galloping around the track offering full value both with and without the ball. He is thriving on forwards coach Filo Tiatia’s coaching and breakdown philosophy.
“The stuff that Filo is preaching is nothing new. There’s nothing new under the sun in rugby, but his emphasis and the way we practise is really good. I enjoy the breakdown and love trying to get a steal every now and then,” says the Canadian, who has surely played his way into a Super Rugby contract. He certainly has made more of an impact than the last Canadian to play for Auckland, flanker Adam Kleeberger in 2009.
Work rate and work ethic are key planks of the breakdown, as much as technique and physicality.
“We work a lot on the adjustor. That’s a big area that Ted (Sir Graham Henry) talked about as well, that helper in the tackle and making a positive impact afterwards, whether it’s to go for the ball or take the space. The first guy makes the initial tackle and the second guy makes sure it’s a dominant one,” Olmstead says.
“A lot of it is technique, but also the mindset to want to put your head in dark places. It might hurt a little bit, but if you hit someone hard enough, they are going to move anyway.”
That and, of course, playing to the limit of what the referee will allow you to get away with.
Tiatia has done sterling work with this Auckland pack in 2018 but, in fairness, much of the forwards effort in the annus horribilis of 2017 was not far off the pace. Certainly the Auckland scrum is now a force to be reckoned with, and invariably the side wins the breakdown battle.
But one cannot study the breakdown in isolation.
“The breakdown leads into attack, so it’s not just up to one coach. We’re all defensive and attack coaches,” says Tiatia, who can see the bigger picture along with Henry, who oversees the Auckland defence.
“The simplest thing is to look after the ball, go forward and get to the ball carrier quickly. If you do that, there’s no fight. If you get there slowly, it’ll be a scrap. Hopefully we don’t need to clear bodies because we’re going forward. The guys have down well to date and turned ball over.”
There was a lot of pre-season emphasis on the breakdown and it has paid off. It is no longer just the preserve of the forwards. Halfback Jonathan Ruru has proven adept at shifting bodies at the ruck, while midfielders TJ Faiane and Tumua Manu are also strong in the collisions.
“Akira has worked hard around some of the things the All Blacks want him to do. I thought he was unlucky not to make the All Blacks,” says Tiatia.
Communication is vital, just as one player calls the lineouts and the back moves. Tiatia says everything is linked to voice. His Super Rugby players can swiftly sum up what is happening in the rucks and mauls, while those coming up from club level have learned fast.
So to the Wellington Lions, who are the last obstacle for Auckland to host its first NPC final since 2007. Even without Vaea Fifita, the Lions present a physical challenge that was seen in the opening stanza of their October 4 clash. Tiatia expects nothing less than a ding-dong scrap.
His charges will be ready for the breakdown battle on Saturday evening. Win that, and it goes a long way towards winning the war.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments