Building the perfect rugby player: Wing
Following on from our look at the outside centre position, we now come to the penultimate article in our series attempting to build the perfect rugby player, with an examination of the wing position. Certain things remain as true at the position now as they were 20 or even 30 years ago, but plenty of things have also changed and there could be yet more redefining of the position if the proposed 50-22 kicking law is taken onboard by the sport.
Below we have rounded up the five key attributes for the position and provide an example of a player who currently best exhibits that particular skill. One area where wings have always had to be proficient is in their speed. If they can get outside of a defensive blitz, they are often in a one-on-one race with a covering full-back for the try line. Even if they can’t ultimately get in for a score, chances are that the quicker they are, the more territory they will gain before they are finally tackled.
South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe leads the way here, not only with his top-end pace that has left many a defender grasping at thin air, but also his acceleration and ability to maintain speed when changing direction. It’s that manoeuvrability that makes Kolbe so elusive and why he has become one of the most feared players in international rugby.
As one of a team’s primary attacking weapons, wings need to have good finishing skills and instincts. This can range from an appreciation of when and where opportunities are going to arise, to an ability to manipulate their body and get the ball over the try line even in the smallest of spaces and battling both defenders and the touch line.
While there are wings in international rugby who will claim to have better all-round skill sets, not many can match the pure finishing skills of France’s Teddy Thomas. Just like his predecessors for Les Bleus, Thomas seems to have an uncanny knack for popping up at just the right time and in just the right positions. He’s a pure finisher.
'There were times when I was in the car with the rugby coach and players would be phoning in saying they couldn’t do anymore because it was affecting their actual work life.' @Tom_Varndell talks to @heagneyl 👨💻https://t.co/oKkSFnhHom
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2020
Combined with those speed and finishing elements, the attacking triumvirate is completed by the footwork that a wing needs to have to excel. The ability to step, spin or stutter can leave defenders’ red-faced and out of luck, whilst it also allows the attacking player to generate power going into contact, something which has long been a desired attribute for wings to be able to show.
There is no shortage of wings with adept footwork currently playing and New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane is one of the chief examples. The Blues wing is not only able to beat defenders by pulling off subtle and effective steps at speed, he is also one of the most deadly wings in rugby in small spaces, where his fast feet deliver a force that many larger wings struggle to create.
With the increase in kicking in rugby, wings have had to become more adept at dealing with aerial balls and already mentioned, that is only going to increase if the 50-22 kicking law comes to be. To be able to read the flight of a ball, position themselves well and then time their jump to be in prime position and not risk giving up penalties is one of the most desired skills any wing can have.
Key to their recent charge to the World Cup final, England’s Jonny May is arguably the most consistent international player in this area. His ability to win back kicks is second to none and he repeatedly makes tough and contested catches look easy when fielding kicks from the opposition. His speed is not to be dismissed either, but it’s in the air where he truly separates himself from the crowd.
Finally, we come to vision. With wings often having to field kicks from deep and launch counter-attacks, vision for space on the pitch is paramount. It goes beyond counter-attacks, with a rugby pitch often proving to be a congested area given the size and speed of players, so a wing who can pop up in midfield and exploit a hole in the defence is worth their weight in gold.
Although your gaze is initially drawn to his sizeable frame, Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale is one of the best going in this more subtle component of the position. He seems to have a natural feel for where space and holes in the defence are going to open up and regularly exploits them by tracking the ball in the midfield. His ability on the counter-attack is built around far more than his size and power.
Speed – Cheslin Kolbe
Finishing – Teddy Thomas
Footwork – Rieko Ioane
Aerial ability – Jonny May
Vision – Jacob Stockdale
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn 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
3 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 Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 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.
30 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 comments