Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

How over 300 tackles a season left Jono Ross' shoulder 'hanging on'

By Chris Jones
(Photo by Lynne Cameron/Getty Images)

Jono Ross was on course for a third successive season of making more than 300 tackles in the Gallagher Premiership before the Covid-19 pandemic brought an abrupt halt to the mayhem he was creating.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Sale Sharks back row had continued to maintain his reputation as the iron man of the sport in the English league despite requiring surgery on his left shoulder at the end of last season. 

Rather than douse his tackling fires, Ross merely headed to the gym to ensure he was fully fit for the start of a campaign that is currently suspended just 13 rounds of matches into the 22-game schedule. 

In his first season at Sale after moving from Stade Francais in 2017, the Johannesburg-born 29-year-old put in 336 tackles to top the Premiership tackle count.

He then followed this up with another 331 tackles last season to repeat his position as the best in the business – and he currently leads the table again on 201 despite his operation.

His defensive prowess is not just all about physicality either, Ross telling RugbyPass that being mentally on his game is just as important when constantly halting ball-carrying opponents.

“In rugby – especially in my position – it is a difficult one to make sure you are strong every week, push through things that are hurting and just get on with it,” he said. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“There is pride in the number of tackles and it is an indication of work rate but ultimately I’m trying to do whatever is best for the team and somehow I seem to make a lot of tackles. 

“It’s important to be effective in those tackles, dominant and ensuring they are good quality tackles while also improving other parts of my game.

“I have had some good coaching along the way, but a lot of it has to do with mentality and being willing to put your body where it hurts. 

“I’m not trying to make it sound worse that it is and lots of guys do it, but it does come down to that mentality, although technique is also important because there are concerns about head knocks and injuries.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Personally, I prefer to tackle a bit higher because I feel you can dominate an attacker if you tackle him like that. I also think it is safer. 

“There is a lot of talk about chop tackling but there are some hard things (down there) like knees and hips. It is an interesting debate but I feel safer making tackles through the ball and the chest area. 

“I had a coach John McFarland (ex-Bulls and Springboks) and he was big on that. It was something I developed to win the battle when someone is running at you.”

Ross has led a Sale squad bolstered by fellow South Africans up to second place in the Premiership and they also have a postponed Premiership Rugby Cup final against Harlequins to fit in if the season in England is given the green light to resume. 

For now, a self-isolation training regime has been designed to keep Ross fit and his shoulders are glad of the mid-season break. “Obviously, as the season goes on you feel it a bit more worn down and last year I got to point with my shoulder where I was hanging on towards the end. 

“Coming into this season I had a good period in the gym and ensured that my body was really strong knowing what I was going to go through while also being mentally strong as well.”

With the tackle area a real focus for referees and those trying to make the game as safe as possible, Ross has urged those examining this key area to remember the pace at which the sport is played. “People don’t understand how quickly things happen on the pitch,” he explained. “You have to set yourself in the tackle and dominate the opposition.

“But it can change in a split second with you intending to hit at the right height but the guy can drop and you hit him in the head. You need an understanding of the speed at what things happen and while you want to be safe, the sport is dangerous.”

WATCH: Premiership Rugby considering midweek matches in order to finish the season

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 4 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”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 7 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.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 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

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 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.

21 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Dean Richards set for return to rugby management Dean Richards set for return to rugby management
Search