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Super Rugby star highlights how Australian sides can beat Kiwi teams this season
A Super Rugby Pacific star has outlined how the Australian teams can beat their Kiwi counterparts in the competition later this season.
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The New Zealand sides are highly favoured to dominate the Australian franchises when they do battle in a few weeks’ time after having done so in recent editions of Super Rugby.
In years gone by, the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders have enjoyed a high level of success against their trans-Tasman rivals, which peaked between 2016 and 2018 when they went 40 games without loss against the Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs, Rebels and Force.
That disparity came under the microscope again last year after the Brumbies and Reds were the only Australian teams to register victories against Kiwi sides, with each franchise winning a game apiece from 25 total matches throughout the competition.
While cross-border matches are yet to take place this season due to the Covid-enforced rescheduling of multiple fixtures, the Kiwi outfits are expected to continue their dominance over the Australians when they begin to square off from April 22 onwards.
However, Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall has illustrated what the Australian teams need to do in order to buck the trend and push for places in the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals in the upcoming rounds.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Hall highlighted a key difference between the matches played in New Zealand and Australia thus far in Super Rugby Pacific.
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The five-time title-winning Maori All Black noted that matches played between Kiwi teams have averaged a ball-in-play time of about 39-40 minutes, up to eight minutes longer than that of matches played in Australia.
According to Hall, those figures reflect that New Zealand teams play a faster brand of rugby than the Australian sides, who he said must adapt to that style of play if they are to beat the Kiwi franchises over the next couple of months.
“One stat that one of our analysis guys brought up was just around the difference in ball-in-play, the difference between Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU,” Hall said, referencing the New Zealand and Australian teams in Super Rugby Pacific.
“At the moment, the ball-in-play in New Zealand games is roughly 39-40 minutes in games… in the Australian games, there’s only been one game that’s been at that 38 minutes level of ball-in-play.
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“It’s pretty much at that 32-minute mark of ball-in-play, so I think the ability of the Australian teams to be able to adapt and play more of a high-tempo game of [making] more tackles, having the ball in play and under that fatigue, I think that’s going to be a crucial part for the Australian teams moving forward because the ball is in play a lot more for New Zealand teams.
“Four-to-five minutes might not seem a lot for our viewers, but, actually, as players, having that extra time in game is actually a big part of running more metres, having longer phase counts and putting teams under more pressure.
“I think if the Australians can adapt to that when they do play the New Zealand teams, it’ll set them up really well to maybe get results in the back part of the year.”
Hall added that, of the Australian teams, the table-topping Brumbies loom as the strongest contenders to challenge the New Zealand sides after navigating the first six rounds of Super Rugby Pacific without defeat.
“I think the balance around their game is where I’m most impressed with them,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Set piece-wise, they’ve got the ability to go to their lineout maul which has been a weapon for them over the years.
“They scrummage well but, I think as well, when they get their backs in the game, whether that be Tom Banks or Tom Wright, the amount of pace and x-factor they have out wide, they do it really well when they get the opportunities to be able to get there.
“I think their physicality in the breakdown as well, when they’re getting those big [ball-carrying] forwards going forward and on top of teams, it’s bringing the likes of Tom Wright, and their midfield pairings as well, to be able to have opportunities and being able to attack in their phase-play shape.
“They are sitting nicely and, I guess for them, it’s being able to accumulate as many points as they [can] – which they have, they’re undefeated – and then it gives them really good confidence [to beat] us New Zealand teams at the backend of the competition.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
1 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments