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'The Jasper Wiese try was a play Wiggy brought in on Thursday'
Freddie Burns has revealed why veteran scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth was the recipient of so many on-field plaudits after Leicester scored their crucial second try at Twickenham in last weekend’s Gallagher Premiership final. No8 Jasper Wiese was the scorer to put Leicester 12-3 ahead nearing half-time, but the celebrations focused on the half-back as he had come up with the cunning plan to unlock the defence of Saracens, his former club.
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Wigglesworth had been approached by Leicester boss Steve Borthwick in advance of the final to engineer a play that might sucker Saracens and his idea was put into action in the 35th minute when Ellis Genge tapped a five-metre penalty after Tigers had dominated at a scrum.
“The Jasper Wiese was a play that Wiggy brought in on Thursday,” said Burns during an appearance on this week’s RugbyPass Offload. “Basically, Steve had apparently gone to Wiggy and gone, ‘Look, I want something different that potentially changes the game’ and the coaches had analysed it.
“What happens normally is if you get a penalty on that 15-metre channel the best defenders who want to make a tackle stand towards the posts whereas the people who don’t stand more towards the touchline. So Gengey taps it like he is going to go infield and then turns and goes outfield but also all the boys were stacked towards the posts and then Jasper came around the corner.
“When you get that, when you practice things like that and then you eventually get that moment… the call, I’m preparing myself to take that kick at goal and then Gengey looked at me and goes, ‘No mate, it’s Rhino’. I think the call is Rhino or something like that and boom, two phases, we have scored and you’re like, ‘Here we go’.”
While Springboks pick Wiese mightn’t have garnered the full attention for his try from the Wigglesworth pass, Burns made sure on the show to credit him for a massive carry in the lead-up to the drop goal scored with 23 seconds remaining in the final that Leicester won 15-12. “I have had the joy of a lot of it being about the drop goal and don’t get me wrong, I will milk it ’til the day I die.
“The boys were class all year but that last passage of play, the ability that we had to stay in the kick battle like we did, to get people booing Ben Youngs when he put it up and then Chess [Olly Chessum] gets it back. Two things if you watch it back you will see. Firstly, Ben Youngs’ innate ability without me even having to guide the team from behind just knowing where to put the boys, he didn’t work us around the corner, he got us in a good position.
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“And the second one, Jasper Wiese was just unbelievable all day. There’s the moment before his carry to the ruck before, if you watch it back he looks at Lenny [Youngs] and he just nods his head. You’d think in a final you’d be, ‘Give me the ball, give me the ball!’
“But he literally just looks at him, nods his head, and I think it’s Jamie George he bumps to the ground, carries into Maro, takes Maro back about five metres and that is the moment that you then go, ‘Right!’… if he gets the ball and gets stopped there it’s a whole different kick but he makes five yards. Honestly, these boys are unbelievable. There are so many moments in it, all year.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
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