The modern-day midfielder - how rugby's most demanding position is asking for more
Never before has one position been required to do so much, or at least be capable of doing so much.
The modern-day midfielder, in particular the outside centre, has been the subject of transformation in the last decade morphing into a collection of multiple positions.
The athlete profile is demanding, it requires a specimen who can dash 40-metres in 5-seconds, but also power lift or bench press as much as a front rower. Combine the speed and acceleration of a winger, the distribution skills of a flyhalf, the strength and endurance of a loose forward not to mention the ability to diagnose and recover from disadvantageous situations in defence.
The non-negotiables for the position are growing, shaping a new breed of midfielder and pushing one-dimensional talents elsewhere as the game’s requirements change.
Consider England’s midfield mix that Eddie Jones has settled on earlier this year – Manu Tuilagi, the prototype power-running centre of the Noughties, has found a new home at 12 while the skillful, balanced playmaker Henry Slade is the preferred option at 13.
This has ignited England’s backline play and opened up far more opportunities for the outside backs like Elliot Daly, Jack Nowell and Jonny May, many of whom are also versatile multi-positional assets themselves. With the addition of Scott Wisemantel, England’s attack has been far more prolific and potent over the last 12-months.
Slade’s diverse skill set includes better ball-handling, ball-playing ability, and an attacking kicking game while being more agile, faster and fitter than Tuilagi. His game has been shaped by playing many positions in the backline earlier in his career, including fullback and flyhalf. As his body has matured in size, he is now the perfect model for this new breed of 13 whose value is only just now being fully understood.
Now more than ever midfield defence is about spacial coverage, not about forceful collisions and big hits. It is geared for ‘space eaters’ with multi-directional speed who can go sideline-to-sideline to close overlaps or rush up and bring pressure and take time away.
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As long as they have good technique to close the tackle at a high completion rate, they don’t need ribcage-rattling physicality to belt the opposition. They need to be more adept at body position and understand leverage in the way NFL cornerbacks do, and then complete tackles from a wide variety of angles.
Slade and Ireland’s Garry Ringrose are some of the best examples of centres who do this. Their elite conditioning allows for high-line defence on high percentage of phases, with a deep capacity to re-load and bring heat time and time again for the full eighty. They can jockey-off and backpeddle to save situations, recover from the inside to chase down outside runners or simply put the front-on spot tackle on.
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The advancement of structured phase play in attack has bought rise to the idea of multiple first receivers who play a traditional flyhalf role. It has become an interchangeable part.
Consider the Crusaders’ first receiving usage: Richie Mo’unga takes the lion share with anywhere between 30 to 40% but midfielders Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue combine for around 25% of the touches as secondary options.
Distribution skills are absolutely necessary as the midfielders are called on to relieve first receiving duties when the flyhalf is tackled or caught at the breakdown. Without an honed an accurate passing game, run-first centres won’t be able to operate in teams that play in possession-based rugby structures.
There are some tremendous physical athletes at outside centre who can make game-breaking runs – Huw Jones, Jesse Kriel, Samu Kerevi, Jonathan Davies. All are quality players but would be considered in the second tier of 13’s behind Goodhue, Crotty, Slade and Ringrose who have more accuracy in other facets.
The Reds have moved Kerevi, who played every game at 13 on the Wallabies’ end of year tour, towards 12 this year in Super Rugby, utilising his strengths as a carrier but protecting his weaknesses as a defender. Kerevi has been one of the best players in Super Rugby, flourishing in a more suited role.
The Crusaders perhaps have two of the world’s best who can play outside centres in their midfield. Crotty over the last two years has played a lot of 13 for the All Blacks but 12 with his Super Rugby team, allowing Goodhue to develop to the point where he has now the All Blacks main option. As sharp as Crotty has been this season at 30-years-old, the younger Goodhue is still probably the better-suited 13 option due to youthful athleticism.
In the Pro 14 final this weekend, Leinster’s Garry Ringrose will suit up at outside centre. In the Premiership semi-finals, Henry Slade will line up for Exeter while European champions Saracens also use the versatile Alex Lozowski who is in the same mould. The Crusaders’ are hot favourites to take home a third consecutive title, with Crotty and Goodhue.
All the world’s best clubs have them, but they are perhaps the rarest breed to find and develop, making the modern-day midfielder an important commodity and changing the dynamics of the position.
Was Glen Jackson hungover while referring the Chiefs vs Blues?:
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments