The quiet genius of Jaz Joyce
Wales are in a tight corner. They need a try to seal the game. They’ve gone through the phases, but need a simple bit of flair to see them over the line. “Give it to #11!” scream the crowd. Sound familiar?
For the last generation of Welsh fans, everyone’s favourite player was Shane Williams. His ability to step out of trouble, his electrifying pace and his technical know-how were nothing short of mesmerising. For the current generation, that player is Jasmine Joyce. She burst onto the Sevens scene with her jet-heeled speed being her main calling card. Much like sizzling Shane, “Super Jaz” used this as an opportunity to broaden her skillset and become a truly world class athlete.
When you think of Jasmine Joyce, a few things come to mind. One, of course, is her disarming media presence. Most of the rest are… well, similar. Joyce is known for her textbook fade on the outside of solo defenders – think no further than her 60m individual effort for the Barbarians against the USA, her many Sevens exploits or her disallowed try against Italy in 2019 – which serves the hypothesis that all TMOs are snitches.
Joyce, however, is no one-trick pony. This may be her world-beating trademark, but she has expanded her game immeasurably in the last couple of years. Let’s take a look at a few underrated world-class pieces of play from Joyce.
These first two examples are from Wales’ Autumn test against Japan, around the 55 minute mark:
Playing at fullback, Joyce has spotted from the backfield that Wales aren’t numbered up and Japan hooker Nijiho Nagata is about to make a line break. While the temptation is to tackle the ball carrier, Joyce instead chooses to mark the space outside Nagata.
Trusting flanker Beth Lewis and fly-half Elinor Snowsill (out of shot to the left, also in the backfield) to have the speed to catch Nagata, Joyce covers the pacy backs on her outside, knowing she’s the correct woman to cover them.
Positioned just outside Nagata, Joyce blocks off the pass. The Japanese hooker makes a huge 30m gain from this break, but is unable to link up to turn the opportunity into a try, all thanks to Joyce’s smart defending. Snowsill and Lewis complete the tackle in combination, and Wales quickly re-organise their D.
Wales then defended for another seven phases in their own 22, before another huge play from Joyce.
Here, Japan’s Kanako Kobayashi has the ball, with several options outside her. Flanker Seina Saito is running a short line, fullback Ria Anoku is in the boot, and winger Hinano Nagura is on the wide outside. In the above image, Joyce is the last woman in the Welsh line, meaning she is covering winger Nagura, with her inside defenders looking to drift.
The best way to beat a drift defence is to run hard and really engage defenders, forcing weaker tackles. Japan attempt to do this, but Joyce’s instant decision making pays off here. Ball carrier Kobayashi thinks Joyce is covering the winger, so opts not to throw the wide ball. Joyce reads this and bites in on Anoku. At this stage, it would require a wondrous pass to reach Nagura. Even if Anoku makes the quick pass, it will likely hang in the air long enough for the Welsh cover to drift.
Joyce flies in on the skilful Anoku and decks her with a thunderous shot. She is low enough to generate a powerful hit, but high enough that the offload isn’t still an option. She immediately pops back to her feet to contest. The Japanese clearout is good, but Joyce slows the ball long enough for the Welsh defence to cover both sides.
This sequence ends with a Japanese knock-on, with thanks to two world-class pieces of defence from the Welsh fullback – one subtle, one less so.
Right, now we’ve seen her defensive prowess, let’s have a quick look at the intricacies of her attacking play. The following analysis is of her try against Ireland in Round One of the 2022 TikTok Six Nations:
After a carry from Kayleigh Powell, Wales generate a quick phase. Joyce and Snowsill both wrap around, identifying a potential 3v2 on the blindside. Hannah Jones picks up and feeds Snowsill.
This time, the temptation for Snowsill is to run diagonally and engage the outside defender, Eimear Considine, and free her winger. Instead, Joyce gestures for Snowsill to stay square and attract the inside woman, Lucy Mulhall (tracking across from the left of the above image). Snowsill does so and delivers a ‘lift’ pass to Joyce.
Instead of trying to force a 2v1, Joyce knows a 1v1 is enough, because she has positioned herself perfectly. She is mere a metre outside Considine, and with Super Jaz’s acceleration, that’s around 100 square kilometres to someone with normal human speed. Considine can only manage an arm tackle, so Joyce breaks free.
And now for the finish. Joyce dives infield, which has several benefits: she doesn’t have to worry about a full-stretch one-handed dot-down in the corner, she isn’t going into touch, and most importantly, it doubles as a sidestep. It’s a superhuman skill to step someone without actually moving your feet, but Super Jaz manages this. With Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe cornerflagging, the Welsh winger ducks inside and grounds the ball for a crucial try that only the best wingers in the world could finish.
We have now reached the stage at which an improving Wales team have the facilities to supply the tremendous Joyce with the inches of space she needs. They don’t rely on her in the same way they used to, but she is a key player in Ioan Cunningham’s setup.
The environment in this Welsh camp feels similar to that of Warren Gatland’s Wales men’s team around 2011. If a game may be decided on a moment of magic, Super Jazz can come up with the goods. Much like Shane Williams, she is a top-drawer finisher with the technical skills to evade defenders when heavily marked. The best players come up with big moments, and Joyce does that on a weekly basis.
Without any shadow of a doubt, Jasmine Joyce is the most exciting player Wales has produced in over a decade. In an era (correctly) dominated by physicality and kicking, a player who still can break through the world’s strongest defences is like gold dust. Joyce is a true Welsh great in the making, and a favourite who never fails to get anyone in red on their feet. Jaz(z) hasn’t been this popular since the Miles Davis era.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 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.
27 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 commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments