The TriNations Championship is over for 2010. It is appropriate for us to take a look and see what lessons we can learn. For the first time, one team, New Zealand, were undefeated, with Australia winning twice and South Africa finishing last, with only one win from six matches. Nine international matches, between the top three ranked teams in world rugby, have been played over the last three months or so, and the style of play and the tactics employed by many teams around the world in the new season, will be influenced by what we have seen. What are the lessons to be learned?
- A year is a long time in rugby. One year ago, South Africa were all but unbeatable. They dominated the touch-line and field position. Morne Steyn could seemingly not miss the posts and Matfield, Brussow, du Preez and Habana were certain selections for any World XV. Now, with both Brussow and du Preez injured, they have struggled to win just once from six matches.
- First phase plays are still the basis of our game. The predictability of secure ball, from scrum, lineout and restart, remains a fundamental of successful performance. New Zealand showed – uniquely in this competition – an ability to adjust and reorganise where necessary, on the run, to stabilise any difficulties encountered.
- Refereeing has changed in one important aspect. Referees are now far more critical of infringements by the attacking team and pick-and-drive from close quarters is frequently penalised for the attacking team going off their feet and sealing off. We have even seen (although belatedly) the attacking team penalised for “entry from the side”. Remember Richie McCaw’s incredulous expression, when pinged for this very offence. Long may this continue; both teams are actually governed by the same set of laws! Any attempt now to close the game down with these tactics, is fraught with danger.
- Lower body tackling is far more prevalent, with ‘the third man’ in very quickly to challenge for the ball. This requires defensive team-work so as to be on-guard against the off-load and aware of the turn-over opportunity. With the laws now more accurately applied – sometimes, erroneously referred to as the “new interpretations” – at the tackle contest, there are both danger and opportunity. A team well-coached and well-prepared can gain considerable advantage!
- Kick receipt and kick return are now even more vital parts of the game. There can be great advantage to be gained from an accurate kicking game with a good kick chase – South Africa used both to great advantage in the TriNations 2009. For success, there must be similar quality in the receiving team’s ability to punish the kicking team from any opportunity for the receiving team. The back three are now even more important, with an ability to beat the first tackle paramount. Both New Zealand and Australia were thus able to negate, and even profit from, South Africa’s previously influential kicking game.
- Individual referees have clear, favoured areas of the game, which they will referee assiduously. It has become imperative for teams to evaluate these areas in their game preparation. It seems a shame, but nevertheless true, that the game should come to this!
- Turn-over ball is best used by shifting it quickly into space. This requires urgent realignment, by the original defensive team, to quickly get back into an attacking alignment. This has always been the case, but New Zealand demonstrated clearly the benefits of such a mind-set.
These were all important aspects of the quality performances in the Championship and all teams would do well to emulate them, but for me the vital ingredients of ultimate success in this most telling of competitions came from a more fundamental analysis of our game.
I have always believed that all successful attacking play requires an urgency in (i) the recycle of the ball from the tackle and (ii) the realignment of our attack, to take advantage of the resultant space. The ‘Attack’ section of my Coaching Manual is indeed based on just this. Attention to the detail of the accurate technique required to achieve this, is the responsibility of the coaching staff. More specifically, in most teams this responsibility would fall on the Assistant Coaches. Indeed, the lack of such accurate technique in the Australian team has resulted in my consistent criticism of the Wallabies’ coaching staff.
No such criticism, however, could be levelled at the All Blacks’ staff. Their attention to this detail was obvious in all of the New Zealand performances this year. Further, the players’ understanding of this fundamental tenet, has made it possible, on more than one occasion, for them to extract themselves from difficult, if not near impossible, situations, to win games. The after-match words from Brad Thorn, after one such Houdini act, say it all. “We just concentrated on doing our own little jobs. We knew that the result would look after itself.”
Speed of recycle from the tackle contest comes from (i) the intent of the ball-carrier to win the tackle contest and, when and if necessary, to then effect a long place of the ball, and (ii) numbers of players (mainly chasing forwards) competing at the tackle. It is a contest, and must be treated as such. Use of ALL of the options available at the tackle contest – drive, rip, feed, maul & peel, pop-ball, etc – are vital to attract defence and make space. In one of New Zealand’s matches, I counted four ‘pop-balls’ – more than the combined total from their opponents for the whole of the championship!
Urgency of realignment, to form an available set of players (mainly backs) in position to take advantage of the space, made available by the pressure applied at and around the tackle, is stage two of the lesson delivered by this year’s champions. In this way, seemingly simple tries can be, and indeed were, scored. Such is the effectiveness of this simple focus, that numerous tries were scored with one or two extra attacking players available, but not needed!
Equally effective was the All Blacks focus on ensuring that their opponents had very little ‘quick recycle ball’. Regular readers will know that I have frequently question the New Zealand tactics in this area – but I have never questioned their understanding of the game.
In these three short paragraphs, we have, I believe, a summary of the reasons behind the All Blacks’ supremacy this season. Their understanding and their intent were clear and focussed, but their quality technique, executed under the pressure of game situations, was first class.
I make no apologies for saying that all of the detail required for the teaching and learning of the Key Principles of all of these techniques, is contained in my Coaching Manual. None of it is physically difficult, but it does require knowledge and determination. It’s up to you!
