Author: Brian Smith
Brian Smith
Brian Smith is a rare breed who has both played and coached international rugby and doesn't mind telling it as he sees it. He's currently putting his Oxford degree to good use teaching Commerce and coaching rugby at the Scots College, Sydney.
The Wallabies have been searching for an effective combination behind the scrum and after their performance in Perth they must feel they’re close to bullseye. What was impressive in this performance was the mix of balance and power. The Wallabies six-try blitz showcased a wide range of attacking threats and we’re going to have a look at a few of them here. The Missing Link James O’Connor was the perfect link between Christian Leali’ifano and the talented Wallaby back three. This first try shows his brilliant vision and skill set. Remember this pass was made with his left hand and…
It’s rare that the All Blacks are held to one try on New Zealand soil but that’s exactly what happen in their clash with the Springboks. It was also the case for the Wallabies in their match against the Pumas. In fact all four teams involved in The Rugby Championship on the weekend were held to one try a piece. It seems the defence is outperforming attack and this is likely to be the case in the later stages of the World Cup. However there is one key ingredient that is almost too hard to defend and that is speed.…
In recent times much has been made about the Wallabies and their traditional playmakers at numbers 10 and 12. However, with the World Cup fast approaching it might be more appropriate to look at the playmaking ability of the number 9s. Over the weekend all of the scrum halves in The Rugby Championship played a major hand in their team’s attack. It seems attacking shape and structure is so last season and playing direct off the playmaker halfback is so now. Here are a few clips to illustrate the impact the 9s had in the two Test Matches. Springboks v…
Introduction Michael Cheika’s Wallabies had a genuine crack against the All Blacks in Yokohama but to be fair we were never really in the hunt. New Zealand fully deserved the win scoring five tries and putting on a master class in building pressure and targeting defensive weaknesses. They remain the best team in the world and I fear for the Japanese Cherry Blossoms next weekend. \ Regardless of the result, it’s always worth digging deep to identify areas for improvement. The following clips highlight some lessons we can all take out of this test match. Try Line Defence When I…
What a game it was in Salta. The Wallabies performed the “great escape” goaded by Michael Cheika’s impassioned half time spray. However, there are some defensive issues that are at the heart of our performance problems and we’ll look at these in this analysis. You simply can’t concede four tries in a test match and expect to win. Missed Tackles It usually takes more than one defensive error to concede a try because defence systems are designed to have secondary cover. In this first try Pablo Matera ran a beautiful hard line and broke the left shoulder tackle of Bernard…
It’s tough times as a Wallaby supporter. Michael Cheika’s team is under pressure and it’s as though the team has forgotten how to win. At times like this the coaching staff and the team have to stay on task and deal with technical and tactical issues rather than get caught up in the drama of the situation. It’s probably a good thing this next game is on the road as it will be easier to keep the squad focused and aligned. In this analysis we’re going to look at some key moments and look for learnings that schoolboy players and…
Introduction It’s been along time between drinks for Argentina in Australia with their last previous win in 1983. I was at Ballymore watching that game as a schoolboy and I vividly remember the legendary Hugo Porta kicking the Wallabies into submission. This Puma victory was a completely different type of win. Since Graham Henry spent time with them a few years back they have transformed the way they play. They’re now an ambitious team prepared to spread the ball and use their zippy outside backs. Whilst it hurts from a Wallaby perspective it’s great for world rugby that the Pumas…
Introduction Michael Cheika will sleep better this week after his Wallabies found a way to win in Brisbane in pretty tricky conditions. It was not a great spectacle or an advertisement for the game but it was dramatic and captivating. Most importantly it was a win. A win that was desperately needed on many fronts. In 1986 the master of “winning ugly”, Brad Gilbert, beat John McEnroe at Madison Square Garden and Nick Bolletieri was commentating. Bolletieri said the game was so ugly he needed three pairs of Oakley sunglasses to watch otherwise he’d get bloodshot eyes. In my view…
Introduction A lot has been said about the Wallabies set piece woes, their 40 missed tackles and all those turnovers. Even Coach Cheika has come under fire from sections of the media. However, it was one player that inflicted most of the damage on Saturday and that player was the formidable Waiseke Naholo. We’re going to have a look at the 4 tries he featured in more detail. The Inside Ball Naholo had a huge impact in creating the All Blacks first try. In this clip you’ll see his terrific inside ball to Kieran Read whilst dealing with the cover…
In this part of the world all eyes were on the Wallabies v Ireland series decider but before that game kicked off the All Blacks v France match was played in Dunedin and it was a terrific spectacle. In this analysis were going to have a look at some of the plays of the day from both tests played in Australasia on Saturday night. We’re also going to offer up a couple of suggestions for World Rugby’s Laws Committee because our game probably needs to tighten up a few issues. Plays of the Day Starting with the good stuff first,…
Introduction In the modern game the Blitz Defence has become a key consideration for all attach coaches. There are a number of hybrid types of Blitz Defence but they all share one thing…line speed. In this analysis we’ll look at some attack principles that are designed to break down the Blitz. The examples have all bean taken from the second round of test matches played in the Southern Hemisphere on Saturday night. Hard Lines In order to get the defence on the back foot modern day forwards need to able to run hard lines off their scrum half to bend…
With the Northern Hemisphere teams being so accomplished in recent times it’s paved way for these 3 Test Match Series and it has to be said they are a breath of fresh air in world rugby. The All Blacks v France, Wallabies v Ireland and Springboks v England…these are all mouth watering match ups and judging by ticket sales they have captured the imagination of the rugby publics in the Southern Hemisphere. In this analysis we’re going to look at a number of clips from all 3 test matches. All Blacks v France Whilst the French ended up being well…
Ireland comprehensively rolled England at Twickenham on St Patrick’s Day to win the Grand Slam and send shockwaves through English rugby. Last season in the reverse position, Ireland had a chance to rain on England’s parade in Dublin and did so, denying Eddie Jones’ team the elusive Grand Slam. This time around England could not return the favour and were well beaten by half time with Ireland going into the sheds at 21 v 5. This was such an epic game that what follows is a blow-by-blow of how it unfolded. A story board of the match if you like.…
After England’s loss to Scotland, coach Eddie Jones spared his players by publicly taking the blame for the loss. It was a classic move designed to make his players feel like the boss had take one for the team and they had better repay his loyalty. However, in the lead up to the French test the crafty old fox then made some changes to his team – designed to send a message to his troops. The change of captain from Dylan Hartley to Owen Farrell was forced due to injury, but the move to play Anthony Watson at fullback and…
Scotland were excellent and fully deserved their win over England at Murrayfield on the weekend. Gregor Townsend prepared his troops with attacking ideas to overcome England’s Blitz defence and his players executed the plan. England will be annoyed with their general execution and Eddie Jones may regret taking on Scotland’s back row with only one fetcher. Scotland certainly won the battle on the floor in the critical moments. Attacking the Blitz Scotland attacked England’s Blitz defence with a number of deliberate ploys that were effective. Their first try was scored off the back of a lineout drive as Greig Laidlaw…
Eddie Jone’s sweet chariot rolls on in this seasons 6 Nations championship after a gritty win at Twickenham on Saturday. The men in white had to dig deep to hold off Wales and there was some controversy around a TMO call but at the end of the day this team knows how to win. They executed a simple attacking game plan and scrambled well in defence. However, Wales exposed some issues that England will have to address as they head into the next round. Target the Rookie In the lead up to the match Eddie Jones called out Rhys Patchell…
England were far too classy for the brave Italians in the opening round of the RBS 6 Nations and they enjoyed a 40 point thumping of their hosts. Eddie Jones has discovered another absolute gem at number eight with Sam Simmonds scoring 2 super tries in debut. The Ford and Farrell combination in midfield was superb creating time and space for their gas men on the wings. It was a cracking start for England but there was one small weakness that they will need to address. Watson’s Wheels I had a little bit to do with Anthony Watson as he…
Until last night, I had fond memories of Murrayfield. It’s where I played my last rugby test and the Scots are incredibly gracious hosts. However, last night was a nightmare for Wallaby supporters and it will haunt the players and coaches as they head off for a break. Regardless of the season it’s always good to finish with a win. Whenever my teams were on the end of a hiding I would attempt to get something out of the game by reflecting on the most obvious lesson and make some notes in my rugby journal for the future. After all,…
It was a typical wet November day at Twickenham and it’s fair to say things got pretty heated in the stands, as the Wallabies were forced to accept some difficult decisions and England made it five consecutive wins over the men in gold. However, the final score belied the nature of the contest. It was in fact an arm-wrestle in treacherous conditions that either team could have won. Unfortunately, rugby and life are not always fair and even though we have an expectation for natural justice that’s not always what we get. That’s why this sport is such a great…
The Wallabies enjoyed a very good win in Cardiff on Saturday, and the performance puts them in a good position going into the big clash with England this Saturday. In recent times the Wallabies have dominated Wales when it comes to results – in fact it feels like the match up with Wales brings out the best in the Wallabies. In 2016 the Wallabies put on a show, and they played some excellent stuff in this match as well. This week we’re going to focus on two of Australia’s tries in the first half. Both tries started with scrums on…