Author: ForceFan

Round 10 saw no head-to-head between Australian teams. Where there had been fairly similar approaches to Ruck Involvements in previous rounds, the range of opposition resulted in markedly different game plans.  However, all teams were attempting to maintain their defensive line by standing off Defence Rucks; all Defensive Rucks were at levels well below their 2016 average. The teams with superior possession all lost (Brumbies 73%, Rebels 58% and Force 52%).  The winning teams both had lower Possession than their opposition (Reds 48% and Waratahs 41%). The Brumbies set their 2016 highest number (334) of Total Ruck Involvements (TRIs) and…

Force 13:49 Waratahs It was enjoyable to see 7 tries scored – even if 6 of them were by the, hopefully resurgent, Waratahs – with some excellent running rugby on display. The much heralded breakdown confrontation didn’t eventuate as it appeared that neither side wanted to play in its own territory.    It was more of a kick-fest, with the Waratahs making 36 kicks from hand and Force 28. The Waratahs led Possession (51%) and Territory (56%).  Both teams missed about 20 tackles and conceded about the same number of penalties and turn overs. Handling errors were about the same.  …

WARATAHS V BRUMBIES The Brumbies have won both of these local derbies in 2016. Any analysis of the 2 games shows that the stats (and not just Ruck Involvements) were almost a complete reversal of the game in Canberra but the final scoreline was about the same. In Round 2 the Brumbies had 62% Possession and 60% Territory and won 31:15. Ruck Involvements were Brumbies 307 Total (232 Attack/75 Defence); Waratahs 154T (154A/64D) In Round 8 the Brumbies had 38% Possession and 37% Territory and won 26:20. Ruck Involvements were Brumbies 209T (121A/88D); Waratahs 264T (218A/46D) The Brumbies were simply…

WARATAHS v REBELS Hugh Cavill provided an excellent, comprehensive post-match wrap entitled “Rebels hold off Waratahs for maiden Sydney Win.” Most of the stats from this game are as close as the final Waratahs 17:21 Rebels scoreline. Despite being held scoreless in the 2nd Half, the Rebels had done just enough to  get the win.  The Waratahs struggled to turn their 2nd Half Possession and Territory dominance into points. RUCK INVOLVEMENTS Remember: 1. Early means 1st or 2nd of player’s team AFTER the ball carrier has been tackled and brought to ground. 2. Impact means active engagement: strong physical…

Round 5 saw a dramatic reduction in Defensive Ruck Involvements (DRIs) by 3 Aussie teams, more of the same from one and a significant increase from one side in the only local derby. The Force has shown week-by-week reduced involvement in DRIs since the opening round high of 117 DRIs to only 36 DRIs against the Chiefs.  Clearly the focus has been to maintain the defensive line and keep opposition ball pressure to just a few (Hodgson and Coleman). The Force’s 36 DRIs was <50% of their average. For the first time the Rebels showed a similar approach against the…

Round 4 had all of the Aussie SR teams playing International opponents. The teams which played off-shore showed significant reductions in Total Ruck Involvements from their average in the opening 3 rounds – Brumbies (-33%), Force (-20%) and Rebels (-18%).  Clearly the strategy was to be more combative against local teams early in the season.  The quality of the rugby certainly suffered. The Reds played the Blues at Suncorp and maintained their normal ruck work rate. The Waratahs returned from their Bye with an energenic, youthful Front Row (especially Ta’avao, Roach and Robertson) and increased their Total Ruck Involvements by…

Round 3 presented 4 Aussie teams head-to-head.  (Waratahs Bye) The Brumbies proved to be worthy Conference/Australasian Group leaders with a 31:14 win over the Force in Perth.  In many respects this game unfolded in much the same manner as the Round 1, Brumbies v Waratahs game with the Force getting outscored and out-penalised in the first 20 minutes.  Total Final Ruck Involvements are very close despite the Brumbies out-rucking the Force during this opening period.. The Rebels had a close 25:23 win over the Reds in Melbourne.  Total Ruck Involvements indicate that the Rebels strongly supported their ball carriers due…

The Total Ruck Involvement statistics for Round 2 show similar approaches by 4 of the Aussie teams but a markedly different approach by the Waratahs. The Waratahs Total Ruck Involvements were only 71% of the Brumbies.  This can only be partly explained by the 2 Yellow Cards in the first half  (Skelton & Dennis) and undoubtedly effected by the numerous early penalties.  It’s likely that this low level of ruck involvement was part of the original game plan to try and keep the game open and counter the strength of the Brumbies Back Row. It took a 3:42 score line against…

The start of a new season provides an opportunity to do something different. I’ve collected the normal ruck stats for all 5 Aussie teams. Rather than give tables for all players, I’ve attempted to provide some insights into who, or which group of players, is doing the hard work at the breakdown for each team. Brumbies and Waratahs showed similar ruck involvements against very different opposition. Reds stats reflect their 62% Possession.  Little pressure on the Waratahs ball carriers and a very low (75%) tackle success rate. Force and Rebels were evenly matched for ruck involvement, however, the Force was…

A Breakdown Master Class Dominance at the breakdown was clearly part of the All Blacks effective game plan for victory in the RWC Final.  It was a full team effort which came with intensity/muscle/commitment, speed and strong support of the All Black ball.  It also came with sustained pressure on the Wallabies ball for almost the full 80 minutes.  The support and pressure was maintained by flooding the breakdown with numbers at most opportunities. My pre-game analysis concluded: The Wallabies Forwards, particularly the Front Row and Locks (including replacements) will need to increase their work rate and ruck involvements to…

Not surprisingly the “Battle at the Breakdown” will be critical to the outcome. There’s no doubt that the 2 best teams at the RWC have progressed to the Final. Both teams have shown the best defence and the flexibility and skills to win even when the game doesn’t progress as planned. In order to make the final, most key players have shown what game they have brought with them or developed for the RWC.   For the Wallabies, most players have transferred Ruck Involvements at the SXV level into the Test arena.  This is an achievement in itself.  Cheika has prepared…

Desperate and scrambling defence. The Pumas never really threatened the Wallabies’ try line, yet with the scoreboard at Wallabies 19:6 Pumas after 31 minutes the result seemed a foregone conclusion.  However, for the next 40 minutes the Pumas never stopped testing the Wallabies defence, throwing the ball about from inside their own 22 and entertaining us all with their attacking skills and exciting endeavours.  Only the desperate and scrambling defence of the Wallabies kept the Pumas at bay after they had clawed back to be within a converted try just after the main break.  The Mitchell/AAC try at 71 minutes…

ABOUT STRANGE GAME PLANS The perplexing aspect of this encounter was that, at various stages throughout this match-up, the Bokkes could have taken this game but they applied less of the defensive intensity that they have showed after the initial loss to Japan and they never/rarely unleashed their normally effective Backs. Last week against Wales the Springbok Forwards had 374 Ruck Involvements (RI).  This was second only to Ireland’s 389 RIs against France.  Yet against the All Blacks the Springboks had only 213 RIs.  Was this just one game too many for some of their tired bodies? Francois Louw had…

“Used up our ‘Get Out of Gaol’ Card” (Bernard Foley) Have to be happy with the win even if it was winning “ugly”. The Wallabies were almost outworked by Scotland who was behind in most of the key statistics. The Wallabies had the most of Possession (55%) and Territory (62%) and showed the better running game: 112 runs for 345m and 17 Defenders Beaten compared to Scotland’s 79 runs for 250m and 10 Defenders beaten. Both side tackled well with the Wallabies an impressive 86 from 96 attempts (90%) and Scotland 117 from 134 attempts (87%). Mauls, Lineouts and Scrums…

Another “hard day in the office”. This crucial Pool D clash was a compelling game to watch as the winner benefited from switching away from the All Blacks and Springboks side of the draw for the next couple of weeks. Both teams had scored about the same number of tries in their 3 pool games with relatively easy wins against Romania and Canada and tighter struggles against Italy. Any early expectations of seeing the French attacking flair being unleashed was dashed right from the start by strong defensive pressure from Ireland.  Up until the main break, France struggled to get out of…

The Wallabies survive the Welsh flood Matt Rowley in his “Guts gets the glory” article gave a good summary of this game: Wales had done their homework on Australia and used rush defence together with flooded breakdowns to disrupt the Wallabies pattern of play. Aerial bombardment got the men in red the territory they needed and if it hadn’t been for another monumental scrummaging effort from both Australian front rows they might have been able to make that pay. Wales dominated Possession (60%) and Territory (63%) throughout the game but didn’t score after the 33 minute mark.  In the second half,…

Stepping Up at the Breakdown Much has been written about the Wallaby victory over England. If this game sets the tone of the RWC then buckle your seatbelts as were in for some ride over the next 4 weeks. The stats show that England was ahead in some areas: They had a better running game – 391 m compared to our 254m. More Clean Breaks, Defenders Beaten and Offload; They missed fewer tackles – 101/15 versus 116/18; and Slightly better Lineout – 7/1 (87%) versus 11/2 (85%). But the Wallabies: Made more of their Possession (51%) and Territory (53%); Won…

England v Wales Forwards – RWC Ruck Involvement The recent RWC Test between England and Wales was a closely fought battle. Not only was the scoreboard tight (England 25:28 Wales) but almost all key statistics were extremely close.  Yet the half-time scoreline was England 16:9 Wales.  It was a memorable comeback by Wales. England ran the ball more (468m v 387m), had more Territory (53%) and marginally more Possession. Both teams scored a single Try.  Owen Farrell kicked 6 from 6 shots on goal plus a field goal.  Dan Biggar kicked 8 from 8 shots on goal but missed a…

An unconvincing effort by the Rebels resulted in a win and a final scoreline of 23-15 despite the Reds being reduced to 14 men after the first 20 minutes (Horwill – Red Card) and the Rebels having 72% possession and 80% territory in the 2nd half.   The Reds were very much in the game up until the Rebels’ 3rd try at the 66th minute. The Rebels maintained good ball retention, however the Reds put in a strong defensive effort with the scores locked at 15-15 for 37 minutes.  The Reds’ scrum held its own despite being a man down for…

The Brumbies put on a commanding performance at Suncorp easily accounting for the injury depleted Reds for a 29-0 bonus point win. The Brumbies were cohesive, disciplined, well-drilled, energetic and provided strong support in all aspects of the game. The Reds’ performance lacked any real venom or intensity with some key players being totally out-muscled at the breakdown.  The Reds struggled to retain possession (41%) and make any territory gains (42%) against an effective Brumbies defence. Remember: Early means 1st or 2nd AFTER the ball carrier has been tackled and brought to ground. Impact means active engagement: strong physical contact, changed…