Author: Scott Allen

After seven rounds of the 2013 Super Rugby competition Scott Allen takes a look at the tries each team has scored and conceded

What do the Stats say about how the Reds are travelling in 2013 versus 2011 and 2012?

Video analysis of the attacking intent the Waratahs showed vs the Blues last Sunday

The ice hadn’t even been applied to the injuries when Scott Allen filed this match report.

Scott Allen uses video analysis to look at why the Brumbies are being so successful in creating quick ball

How well do you think the Tahs handling is holding up? See if this infographic confirms what you think

Scott Allen gets some video analysis on Quade Cooper’s recent form to help answer this pressing question for Aussie rugby.

Scott Allen casts his analytical eye over the four Aussie teams in round four of Super Rugby. What are the Tahs doing so wrong? Is JOC standing too deep?

Jesse Mogg has been in great form for the Brumbies so far in 2013 – here are some of his highlights. [youtube id=”k9hZaRMU724″ width=”600″ height=”350″] Front page image by Tim Anger Photos

On Friday night against the Waratahs the Rebels were clearly the better team in the first half. Michael Cheika said in his half-time interview that he’d basically told his players they couldn’t play at the pace of the game and would have to set the pace — and that meant they had to lift the pace. He obviously found the right switch because the Waratahs looked a different team in the second half playing attacking rugby without taking unnecessary risks. Apart from lifting the pace of the match I thought that the key difference was that support runners started running closer…

Each week there are highlights to show you and there are some lowlights. Here are the latter: this week’s Shockas. [youtube id=”WTcPx5ueUVg” width=”600″ height=”350″] While our focus is obviously currently on Super Rugby I couldn’t not include the pass-kick from O’Gara. Cast your vote below and tell us why you voted the way you did. Public OpinionPoll Results

I’ve said it many times before but the outcomes from lineouts can have a major impact on a match and that’s really well demonstrated by looking at two matches played last weekend. The first match I’ll look at is Scotland v Ireland where despite having 71% of possession and 77% of territory, Ireland lost. There were of course numerous reasons why Ireland lost the match, not least being the Scots tenacity to hang in when up against that weight of possession. The possession and territory statistics were even more lopsided in the first half when Ireland had 75% of possession…

I’m a great fan of attacking rugby but attacking rugby is about more than playing running rugby and scoring tries. I have been enthralled by plenty of matches where defences dominate and there are limited tries scored. New Style Fewer numbers committed to breakdown Forward support runners maintain distance from ball carrier Run it out of their own 22 Lack of 1st phase attack plays so far You can attack through your set piece play as the Brumbies have done so effectively in the first two weeks of the Super Rugby competition, you can attack in defence as France did…

We’re all armchair critics and we all see different things in matches. Often the things I see watching a game live are not the same as when I do my match analysis.  Here’s what I saw in the match between the Brumbies and Reds last weekend. The accompanying video highlights some of the areas discussed here. The Reds and Brumbies’ battle for supremacy at the top of the Australian conference in 2012 produced close, hard-fought matches and the determination of the final ladder positions went right down to the wire. There was no reason to think their first clash in…

At last — we’ve got some Aussie rugby to watch and talk about. Let’s talk about the Aussie tries in round 1 of Super Rugby 2013 – which do you think was the best from the following selection? [youtube id=”EDnwNcAhxgE” width=”600″ height=”350″] Cast your vote for your favourite, then let us know why you voted the way you did. The best Aussie try in Super Rugby Round 1 2013? Public OpinionPoll Results PS – yes the front page’s picture doesn’t match them up – but stuff it

At last — Super Rugby kicks off for 2013 today. We’ve been looking at some of the tries each Australian franchise scored in 2012 and we’ll finish today with the Brumbies. [youtube id=”uNzEINSeHzU” width=”600″ height=”350″] Cast your vote for your favourite, then let us know why you voted the way you did. Public OpinionPoll Results

It’s only a few days until Super Rugby kicks off for 2013. So to warm up let’s have a look at some of the tries each Australian franchise scored in 2012. Today, we’ll look at the Reds. [youtube id=”PJ4DkePUFWY” width=”600″ height=”350″] Cast your vote, then let us know why you voted the way you did. Public OpinionPoll Results

It’s only a few days until Super Rugby kicks off for 2013. So to warm up let’s have a look at some of the tries each Australian franchise scored in 2012. Today, we’ll look at the Rebels. [youtube id=”2kv4J8xLbpE” width=”600″ height=”350″] Cast your vote for the best, then let us know why you voted the way you did. Public OpinionPoll Results

The Reds played their second and final trial against the Chiefs last night at Stockland Stadium on the Sunshine Coast and attracted a crowd just short of 5,000. Faced with a strong Chiefs side the Reds again tested a few combinations using 28 players during the match. It was an entertaining match although I must admit I wasn’t concentrating fully throughout, as I joined most of the press box standing around one laptop to watch the Cooper fight. So I can’t give you much information about the rugby during those few minutes. The Reds had the benefit of a strong…

It’s only a couple of weeks until Super Rugby kicks off for 2013. So to warm up let’s have a look at some of the tries each Australian franchise scored in 2012. Today, we’ll look at the Waratahs. [youtube id=”L_fE5c5MDgw” width=”600″ height=”350″] Cast your vote for the best, then let us know why you voted the way you did. Your favourite Waratahs try in 2012? Public OpinionPoll Results