BPC
Phil Hardcastle (33)
Give them Craig Thomson's credit card. No one will notice.
What does a 7 "do" this week
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Give them Craig Thomson's credit card. No one will notice.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
Has anyone else noticed McCaw and Pocock targetting the tackler as they come to the breakdown. They are doing it as the attacking team and actively holding the tackler on the tackled player milking the "separation"penalty? It was happening in the Bledisloe match recently.
It will be interesting to see if this becomes a trend at the World Cup.
It will be interesting to see if this becomes a trend at the World Cup.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
The role of the 7 has changed since the law crackdown started at the beginning of the 2010 S14. Sometimes the referees have lapsed but by and large the 7s have been obliged to observe the breakdown laws as they were written. This is an interesting concept that could possibly be applied to other laws - as they were written. But I jest.
Strict compliance has seen the specialist fetcher marginalised if he didn't have much else to his game. If he didn't evolve he was dealt with harshly in a Darwinian manner and failed in the race to survive with the fittest.
Most of the good 7s survived: McCaw, for example, was never just a fetcher and always an all rounder, and George Smith would not have had a problem with the crackdown at the test level either.
The best 7s even evolved their cheating ways. McCaw's favourite ploy of tackling but sliding his body down the 'wrong' side of the tackled player as he did so stuck out like dogs balls under the crackdown, as it did to me before it. He evolved into a blocker of opponents running lines and interfering with opponents as he ran back on side.
Evolution.
yourmatesam
Interesting.
Darwin told us that were many dead ends in the Tree of Life and many beings, human included, did not emerge at the top of the tree - but often out to the side of a minor branch. Who would have picked it?
You never know: the sneaky practice you mention may give 7s an evolutionary advantage if referees branch off with them and condone what they are doing, thus establishing a horrid convention that will have to be addressed with a crackdown further along the branch.
Strict compliance has seen the specialist fetcher marginalised if he didn't have much else to his game. If he didn't evolve he was dealt with harshly in a Darwinian manner and failed in the race to survive with the fittest.
Most of the good 7s survived: McCaw, for example, was never just a fetcher and always an all rounder, and George Smith would not have had a problem with the crackdown at the test level either.
The best 7s even evolved their cheating ways. McCaw's favourite ploy of tackling but sliding his body down the 'wrong' side of the tackled player as he did so stuck out like dogs balls under the crackdown, as it did to me before it. He evolved into a blocker of opponents running lines and interfering with opponents as he ran back on side.
Evolution.
yourmatesam
Interesting.
Darwin told us that were many dead ends in the Tree of Life and many beings, human included, did not emerge at the top of the tree - but often out to the side of a minor branch. Who would have picked it?
You never know: the sneaky practice you mention may give 7s an evolutionary advantage if referees branch off with them and condone what they are doing, thus establishing a horrid convention that will have to be addressed with a crackdown further along the branch.
Cutter
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Brussouw made some good turnovers in his games. I think the ABs in respect of Pocock and the Wobs in respect of McCaw mark them out of the game. They know how dangerous they are and ensure someone is onto them straight away. While they don't have enough time to steal the ball, they are still slowing it down which is part of a 7's role. There aren't as many turnovers now as the 2009 end of year tour but I still think we'll see them during the RWC, particularly for sides not so used to playing against great 7s like Pocock, McCaw and Broussow.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I don't think the interpretations have had much to do with the pilfer being less effective, I still see plenty of players able to get their arms in there and over the ball, it seems to me the cleanouts are much more effective now. Watching the ITM cup finals, both teams regularly slowed down the ball by getting their hands all over it, the cleanouts were just much less effective than what they are at international level.
didn't brussow pick up a few turnovers in the time he had in the 3N, particular against NZ in port elizabeth when NZ played without a specialist? i think the lack of turnovers might be the result of how evenly matched the #7's are at test level. if we lose pocock, i'd be flying in another specialist quick sticks.
Scott Allen
Trevor Allan (34)
Pocock made three steals in TN's.
23rd and 37th minute v Springboks in Durban.
74th minute v All Blacks in Brisbane.
23rd and 37th minute v Springboks in Durban.
74th minute v All Blacks in Brisbane.
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