Cutter
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Since starting this I see Scott has done a video analysis of our attack against Scotland which covers some of the same points. But, for what its worth...
I've said I think its Gits fault. As the leader of the backs and of our attack, the responsibility for organising and, to a degree executing it is down to Gits. However, its a midfield problem and by that I mean 10, 12, 13 and 15. Its also a quick ball problem in that the opposition backrow is slowing the ball down. I don't think that is necessarily a Wallaby specific problem but its hurting us more because our attack is so confused.
I've only seen each of the tour games once, but the problems I can see, focussing mostly on the Scotland game, are as follows:
1. Our attack is predictable;
2. Outside players have no space in which to work;
3. There is little variation of the lines of attack or the depth of attack;
4. There is no support to capitalise on half breaks;
5. Kicking when we should run.
Gits only plays seem to be drifting across field and looking for runners or drifting across field and then stepping back inside. Occasionally he throws an attacking kick into the mix. When he is kicking defensively, he stands far too deep so as to broadcast his intentions. Even when we are attacking, he is standing very deep. If he wasnt standing so deep, he wouldnt have as much time to drift.
If Gits drifts across field, there need to be runners angling back in to hold up the defence. Currently, only Ioane does this although he didn't do it as much against Ireland as against England. Cross doesn't do it. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) doesnt do it from fullback (though he does at 13) and Cooper has only done it a couple of times. In any event, he isnt big enough to play a crash ball role. On the weekend, Cooper and Cross were both drifting with Gits meaning that they had no space to work in out wide. Even when AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) joined the backline, there was plenty of defence and any switches were obvious because there was no room outside. As such, they ran right into a solid defensive line.
When Moore was held up, Gits was running across field, drew two defenders and Moore ran the gap. However, the defence wised up to this somewhat and continued to drift but with plenty of cover on the inside if Gits did step back inside. There was another example where Cooper ran a straight line but the defence picked it. However they were two of very few straight runners outside Gits.
Players running straight or switching early, even with dummy switches, will cause the defence to hesitate or slow their drift which creates space out wide.
The try that Elsom scored against Ireland and the Mitchell try that was disallowed against Scotland were both scored from phase play when Cooper came from depth creating an extra man. However, that isn't happening often enough.
We haven't seen any evidence of either Gits or Cooper taking the ball to the line and throwing a wide pass to either 13 or 15 in space. The first try Australia scored against Ireland was as a result of an error in ROG trying to find BOD outside Diggers. ie exactly the move Larkham used thousands of times with firstly Herbert and then Mortlock at 13. Notwithstanding the Irish error, its a good move. Why havent we seen that?
Giteau is actually one of the best players in the world at beating a man one on one. However, he isnt choosing his targets. Note to Gits: try going around Nathan Hines (as Britney did for his break) not Jonny Wilkinson. QC (Quade Cooper) is also capable of this but is intent on either kicking the ball or throwing cut out passes. He did this a few times on the weekend and killed overlaps. We have to stop the defence drifting. A relatively simple set piece move which stops the drift and creates space would be (assuming same positions as Ireland game) QC (Quade Cooper) to switch with Digby. Digby switches with Gits looping around who then has QC (Quade Cooper), AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and a winger outside him. Ideally, the Diggers switch will have drawn both the 10 and 12 meaning our 4 will be up against their 3 (13, 14 and 15) plus any cover defence.
Barnes is usually quite good at stopping Giteau's drift because he holds his line better. This gives more space out wide. Barnes is also a good support player and often links with, for example, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) when he makes breaks. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is a line breaker but is rarely a support player in the same way Latham was. In his defence, Latham was able to run off Mortlock whereas AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) doesnt have much to run off at the moment. The blindside winger needs to work harder in support as do the backrowers.
So, breaking down each position:
10. Gits - lack of confidence? No runners outside? Maybe all of the above. But if its the runners, why doesnt he get them doing it? What do they train? He needs to straighten more often because it gives him the option of using inside runners (either the blind winger or forwards) and will stop the drift. Off phase ball, the Wallabies are often using 2 or 3 forwards standing very flat as dummy runners off the halfback which allows Gits, who stands much deeper, more space. However, this means that its congested inside and it takes away inside ball options. I can see why they are doing it, and maybe they only do it from slow ball, but it does limit what Gits can do and, possibly, subconciously makes him drift to get away from the congestion.
12. QC (Quade Cooper) - doesnt have the discipline to stop himself running across field and isnt a gap runner. Aaron Mauger was a classic NZ second five but he often ran a straight or angled line off Carter et al. He often made breaks running that line too. QC (Quade Cooper) isnt doing that.
13. I'm not surprised Cross is drifting because that is his game. I wouldnt have picked him for this tour because he can't beat good defences unless he gets outside his man. That being his strength, you would think Gits would be using the wide ball to Cross running that line but its not happening. Cross needs to start running at gaps, running angles and getting outside his man so Gits can hit him wide.
15. I'm reluctant to criticise AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) because he is our best back at the moment and you know he gives everything. However, he plays fullback like a centre, doesn't vary his angle enough (though this is probably partly because he is cramped for room out wide), doesnt vary his point of entry enough and doesnt support inside breaks well (again, possibly because he is always being pushed wide). If Cross is trying to get outside his man and the 13 follows him, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) should run inside Cross. If the 12 covers AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), it will open up space for Cooper.
I don't pretend that this is rocket surgery. Any schoolboy knows this stuff. I know all the Wallabies know it. I know Robbie Deans knows it, Richard Graham knows it, Jim Williams (ex winger) knows it. Hell, even Noriega probably knows it. The question is, why arent they executing these basic skills? Maybe Eddie Jones, who is a very smart rugby thinker, is right when he says Deans is trying to get them playing a game they don't understand.
Edit: added the wallaby icon.
I've said I think its Gits fault. As the leader of the backs and of our attack, the responsibility for organising and, to a degree executing it is down to Gits. However, its a midfield problem and by that I mean 10, 12, 13 and 15. Its also a quick ball problem in that the opposition backrow is slowing the ball down. I don't think that is necessarily a Wallaby specific problem but its hurting us more because our attack is so confused.
I've only seen each of the tour games once, but the problems I can see, focussing mostly on the Scotland game, are as follows:
1. Our attack is predictable;
2. Outside players have no space in which to work;
3. There is little variation of the lines of attack or the depth of attack;
4. There is no support to capitalise on half breaks;
5. Kicking when we should run.
Gits only plays seem to be drifting across field and looking for runners or drifting across field and then stepping back inside. Occasionally he throws an attacking kick into the mix. When he is kicking defensively, he stands far too deep so as to broadcast his intentions. Even when we are attacking, he is standing very deep. If he wasnt standing so deep, he wouldnt have as much time to drift.
If Gits drifts across field, there need to be runners angling back in to hold up the defence. Currently, only Ioane does this although he didn't do it as much against Ireland as against England. Cross doesn't do it. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) doesnt do it from fullback (though he does at 13) and Cooper has only done it a couple of times. In any event, he isnt big enough to play a crash ball role. On the weekend, Cooper and Cross were both drifting with Gits meaning that they had no space to work in out wide. Even when AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) joined the backline, there was plenty of defence and any switches were obvious because there was no room outside. As such, they ran right into a solid defensive line.
When Moore was held up, Gits was running across field, drew two defenders and Moore ran the gap. However, the defence wised up to this somewhat and continued to drift but with plenty of cover on the inside if Gits did step back inside. There was another example where Cooper ran a straight line but the defence picked it. However they were two of very few straight runners outside Gits.
Players running straight or switching early, even with dummy switches, will cause the defence to hesitate or slow their drift which creates space out wide.
The try that Elsom scored against Ireland and the Mitchell try that was disallowed against Scotland were both scored from phase play when Cooper came from depth creating an extra man. However, that isn't happening often enough.
We haven't seen any evidence of either Gits or Cooper taking the ball to the line and throwing a wide pass to either 13 or 15 in space. The first try Australia scored against Ireland was as a result of an error in ROG trying to find BOD outside Diggers. ie exactly the move Larkham used thousands of times with firstly Herbert and then Mortlock at 13. Notwithstanding the Irish error, its a good move. Why havent we seen that?
Giteau is actually one of the best players in the world at beating a man one on one. However, he isnt choosing his targets. Note to Gits: try going around Nathan Hines (as Britney did for his break) not Jonny Wilkinson. QC (Quade Cooper) is also capable of this but is intent on either kicking the ball or throwing cut out passes. He did this a few times on the weekend and killed overlaps. We have to stop the defence drifting. A relatively simple set piece move which stops the drift and creates space would be (assuming same positions as Ireland game) QC (Quade Cooper) to switch with Digby. Digby switches with Gits looping around who then has QC (Quade Cooper), AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and a winger outside him. Ideally, the Diggers switch will have drawn both the 10 and 12 meaning our 4 will be up against their 3 (13, 14 and 15) plus any cover defence.
Barnes is usually quite good at stopping Giteau's drift because he holds his line better. This gives more space out wide. Barnes is also a good support player and often links with, for example, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) when he makes breaks. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is a line breaker but is rarely a support player in the same way Latham was. In his defence, Latham was able to run off Mortlock whereas AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) doesnt have much to run off at the moment. The blindside winger needs to work harder in support as do the backrowers.
So, breaking down each position:
10. Gits - lack of confidence? No runners outside? Maybe all of the above. But if its the runners, why doesnt he get them doing it? What do they train? He needs to straighten more often because it gives him the option of using inside runners (either the blind winger or forwards) and will stop the drift. Off phase ball, the Wallabies are often using 2 or 3 forwards standing very flat as dummy runners off the halfback which allows Gits, who stands much deeper, more space. However, this means that its congested inside and it takes away inside ball options. I can see why they are doing it, and maybe they only do it from slow ball, but it does limit what Gits can do and, possibly, subconciously makes him drift to get away from the congestion.
12. QC (Quade Cooper) - doesnt have the discipline to stop himself running across field and isnt a gap runner. Aaron Mauger was a classic NZ second five but he often ran a straight or angled line off Carter et al. He often made breaks running that line too. QC (Quade Cooper) isnt doing that.
13. I'm not surprised Cross is drifting because that is his game. I wouldnt have picked him for this tour because he can't beat good defences unless he gets outside his man. That being his strength, you would think Gits would be using the wide ball to Cross running that line but its not happening. Cross needs to start running at gaps, running angles and getting outside his man so Gits can hit him wide.
15. I'm reluctant to criticise AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) because he is our best back at the moment and you know he gives everything. However, he plays fullback like a centre, doesn't vary his angle enough (though this is probably partly because he is cramped for room out wide), doesnt vary his point of entry enough and doesnt support inside breaks well (again, possibly because he is always being pushed wide). If Cross is trying to get outside his man and the 13 follows him, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) should run inside Cross. If the 12 covers AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), it will open up space for Cooper.
I don't pretend that this is rocket surgery. Any schoolboy knows this stuff. I know all the Wallabies know it. I know Robbie Deans knows it, Richard Graham knows it, Jim Williams (ex winger) knows it. Hell, even Noriega probably knows it. The question is, why arent they executing these basic skills? Maybe Eddie Jones, who is a very smart rugby thinker, is right when he says Deans is trying to get them playing a game they don't understand.
Edit: added the wallaby icon.
