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Burgess Speaks Out SEND TO FACEBOOK

It is sad to admit, but the game and the style of Rugby played by most clubs here in B.C/Canada, is simply a very depressing game to watch with its endless series of bash, crash, hit it up after hit up that emulates the style of Rugby League....Let’s Make It The thinking Man’s Game:

by Don Burgess
posted Feb 7 2006

It is sad to admit, but the game and the style of Rugby played by most clubs here in B.C/ Canada, is simply a very depressing game to watch with its endless series of bash, crash, hit it up after hit up that emulates the style of Rugby League. It appears that players are following a “black board” game plan devised by their coaches that emphasizes brawn rather than brain and appears to provide little opportunity for players to use individual flair or wizardry to evade defenders. Similarly, the skill of “reading the game” is hardly mentioned by coaches to their players,particularly ( #9, #10, #12,#15 ). This term is almost unheard of by our current crop of inside backs let alone the forwards. The concept of “Read and React” takes second place to a much overdone series

of pre-conceived plays that are predictable, repetitive, and seldom work. Moreover, we are still wallowing in tactics that other countries have already abandoned and it is high time that we put more thought into our game and get caught up.

Not surprisingly the search for a better way to play the game is led by New Zealand and while visiting that country in November, along with Uvic Women’s coach Dave Graham, we had an opportunity to see first hand how it is done.

In their effort to establish a better method to breach opponents line of defence coach Graham Henry introduced a new system called “Snaking”. This style of play is a practical response to “flat line” defences. Rugby has developed into a lateral defensive line like Rugby League and, as Henry stated “once you get through that first line of defence if you can keep the ball alive, the defenders have to get two dimentional. They have to scramble backwards and get around behind the ball. If you make a breach the defenders have to turn, that pulls them in closer to the ball and then you have opportunities wider out

Firstly, wherever possible, the ball carrier must run into space rather than run into bodies to start the “snaking” process. Having some form of evasive running Skills that would allow players to get the ball over the advantage line was paramount and “then you are away”, and that is what the ball-carrier and support players need to have in mind. This new method involves high-speed close-quarter offloading of the ball to a support players who enter from depth rather than laterally .It involves a very different mindset by the ball carrier that “I will not lose the ball” but “I will try to keep it alive if I can”. By staying up, driving with the ball or placing it, you are keeping the ball alive and that mindset is crucial to this new style of All Black play. It is essential that support players need to enter from depth rather than laterally and they have to be prepared to move bodies by latching on to the player in front and driving him forward (“Snaking”) or be prepared to accept a pop pass. Failing that, the support players must cover the ball carrier if he goes to ground and allow a “pick and go situation” to develop.

Trainer Graham Lowe modified practice drills so that the All Blacks worked in narrow corridors building their evasion skills, support play and communication and layoff passes. Players were grouped into Three attackers vs two defender, 6 vs 4 in 15 x 20 grids. In all their practice routines 60% of their time is spent working on evasive running skills by the ball carrier so that both forwards and backs have the capability of breaching the defensive line with an evasive move, (a side step or swerve) and starting the “snaking” attack. In addition to the training grids, the All Blacks bio-mechanist Mark Sayers crated more explosive power (core strength) activities so that players could better stay on their feet that would allow them to drive forward, to make half breaks and layoff the ball to support teammates. It made little difference whether if was a forward or a back who initiated the snaking process, all players were expected to be able to carry out this style of play, and they did.

Early statistics confirmed that All Black players really warmed to this style of play and after a fall game against France the number of layoff passes was 30 to 7. The Wallabies preferred to ask the ball carrier to go as far as he could before he went to the deck and the opposition was cleaned out whereas the All Blacks wanted to maintain quicker second phase ball with the offload style of play. Canada still uses the Australian method of ball production. Other countries have baulked at the style because they believed ( without proof) it had a low percentage of success or a high percentage of mistakes. Graham Henry took a different approach. He believed it was a style of rugby which suited the mentality and talents of New Zealander and persistent practice made it viable.

“It stimulates these guys,” “It is something they warm to, and they need that and they enjoy that. If you can catch and pass under pressure you are in business”.

One qualifier was mentioned by Henry, in the depth of a New Zealand winter, the ball-carriers would be asked to hold possession for the cleanout with kickers pinning the opposition back by kicking to the corners. Reading the game and varying the style of play by acknowledging that the conditions dictated the style of game that could be played on the day.

The headline: “ New Zealand surfs ahead on the game’s new wave>” says it all. The IRB statistical look into the styles of the All Blacks, Springboks and the Wallabies, a 30 page report, graphically show the three different tactical approaches. The stats saw South Africa reveal a game plan based on an aggressive “rush” defence to force turnovers, speed on the flanks and an ability to play without the ball if they had to. Of the seven tries the Boks scored in the tournament, six came from turnovers – forced largely by their rush defence and one of their five-pointers originated from within 35 metres of the goal line. They were nearly all long-ranged efforts . Further, South Africa had the least overall possession of all three nations recycled the ball far less than New Zealand and Australia and had the worst territorial stats-yet ran a very close second in the Tri Nations Tournament.

In contrast, Australia had the most possession of all three sides and recycled the ball more often as well. Yet for all that, six of the Wallabies seven tries came from set pieces and they failed to score a single try from more than 35m out.

The All Blacks were the only team of the three that scored from all facets of play (set piece, turnover, multi-phase play) and that notched points from all areas of the park (breakouts from own 22m as well as grinding forward drives from 20m out). Also noteworthy is that the All Blacks had considerably more “passes among forwards” than the other two teams. This particular stat reinforces the subtle yet very influential change in style we have seen in the past season or so where the All Blacks now use a very effective off-load game in heavy contact, rather than the constant (slower) recycling on the ground like the Aussies.

As a result, the report reveals the All Blacks score a try on average every 5.6 minutes of possession they have. This is better than their Tri Nations rivals and undoubtedly any other team in the world. But overall, this report bares out that the current game plan and style the All Blacks are looking to impose is becoming increasingly effective and leading the way in international rugby’s development.

Graham Henry has made much of the New Zealanders’ athleticism and their nation’s lack of numbers compared to the resources of say England. Canada is in a similar position when it comes to numbers, but are Canadian rugby players any less athletic than New Zealand players? I think not, but we have to be prepared to give greater thought to how the game can be played both at the club level and Internationally, and make a serious move in order to to catch up to other level two rugby countries if we ever hope to get into the top 10 rugby playing nations

Don Burgess,
Canada Skills Coach.
 
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