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Ewen McKenzie has said attacking, running rugby will be back with his Wallabies. It’s easier said than done.
Test matches typically aren’t won by teams that run the ball the most, which is what most of us think attacking rugby is.
The great attacking Test sides build pressure in multiple facets of the game – attacking defence, playing field position, using tactical kicking, winning set pieces, counter attacking effectively, and taking the points on offer.
They first work incredibly hard at the details of the game to create the conditions to attack, and then recognise when the opportunities to attack present themselves and bravely take them.
That’s when individual talent and flair comes into the picture, as icing on the cake.
With that in mind, here are the five ‘stretch’ key performance indicators (KPIs) I would set the Wallabies this weekend that will create the conditions to unleash their attacking talent.
They are also aspects of the game we have been poor in for the last few years.
(I am not going to mention the scrum, as it’s patently obvious we need to achieve parity to have any chance, and it’s widely discussed already.)
1. Kick offs
Kick offs are a huge tactical and psychological weapon. They start each half, and afford an opportunity to either relieve the pressure, or put the foot on the throat of the opposition immediately after a score.
We have been outplayed in this facet in most Tests we played against the All Blacks under Robbie Deans.
The Wallabies must cleanly catch 100% of our kick-off receptions, and aim to win 50% of our kick-off chases.
2. Lineouts
Lineouts are potentially the best way for a potent back line to score first phase tries.
We must win 100% of our line out throws, and we must have 50% of those throws being cleanly won from the back of the lineout (obviously dependent on what part of the field the lineout is set). This will give Quade Cooper the space he needs to put lethal runners into space.
Front of the line out ball is easier to win, but provides no first phase attacking opportunities, so we must reduce our reliance on this.
3. Take clean catches
We must cleanly catch every kick in general play put up by the All Blacks.
This will deny them the easy possession in good field position that they thrive on, and the broken field opportunities that they have converted into so many tries against us this last decade.
4. An effective strategy for exiting our defensive 22m
This is the ultimate pressure valve. Failure to do this inevitably leads to kickable scrum penalties and ruck infringements for the All Blacks to convert, or tries conceded.
5. Kick our penalties and conversions at better than 80% success rate
Australia could have wrapped up the Lions series in Melbourne if we had reliable kicker in Brisbane.
Scoreboard pressure also squeezes errors in general play from the opposition, giving further attacking platforms for scoring tries.
That’s a little simplistic, but if all five of those KPIs are achieved this weekend, we will ultimately score tries and win the game.
Every one of them is a technical skill that can be practised and perfected as either an individual or a team unit.
They are facets of the game that fall squarely into the responsibility of the coaching staff to get right, and to select a team capable of carrying them out.
Tellingly, they have absolutely nothing to do with X-factor.
These KPIs are not easy to execute in the heat of the battle with an opposition hell-bent on preventing you doing so, but they are all achievable. The great Wallabies teams of the past were able to do so.
None of them require super athletes or freakish capabilities, just a determined focus on getting technical details right at the team and individual level, and players capable of producing this type of focus for 80 minutes.
Let’s see if Ewen and his team can improve the organisation and detail-focus of this Wallaby side. I believe they can.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.