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The current set of forwards are missing one significant ingredient, that being one or two ball distributors. Our forwards play to take the tackle, go to ground and re-cycle the ball through the ruck or maul approach to running the ball.
If they bend the defensive line with their run, the team relies on a quick recycle or a pick and drive to try to exploit the bending of the defence. The All Blacks have countered this by slowing the ball in the ruck and mauls so that their defensive line can recover.
The ABs are quite adept at slowing things down. Firstly they usually get two tacklers to the ball carrier and then those tacklers fall on both sides of the tackled player, so that even if they do move away, there is a little bit of time taken to roll away, thus the re-cycle has been slowed. In addition to this they have Ritchie to try to pilfer the ball.
The other way to exploit any bend in the defensive line is to have runners that look to offload the ball as, or just before, they are hit in the tackle. If you have runners coming in close to the ball carrier, it does two things. It further stretches the defensive line and it enables the ball to be quickly transferred to where the line is stretched thinnest.
One scenario to demonstrate this is as follows. Firstly, if the opposition believes that there is a chance the ball carrier will offload, they cannot fully commit two players to the tackle for fear of opening up the hole for the second runner to hit after receiving the offload. This then sets up two one-on-one contests, rather than one two-on-one, with a more stretched defensive line than normal. There is a better chance of breaking one of the one-on-one tackles than the two-on one tackle. Even if the two one–on-one tackles are made, the receiver of the offload can then offload to a runner coming into the gap behind the original ball carrier with the defender is still tied up with the original ball carrier, so the possibility of a gap and a break is increased.
Secondly, even if the line is not breached, so much confusion has been created in the defensive line that others have been pulled in to reinforce it and if the second or third ball carrier passes wider where there will be other holes to exploit.
So how are the current forwards performing in this department of attack:
Back Row – The numbers 8 and 6 should be the primary runners and Brown is mainly a scavenger who is not a go forward runner and Rocky is a primary runner who does not pass and does not even look to pass. This is where we miss Palu, as he is the only ball distributing forward in Australia.
Second Row – Sharp goes to ground all the time. The first time he passed in a long time, was last weekend and Beale scored a try off the unload. Mum only tries to pass once he has made a break.
Front Row – Alexander is our only ball distributor here, but is injured. Robinson has a good pass from the back of the ruck but does not pass when running and neither do the hookers.
So we are stuck with an approach to attack that the All Black are masters at negating and will struggle to beat them until we address this need.
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.