For all of the hype associated with the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour, don’t expect the Brits to do anything fancy.
The final round of the Six Nations, and most notably the deciding game between Wales and England, provided a fairly clear pointer as to the playing style they will bring with them: direct, physical, combative and extremely disciplined.
They will use the tour games prior to the Test series to get all of the players on the same page, in terms of the principals that will underline their game.
They will try to ensure that every member of the squad is ready to go and is capable of stepping into the breach once the Tests get underway.
I’m not sure when the Lions will name their squad, or how many players will be in it, but it’s fairly obvious that the nucleus of the squad will be Welsh and English.
The scales have probably now tipped in favour of Welsh dominance after they comprehensively beat England.
That will inevitably impact on the nuances of their game: they will be quick on the counter-attack as the Welsh are, load up the breakdown to try and get quick ball as the Wallabies do, and quite possibly look at employing two openside flankers, as Wales did so successfully against England.
Don’t expect this all to lead to millions of tries!
Everyone in Australia knows how hard it was for the Wallabies to breach opposition goal-lines last year.
It was not for a lack of trying, and we weren’t the only ones who struggled.
Having access to the excellent verusco statistics we use to monitor our games: I looked up the overall try-scoring for all of the Test teams last year.
The result was quite telling, with New Zealand scoring 50 tries, while the next best nation got just 23.
Part of that was the impact of the refereeing, which allowed a genuine contest at the breakdown, resulting in slower ball.
We might not have beaten the All Blacks last year, but the fact that they could only score three tries (just six percent of their total tries for the year) against us in three Tests showed that even they are restricted when their opponents can match them at the breakdown.
Slow ball delivery allows the opposing defensive line to readjust, limiting the time and space available for counter attacking play.
Australia also had the added burden of a consistent run of injuries, which meant constant personnel change and the resulting organisational difficulties that flow on from that – although that’s for another column!
The Six Nations trends suggest a continuation of last year’s breakdown battles. Slow ball is on the cards, with tries likely to be at a premium during the Lions Tests. At the very least they will be hard earned!
There were 16 tries scored across the three games on the opening weekend.
The remaining four rounds provided just 21, from the 12 games played.
While bad weather contributed, the stats do highlight how tight the games were, and how much the international game is leveling out. (Who would have thought after our experience in Paris last year that France would finish last in the Six Nations?)
It also shows how effective the defensive lines were, and how good the Northern hemisphere teams have gotten at slowing the ball down at the breakdown; an area of the game where the teams from south of the equator had previously had pre-eminence.
That’s not to say the Lions games will necessarily be duds.
The atmosphere created by the Lions fans and their Australian counterparts will be amazing, while the games – even if not full of tries – should still get the blood pumping.
Look at the Wales series last year.
There were only nine tries across the three Tests, but no one who watched the games could say they were boring.
Ultimately, however, it’s all about winning.
There’s more satisfaction in winning 12-9, than losing 42-40.
That was reinforced after our tour-ending win over Wales, when Nathan Sharpe returned from the post-game press slightly exasperated after having been quizzed by a persistent, pre-determined Aussie journo over the fact that we’d only scored one try.
As soon as he mentioned the conversation, someone piped up with the fact that the All Blacks had scored three the same afternoon at Twickenham and had lost.
“Which dressing room would you rather be in right now?”
Hopefully we are saying the same thing after the end of the Lions!
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Scroll up and try again. Thanks now.
soapit
Guest
2-1 wasnt the score, it was the series result, a score of 2-1 would be impossible in a game of rugby. the series result was raised by you with your statement "look how that turned out…" or did you not want us to actually look at how those series turned out? was it sarcastic? you should make more of an effort to convey that in future when communicating through written text.
dadiggle
Guest
This was the great Michael Jones's era. When tackled the tacklee wouldif he valued his hands, release the ball pretty much immediately. Forwards would link up (backs would not dare to be involved) to drive over the tackler and tacklee, both of whom would either try to roll away or cover head, face and other parts sensitive areas to avoid being trampled into the ground. Bruises and scrapes now and then received would ensure if you were foolish enough to slow the ball down or if you fell on the wrong side and purposefully sealed the ball off you know what was coming next TIGER STRIPES courtesy of a size 11 boot! This is Richie McCaw's era A player is tackled then rolls around for a bit adjusting his body position in an attempt to place the ball back advantageously for his teammates. Meanwhile the tackler pops back up to his feet and squats over the tacklee trying to rip the ball from the tacklee's grasp or, at the very least, to stop its release. Meanwhile everyone else in the vicinity launch themselves into it or drives to ground piling up over the ball because more bodies means more space the ball must cross which means it will be slower. Meanwhile some will stand at the side with their hands raised pretending they know exactly what they are doing when no else does. While this is all happening everyone fans lazily out across the field with the knowledge the ball will not be coming out anytime soon. The scrum half could put on the kettle phone his mum and have a chat to his sister while who is visiting his mum. That is todays rugby and he who cheats the best will win the game. And they ask if McCaw is the best ever in his position. Well I think I just explained why he seems so good. Back inn Jones era he would not get punched in the face or kneed. He would not dare to slow a ball up. In fact none of these fetchers would try and cheat. Traditional rucking produced quick bal and also occupied forwards who might otherwise loiter in midfield clogging up the pitch.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Andre Watson. Final score NZ 39 Australia 35.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Which other Test 13 is averaging 1 try in every 2 games?
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I brought up the scores of the series, did I?
dadiggle
Guest
Can anyone remember who the referee was from that game from top of your head?
dadiggle
Guest
Totally agree with you. Although our team weren't so great it was still entertaining and the speed the ball came out was phenomenal. Then the IRB went and change things as the gap between the SH and North was big then.
dadiggle
Guest
Its hard to score tries when referees allow teams to slow ball up. I notice NZ have found a new now to cheat everyone out of quick ball and that is accidentally fall on the wrong side at the tackle then take that second to role away
Stin
Guest
Brumbies scrum was pretty impressive tonight. Maybe the upper hand they think they have - is not?!
Dan
Guest
Tuilagi is the most over-rated player in world Rugby. For the amount of ink spilled on him you'd think he was the next Lomu (if Lomu was a centre), but he's hardly that impressive. It's simply that he's a big powerful winger that is polynesian and happens to play for England. It's more his novelty than his skill that makes him a standout in my view. In general play he's pretty one dimensional and has been a poor defensive reader.
soapit
Guest
no idea, you brought it up
Hightackle
Guest
Thats what people used to say about Einstein and look how he turned out Kane.
Hightackle
Guest
And Im not Hugging any of them, even if you make the call Kane.
Hightackle
Guest
I havnt spent a huge amount of time thinking about it Kane but considering AACs form over the last year or so and considering he plays 13, 14, 15 very well, he would could well be my #23. Ioane is better than Cuthbert, Bowe, Visser and even North at hos best and I have a lot of time for him. Horwill at his best is one of the best, he also adds leadership. Just pointing out that the Lions team is better on paper and only a few Ausies would make it.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
And the relevance of those numbers are what exactly?
Bakkies
Guest
''I’ve maintained before, and often been criticised for it, that players in Rugby Union aim for the penalty rather than the try. The strategies in mauls and rucks are all about having the opposition make a mistake, thereby earning the penalty. And some referees are so pedantic that the game gets held up for penalty after penalty.'' The referees aren't pedantic. Why wouldn't you use the maul against the Wallabies who have had problems with defending it over the years by collapsing it or coming in at the side. That's not being pedantic. It's called breaking the laws of Rugby. ''Its a great game, but if you want tries to again dominate, which is what I would like to see with those spectacular running games, I would suggest that either penalties be reduced to two points, rather than three, and tries to five rather than four. Or that the penalties from rucks and mauls be differentially interpreted with most being ineligible for a kick at goal'' What the... - Tries are already five points. - Reducing penalties to two points and removing the shot at goal option to prevent the attacking from scoring points off infringements just encourages the defence to concede more penalties and they won't be punished on the scoreboard for it.
Bakkies
Guest
That's his problem for wasting good money on a Bled ticket. When you think about that game basic errors cost the Wallabies that game. Higginbotham blew a simple opportunity by making a simple error, had he held on to the ball he would have been in under the posts. Then of course there were Beale's errors which the ABs scored off in subsequent plays. Stupid mistakes and lack of accuracy is the biggest problem in that team.
Bakkies
Guest
Cuthbert is in better form then North. Visser and Bowe are probably the best supporting wingers in Britain and Ireland at the moment. Every time Scotland make a rare break or intercept Visser is on the shoulder in support. He has his faults but lack of clinical finishing in the first two tests in SA cost the Lions are few tries. Roberts and O'Driscoll carved up in the centres. I would have Gill at openside over Robshaw and Warbuton any day of the week.
Kane
Roar Guru
Yeah RedKev definitely a 15 yo who took to much preworkout before hitting the gym