If the Wallabies are to be any chance of beating the All Blacks this weekend they’ll have to play as well as they can against an in form All Blacks team.
Relying on any complacency is not an option, so what can the Wallabies do to put some pressure back on the All Blacks?
Some of the many things the Wallabies will have to do well include:
• Securing the ball when receiving restarts
• Catching the barrage of high balls the All Blacks will use
• Matching the All Blacks physically in breakdowns
• Getting players into attacking rucks early to minimise the disruption the All Blacks can cause our attack through turnovers or slowing delivery down
• In defence, pressuring the All Blacks in the front line and then scrambling really well
• Making accurate passes and catching those passes under pressure
• In attack, converting the small number of opportunities they may get
• Getting support runners around the ball so the ball carrier at least two options to pass to
Do these general points constitute a game plan? No, the coaches will no doubt emphasise all of these things but they’ll also give the team more specific plans that are designed to exploit any weaknesses they’ve identified in the All Blacks.
It’s very hard to find any weaknesses with the All Blacks and if you base a game plan on something that happened in the last Test alone, it’ll probably have been identified by the All Blacks themselves and will have been rectified in their training this week.
Many people will say that the game plan has to be based on defence – that the key to beating the All Blacks is to stop them scoring tries.
If you could stop the All Blacks scoring tries as the Wallabies did in the corresponding match in Brisbane last year, you may achieve a result.
The Wallabies will really need to maintain their intensity in defence in the 20 minutes leading up to halftime when you consider what Brett McKay outlined in his article on The Roar today.
However, that result in Brisbane last year came against an All Blacks team who played poorly and I wouldn’t want to base a game plan on hoping for a repeat performance from the All Blacks.
The All Blacks scored an average of four tries per match in The Rugby Championship this year and 34 points scored per match.
It would have to be one mighty defensive effort from the Wallabies to contain the All Blacks in their current form so I think we have to accept that the All Blacks will score tries and we have to score more.
So I went looking for any weaknesses in the All Blacks defence and ways the Wallabies could pressure their defence as part of an attacking game plan.
Going into a match with an attacking game plan doesn’t mean flinging the ball around in an unstructured way or giving it straight to the back line – it requires a coordinated attack plan between forwards and backs.
I’ve identified one area of weakness with the All Blacks defence as you’ll see in the video below. That same weakness has shown up in most matches over the last few years but hasn’t been exploited by teams.
No matter how the All Blacks set up their defence, attacking the inside channel as I’ve shown you in the video will only work if the forwards have achieved some momentum through the middle first.
Obviously getting so narrow after a kick chase as shown in the video is an error but in general play the All Blacks are narrow most of the time.
Clearly their structure is designed with their priority in defence being not to allow teams to go through them.
They are prepared to risk teams going around them, backing their cover defence to clean up any breaks made wide.
Teams haven’t exploited this inside channel because they appear to have been too tempted by the wide space the All Blacks show in defence.
The Wallabies were particularly guilty of this in the first Bledisloe Cup match this year when they just shuffled the ball wide which played into the hands of the All Blacks and their defensive system.
I’m not suggesting that targeting this inside channel will lead to multiple tries or even line breaks as the All Blacks are very good in cover but it would put their defence under pressure.
If you can pressure a team’s defence then even if holes don’t open up where you had planned, they will likely open up elsewhere – it’s not possible to defend the whole width of the field.
As you can see from the examples in the video when individual players have come back in behind the drifting defenders the All Blacks have looked vulnerable.
What I’m suggesting is that this channel be targeted more regularly as part of a coordinated game plan.
The All Blacks are also very good at adapting to situations on field – if the Wallabies do target this inside channel they won’t need to wait until halftime to be told to adjust their structure so it’s not as narrow.
When that happens there will be more space for the Wallabies forwards to attack through the middle or alternatively if the All Blacks choose to square up their defence and not turn to the sideline and ‘jockey’, the space out wide will become another option to target.
Who?
Guest
Great article Scott - it once again shows the importance of having multiple runners in motion, creating triangles off support runners, and varying the angle of runners - either to hold the defense and maintain the space out wide, or to exploit the drift. One point, though - all the QRU stuff I've ever read always says to read hips, not shoulders. If you look at the hips, your point is even more clearly made. You can run sideways looking at the attack to your side (i.e. shoulders only a little way off square), but you can't run sideways with hips square to the attack.
atlas
Guest
a tv ad for Skysport for this test so guess they can say/do what they like; referencing 'Jake the Muss' /'Once Were Warriors' movie while linked to Temuera Morrison's career doesn't 'fit' at all with the rugby attitude imo I like the footage minus (most of) the speaking that goes with it.
jk
Guest
Thanks Scott. The lack of bad comments is a huge compliment (i hope that is accurate as i didn't read absolutely all) . As a kiwi even our home grown trolls can't hate such insighful analysis , or perhaps feel out of place in intelligent discussion (as all trolls do) even when it involves AB's weaknesses and how to potentially attack them. your key point was the that you cannot defend the whole field so the AB's have a system (as the AB's always do) and define their least disadvantage and then how to combat it best (outside speed , holding up and scamble seen as the system to combat the lesser of evils) the thing that amazes me is how much conrad smith is beloved and appreciated in NZ for his intelligence , decision making and defense in the age of games breaking possibly more dymanic attacking players. I am heartened by that fan knowledge and maturity. Nonu is sse that the good defender he often is in the respest of his knock back hits etc but is not given the same trust level at all in terms of his consistancy and concentration. it is presumed that conrad gives him the perfect compliment. it is also seen that ben smith has the rugby intelligence to learn the position. we hope this is true but it is as yet unproven and therefore as you have said it is an area for the WB's to probe. Your thoughts on Ben smiths future if you are so inclined?
Scott Allen
Expert
No dead rubber in Kiwi's minds is there? Great video.
jk
Guest
that is fabulous. jake the muss as a symbol for positivity is a bit dodgy but loved it
WEST
Roar Guru
SWEET.
Sam
Guest
Agreed. Australia needs to start asking questions of New Zealand they've not posed before - i.e mixing up their kick restarts. Likewise they've got to respond to NZ tactics in a more competent way- i.e defuse their roosting of the ball with competent catching.
stainlesssteve
Guest
not much left unsaid here. awesome vids and analysis. Flick it out (REAL) quick to the wing, once in a while. Kick. (once in a while) On the field, you can't think of complex strategies. And you can't get fit. These things are pre-season concerns. Arrows in the quiver, as many as you can. Then on game day, get warmed up, over the butterflies, and carve it up. Thanks for the analysis; think i'll enjoy the game better, for having read all this
Tane Mahuta
Guest
I always thought B.Smith was more of a counter attacking player or a finisher and not really a ball player or especially creative. Hansen sees him as a centre (if he doesnt then I dont understand the move) and if Hansen thinks he is the best option there then Im all for it because so far Hansen has done absolutely nothing wrong as far as Im concerned. Hansen has done nearly everything Ive thought he should and this is the very first time Ive disagreed with him on selections that I can think of. Oh, I would have used Latimer at 7 and Cane on the bench when McCaw was out too. Here again I would have used Saili at 13 but Hansen knows more than me, thats for sure.
Katipo
Guest
The best TV ad EVER!
Colin McCann
Roar Rookie
Now that, friends, is how you do a promo!
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Dan Carter is the best back in NZ.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Christian Cullen was an exceptional player, Leon MacDonald was a very good player, Bryan Habana was/is an exceptional player. What do these players have in common?
jeznez
Roar Guru
Seen the vid now. Excellent piece Scott, now that I have seen what you put together can see that the inside option is available right across the field. Thanks for putting that together.
WEST
Roar Guru
Sounds great .....in theory. The players will have many things on there minds. The Wallabies just have to go all out for 80min, attack and defend. Cant make mistakes. Mistakes will cost them the game. Ball handling by the Wallabies this year has been terrible. All these theory's sound fantastic. But seems the Wallabies have been struggling with the basics. The Puma test was a exception. We will find out if they can get away with it against a team that doesn't give up. For the entire 80min. Australia will most definitely get ramped up, and they will really push the All Blacks defence. If Genia can get momentum. If Cooper doesn't lose the plot. If they use there outside backs with speed and fast passes to get the AB off guard ..if there forwards don't get blown away. This is a mammoth task for the Wallaby forwards. Reality is its up to them to win this test. If they get smashed up front they get smashed everywhere. Australian forwards have to be prepared to hammer themselves the whole game. All Blacks have made changes. I don't buy into any of this crap about McCaw and a big hole idea by Horwill. I highly doubt he believes that rubbish either. NZ can replace anyone with another lethal and highly skilled player. At any time. The core of the All Blacks is still unchanged and very fired up. Ben Smith is a exceptional player. The midfield is very dangerous. The Wallabies think its a weakness there poorly mistaken. Give Ben a sniff and he will score. His defence will not be an issue. the Wallabies need to keep it simple and do the basics at there highest level.
DanFan
Guest
Awesome!
Two Cents
Guest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjnKa6MUfPU
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Theres a lot of space on the outside for Cooper to put a few contestable kicks up for Folau and AAC Scott. I like the video and I think you hit the nail on the head when you mention switching it up.
Steve and Ian
Guest
thanks Grahame, we've got it :D
darth vadar
Guest
:D