The Duke of Wellington famously remarked of the massed charge of Napoleon’s elite ‘Old Guard’ in the twilight of the Battle of Waterloo that, “They came on in the same old way, and we sent them back in the same old way.”
In the fast-growing world of rugby professionalism it is particularly dangerous to ‘come on in the same old way’ from season to season, especially if that way happens to contain some fairly obvious weaknesses.
Unfortunately this curse of repetition is exactly what seems to be bedevilling the 2017 Waratahs right now. Well over one year ago I wrote this article on the Highlanders’ formula for beating the Waratahs.
The article concluded with the statement, “In the meantime, it will be up to the Waratahs and Daryl Gibson’s coaching group to resolve the issues raised by the Highlanders’ approach and come up with a more convincing solution.”
There is a double dilemma here. There is the local question of the Tahs’ skill sets and systems keeping pace with those of their opponents, particularly those from New Zealand, but there is the larger issue looming in the background of Australia’s ability to match playing wits and show improvement within the terms of the current five-franchise structure.
It is always a worry when your intellectual property shows no clear signs of moving on and developing, and the Waratahs, like all the other Australian sides, still seem stuck largely where they were in 2016.
While some of the deficiencies – such as the lineout, with Dean Mumm now running a unit with four genuine receiving options – have been addressed, the major weakness in the team has not.
That pressure point is a territorial game plan designed to keep the Tahs in their exit strategy, within their own last third of the field. This is by far the weakest area of the Sky Blues’ game and it is crippling their chances of battling their top-tier Super Rugby rivals on even terms.
Over their five games against teams with positive win/loss records (50 per cent or better), the Waratahs have achieved the following results in 2017:
| Round/Location | Opponent | Result |
| Round 2/Away | Lions (9-1) | L 36-55 |
| Round 3/Away | Sharks (7-2-1) | L 14-37 |
| Round 6/Home | Crusaders (10-0) | L 22-41 |
| Round 7/Away | Hurricanes (8-1) | L 28-38 |
| Round 11/Home | Blues (5-5) | L 33-40 |
| Average Margin | (All) | L 27-42 (15 points) |
The most troubling issues are an inability to stop opponents scoring points (an average 42 points conceded per game) and an identical margin of defeat whether the game is played home or away.
Teams struggling with their win/loss ratio will typically start to build success by turning their home ground into a fortress, but that has not been the case for the Waratahs in Sydney. Far from it.
The lack of starch when playing in front of their own people in Sydney must be especially galling for the Sky Blues’ faithful. On Saturday evening the Blues from Auckland cruised to a 26-0 half-time lead without really having to break into a sweat. That gave the Waratahs an insurmountable mountain to climb in the second period despite a gritty comeback.
The Blues achieved their aim with a version of the Highlanders’ plan tailored to their own particular strengths.
With the Tahs committing only 12 defenders to the line in the opening exchanges, the Blues began by establishing ball control in the middle of the field.
Within the opening ten minutes of the game they had controlled it for two long sequences – 0:36-2:25 and 7:17-8:27 – totalling three minutes.
The Blues’ ball control plan was quite simple, with two one-out phases to every pass that went beyond first receiver. The following screenshot illustrates the base structure:
The Tahs are in a 12-man line and all eight Blues forwards are either buried in the ruck (three) or condensed on the near-side of midfield (five) – in all there are 11 Blues attackers playing on one side of the pitch.
In the course of the first half the Blues were able to build 50 rucks and make 339 metres, seven offloads and five clean breaks out of this basic pattern – figures which are not too shabby as whole-game results, let alone the stats for one half of play!
They dominated the penalty count 6-0 and neutralised the Waratahs’ outstanding jackal at the breakdown, hooker Tolu Latu, in the process. Latu is built so low to the ground that it is almost impossible for the referee to determine whether he is supporting his own bodyweight or not:
In the first example Latu was penalised, but in the second he was permitted to make the turnover – but who can really spot the difference in real time?
The Blues’ concentration in attack allowed them to expose slow reactions and a lack of co-ordination in the Tahs’ defence on the interior – from the guard next to the breakdown out to the second defender:
In these two frames a potential (three-on-two) is translated into an actual (two-on-one) attack on the gap outside Michael Hooper, with No. 5 Dave McDuling slow to close down the space from the second defender.
This became a developing issue for the Tahs as the game wore on. It is also a regular defensive theme for sides coached by Nathan Grey, including the Wallabies:
After a quick tapped penalty taken by half-back Augustine Pulu, on the following phase Piers Francis slides into a big hole between first defender Dean Mumm and the wrong-footed Latu outside him to set up an easy try for Scott Scrafton.
In the second half Rieko Ioane scores the Blues’ third try when the guard, Paddy Ryan, mistimes his rush on to half-back Augustine Pulu and the defence outside him, comprising Hugh Roach and Will Skelton, loses its sense of connection completely:
Three tries or breaks all made through the same hole in the defence. The same tries can be viewed in ‘live’ time on this highlight reel.
With the Blues controlling the ball so efficiently in that first half, the Tahs were forced to shift up another defender from the backfield into the front line, and this is where their exit strategy problems really came into focus in a big way.
The Blues went to their kicking game as soon as they spotted the space in the backfield:
The diagonal kick from Francis finds Israel Folau having to cover the entire width of the field on his own, with two Blues chasers ready and waiting to collect him, isolated and without support on the return.
When the Tahs did try to exit from their own last third, their kicking attempts did not achieve the desired results. On six separate occasions in the first 45 minutes they failed to exit more than five metres beyond their own 22-metre line.
There were couple of short kicks from Bernard Foley, one from Israel Folau, and two from Waratahs’ #12 David Horwitz, the second of which flew a good eight metres over the touch-line, from well outside the 22 under no particular pressure from the Blues defence.
On the sixth occasion when the ball stayed infield, there was an evident lack of the same collective purpose demonstrated by the kick from Piers Francis and the two-man chase on Folau.
When Reece Robinson goes to kick at 36:04, all but one of his team-mates are either on the wrong side of the ball or ahead of it and therefore out of play.
The one chaser on the side of the field to which the kick is directed (Rob Horne) is comfortably beaten on a return which took the ball all the way back, deep into Sky Blue territory:
Summary
One of the domino effects of the five-team structure in Australian Super Rugby is that lessons on the coaching and playing front are taking far too long to be absorbed.
Is this more because of the lack of options in playing personnel, an absence of urgency in the improvement of individual skill sets, or coaching inflexibility?
Whatever the answer to those questions, the outcome is straightforward. The Waratahs are getting ‘sent back in the same old way’ in 2017 as they were the year before, and the margins of defeat are becoming increasingly embarrassing to a team rich in Wallaby players – most especially at home and in front of their own people.
The winning recipe is quite simple and easy for even the least successful Super Rugby team in New Zealand to follow. Keep the ball, exploit that looseness in the interior defence, kick for position when the Waratahs push another defender up into line. Above all, pressure the Tahs’ kicking game and force weak exits that can be exploited on the return or from deep-set attacking lineouts near the Sky Blue 22-metre line.
The steady decline in standards is truly heartbreaking to any true lover or student of the game, and it is certain that Michael Cheika will find it very hard to right all the wrongs that are happening at the levels below him in the upcoming Wallabies training camp for June.
Fin
Guest
Hi Nick, Kerevi did another job 'off-setting the defender' at the end there. Poor Will Miller! Good to see Sean McMahon back as well, and picking up where he left off. Plenty of Yards After Contact!
Fin
Guest
Thanks for clarifying the term. It's great to see a big man use his rugby intelligence to avoid that one on one contact.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Thanks for that Fin - sounds like a fairly meaty programme!
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Yep Kerevi has a pretty good shift in the stride before contact, and he doesn't need much because his power will do the rest! Tha All Blacks used to call it 'off-setting the defender' so that he is not as firm before contact.
Fin
Guest
Hi Nick, On 'Rugby Kick & Chase' this week Tom Robertson was on the show. - Kearns said the planned coaching summit may have some merit because the coaching over the last 15 years has been really poor across the board and that's where Australia is struggling. Struggling with the skill sets of the players in a number of areas. Not only in catching and passing but also in some of the set piece plays. There is not one lineout coach in the country at the moment that's been a second rower that has actually jumped for the ball. - Andrew Mehrtens said that NZ does not exclusively own 'heads up rugby'. He said the great Australian sides -the 84 team with the Ella's and then the late 90's/early 2000's they had some framework but would also play heads up rugby and didn't get too pre-programmed. Mehrtens conceded that in his era the all blacks were too pre-programmed, however in the last 10 yrs the ab's have shown that successful rugby can be built around a framework but reacting within that. There's no point putting all your eggs in one basket and the picture changes in front of you on defence and not being able to adapt. - Mehrts then asked Tom Robertson if he felt that once he came into super rugby that maybe his previous rugby experiences had been a little bit too pre-programmed compared to what the Tahs are trying to achieve now. Tom Robertson's answer to that - 'coming through the junior ranks I just thought that Australian rugby was very set-piece orientated, not as much as a South African team but we still kept things seperate. The backs when they do their units they do their moves and the forwards do lineouts and scrums and we don't have as big an emphasis on the unstructured play so coming into a professional environment which I did for the first time last year was a bit of a shock to try and teach me how to play without structure, especially when the set-piece was the cornerstone of my game. I guess that's something that from a grass roots and a juniors perspective Australia could be better at developing that unstructured play.' - Stephen Hoiles also said that the Australian teams need to work on their support play. Educate players on what they should be doing after they pass the ball. At the moment they are passing and then just trying to help the guy get through contact as opposed to letting that guy have a go in contact on his own and seeing if he can keep the ball alive, so we are almost shutting that attacker down by doing that. - There was also an interview with Special K. He said he is really enjoying his football and the code switching transitions are now in the past. He feels comfortable with where his body is at, he loves what's going on at the reds, and he just wants to get better. It's all about improvement and finding things in his game that he can work on and playing good football and if after that a wallaby jersey comes along that would be great but there is a lot of hard work to get done before something like that happens. - Rod Kafer and Greegs did some more analysis on the Lions' attacking structures. Kafe said they do some unique and innovative things in the way they structure their phase attack. He showed examples where their 10 & 13 were positioned on the openside and both get used as decoys on back to back phases. What it does is hold the defenders in tight and allow their big forwards to get across the gain line. He said you don't see too many sides using their backs as decoy runners for forwards but backs are the ones that can run really good lines and sit defenders down. They run nice hard 'unders' lines and then it's a natural drop off for them to come back when it's their turn to have a run so it gives their forwards a really good opportunity to have a ball carrier on limited numbers. That's all for this week Nick. Cheers.
Fin
Guest
Hi Nick, On one of the modules on The Rugby Site Graham Henry talks about running through ‘open doors’ (rather than at defenders). Is this the scenario that Kerevi creates for himself (link below) using his right foot to put himself into the space that exists between the last two Argentinian defenders? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca2F9f_oRuM Another example 53 seconds into the video on the below link where he uses his left leg to do the same thing? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DR_wvLYvFyU It seems that contrary to what a lot of people think about Kerevi he is much more than a simple crash ball runner. He can also use his football smarts and his footwork to manufacture those "open doors" with which to run into.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
It does Fin, and it is exactly how Stuart Lancaster felt after he got back in harness with Leinster.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Jack Debreczeni would be an outside possibility at 15, though he has lost ground from being moved around lately... Curtis Rona maybe? Aidan Toua might get a look as a wing. There aren't too many guys who have been able to put up their hands in losing teams sadly.
Fin
Guest
Does this coaching theme sound familiar Nick? It's from Richard Graham, the assistant coach of the Georgian rugby team. “The end at the Reds was blunt but once you can reflect you realise you love the game and coaching,” Richard Graham said. “The more you go up the tree, the more you manage rather than coach so getting back on the field every session with such receptive players has reinvigorated me.”
taylorman
Guest
Perhaps they should Soapit?
Fin
Guest
Thanks for that link. MB has also spent a bit of time working at the Brumbies hasn't he? Who do you think the likely newcomers/debutants to Cheika's game day squad will be in June? Hunt, Powell........ anyone else stand out individually from what you have seen?
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Thanks Fin. Rightly or wrongly I get the impression that the coaches are perhaps a little too close to the players?? This video is also interesting... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9CPhfDrPvw
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
That's the transition from amateur to pro fro you... The only obvious point I'd pick up on is that the skills work seems largely optional or voluntary - you'd think it would be mandatory and included as part of the structured week.
Fin
Guest
Hi Nick, Here's a bit of background on the Reds assistant coaches for you. Cheers, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oOX8NhnLF04
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Cheers Fboy!
concerned supporter
Guest
Nick, A week in the training life of a Waratah, Below is a long article which recently appeared in Rugby News, would you read it? Yours and other Roarers comments, please: “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to train full time as a professional rugby player? Rugby News caught up with John Dams this week, the Waratahs head of Athletic Performance, to find out exactly what the Waratahs do each week and why they do it. Dams said the nature of the Super Rugby competition meant that every week was different, however for the purpose of the exercise, we looked at a typical week with a seven-day turnaround and no travel. Sunday Sunday, or the day after a game is a family day so players are given the day off and complete their recovery individually. Dams said the Waratahs call it ‘satellite recovery’ and that the idea was to give the players some time off to relax away from the training base. “We educate the players about what we think the best form of recovery for each player is and they’re expected to do that on their own,” he said. “Most players know what works for them. Some like the water, some like massage so it’s whatever works for the individual.” Monday On Monday morning, players arrive at Moore Park at 7:30am and immediately undergo a recovery test. The medical staff measure the players resting heart rate and their autonomic nervous system. “We measure that by a heart rate variability assessment to find out what the body is doing at rest. It basically tells us where they are at to start of the week and how their cardiovascular and nervous systems have recovered from the weekend.” After breakfast, the medical team conduct a musculoskeletal screening of all players, which usually lasts until 8:30am. “Players are then broken up into groups for the morning session. Some will do strength work, others will do individual review or unit review. Then we’ll do a core class to work on our core control and that usually finishes up at about 11:30am, then they have a team review,” Dams said. “Usually they split between forwards and backs, but some times it might be the playing 23 and the non playing group, it depends on what the session is.” After the team review, the squad has lunch together. Following lunch, players are strapped and take part in session prep ahead of the afternoons on field session, which usually lasts 60-75 minutes. “If we’ve got a seven day turnaround, the Monday afternoon session is usually what we call an install day, where we take in some learning. It’s a relatively low intensity session where we begin to work on what we want to improve on through the week,” Dams added. At the end of the session, players return to the training base for an individual recovery session. “They can do some body work with trigger balls, foam rollers or bands. Others will stretch and do some activation work, or corrections as we call it, they can hop in an ice bath and do some contrast baths with hot and cold water. It all depends on the individual athlete.” The day typically wraps up at around 4:30-5pm. Tuesday On Tuesday, players arrive at 7:45am for breakfast, then immediately head into triage. “Triage allows players to address any issues from the day before with the medical team before the day begins. They get a quick look over and the medical staff then plan their treatment for the day or plan any modifications they might need for that day’s training.” After triage, the players spend 20 minutes in session prep, before they split into backs and forwards. The forwards head to the gym and the backs head out onto the field for a unit session. After roughly 75 minutes, the two groups switch. “The gym program depends on each individual athlete. A five year professional who is in the starting side every week has a different program to a rookie who is still developing and most likely playing club rugby and is in and out of the 23,” Dams said. “Some elements are the same so that everyone is working hard together, but obviously every athlete and position is different.” The group has lunch at 12pm, then a team meeting is held before the players are strapped and begin session prep. The team for the weekend is also usually announced on Tuesday. “Session prep starts in the gym. It’s a combination of soft tissue work with balls and rollers, working on certain activations, and then we’ll do some movement skills. That will either be in a straight line or multi directional skills depending on the session ahead,” Dams said. “We then head out onto the pitch and finish the last lot of movement skills on the field. That usually involves high speed running or changing direction ahead of the rugby session.” Tuesday afternoons on-field session begins at around 2:15pm and lasts just over an hour. “During this session, we work on what we learnt in Monday afternoons session. Typically, it involves a lot of contact and is very physical. Tuesday is our heaviest training day of the week.” Following the afternoon session, the players return to the training base for massage treatment, which runs through to 6pm. Wednesday Wednesday is the player’s day off and although they aren’t required at the training base, the squad is spit into geographical groups and are expected to spend some time together in the morning. “We’ve got a group on the northern beaches, an eastern group and a western group. They’ll get together and go to the beach, get in the sea or go and get some food in the morning, then they have the rest of the day to themselves,” Dams said. “Some will come in for treatment and others come in for an extra gym session or conditioning block depending on what the individual needs.” While the players aren’t typically expected to cover anything specific on Wednesday, Dams said he thought it was important for the players to spend time together away from the training base. Thursday “If Tuesday was our highest volume day, Thursday is our highest intensity day. We ramp up intensity to start to build towards the weekend,” Dams said. Players arrive at 7:30am for breakfast and a recovery test before a 45-minute team meeting. “After strapping the players head into the gym for what we call our ‘pump up’. “Usually it involves some high intensity work ahead of our on field training session. All the movements are really dynamic – jumps, throws, cleans, speed work. The idea is to start to prime their systems ahead of training to build towards the weekend.” The players then head onto the training field for a one-hour session. “This is the highest intensity session of the week. The idea is to surpass match intensity during training on a Thursday,” Dams said. After lunch players take part in an individual needs session. “Individual needs might be an extra gym block. Others need more correctives, some might have a massage or look at video. The idea is to tick off whatever else we need to do ahead of the weekend.” Dams added that most players spend 15-20 minutes after each session working on specific skills or extras. “That’s not structured, but each player knows what he needs to work on. Our halfbacks work on their passing accuracy, others work on kicking, or decision making, tackling, ruck work, handling. “The best players are the ones that work hardest on those little things, so they’re all usually out there working on extras most days.” Players usually leave by 2:30pm on Thursday, unless the team is travelling for an away game. Depending on flight availability and the location of the game, the group either travel in the morning before a training session, or they train in the morning and travel in the afternoon. Friday On Friday, those not in the matchday 23 arrive early for a core class and some body work. If they aren’t playing club rugby on the weekend, they’ll also do a conditioning session. The main group also do a core class when they arrive on Friday morning, then they have a team meeting and get strapped for the captain’s run. “The captain’s run usually doesn’t last much longer than 30 minutes. There is a little bit of structure from the coaches, but Hoops (Michael Hooper) usually takes control.” The players then return to the training base and have lunch together. “Breakfast and lunch are provided for the players every day when they are at the training base. Towards the back end of the week, players are given more flexibility and usually on Friday, they head out as a group together for lunch. “Depending on the training day, the meals usually include a good amount of vegetables, a good amount of protein and depending on the athlete, some quality carbs. “In the morning, we also have a nutrition station, so the players will have a green drink, with some fish oil in the morning. After each session, they have a post training snack, which is usually protein based. We also give them amino acids before gym sessions and protein shakes after each session. After lunch on Friday the players head home. Saturday On game day, the players usually arrive around 4:30pm or three hours before kick-off. “We put on a bit of a snack for them in the training base when they arrive, then they begin their preparation. Over the next 60-90 minutes the players get strapped and complete their last bits of preparation. They’re expected to mentally and physically prepare in this time,” Dams said. An hour before kick-off, the team walk to the stadium together for the match.” When I played, a long time ago, we would train 2 nights a week. After training mostly we would shower and have a couple of beers in the clubhouse.
Bakkies
Guest
'I thought I’d heard he was but can see nothing to back it up. Back to the first group for him.' Given that he broke his three year contract in France mid way through his first season there I would lose complete respect for him if he walked out and left
Bakkies
Guest
It was mentioned in the Crimes article last week. He eventually took the job in Japan (can see him getting bored coaching over there).
soapit
Guest
wasnt just the all blacks either
Fboy
Guest
As an infrequent poster but religious reader based in London this new layout is much appreciated. Awesome articles as always. Love articles that leave me with further understanding of how and why Australian teams are struggling so much. Mainstream media articles rarely offer any real insight.