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The ACT Brumbies and the Western Force couldn’t be further apart in both style and execution. The Brums are clinical and have a set identity while the Force are very much a sea of blue rather than a powerful wave.
Below are the tactical shifts both teams must make to get the most out of their season. While the Brums will want to secure a home semi-final and possibly grand final, the Force will be hoping to sneak into the top eight.
Western Force
While other teams have genuine game breakers, the Force lack a contingent of quality players necessary to carry the team on their back, instead they have work ethic.
Head coach Simon Cron labelled the weekend’s loss to the Waratahs as “the worst performance to date.” truthfully it wasn’t a great performance but a vision is beginning to emerge and that must delight the coach.
Space and mismatches in defence are being found more regularly. The gameplan is seeing them go wide to get the danger men into one-on-ones and then reset into pods from the sideline.
The issues emerge in broken play, three or more phases after set-piece and the 10 is failing to flatten up the attack. His runners are not offering any threatening options or speed on their carries. There were times against the Tahs when the 10 sat back in the pocket and went wide too early or didn’t give a ball which would have created an overlap.
If the Force can get those decisions right and have a greater presence over the ball, they will stop chasing games and start contesting from equal footing. Currently, they are beating themselves, but Cron knows that if his playmakers start making the right decisions then his team can work themselves into a finals spot.
While their defence should be commended, they have very few threats over the ball. Ollie Callan, prop Santiago Medrano and outside centre Sam Spink are those who regularly attempt to pilfer, if one or two more forwards can make it part of their game, the team’s fitness should hold the better sides to fewer points and hold lesser teams out.
ACT Brumbies
Conversely, the men from Canberra have stand-outs across the park. Head coach Stephen Larkham has taken the Dan McKellar blueprint and augmented it instead of ripping it out root-and-stem. It’s smart coaching and Larkham has managed to strike a good balance between regimented set-piece and eyes-up rugby.
Coach Stephen Larkham of the Brumbies. (Photo by Rob Jefferies/Getty Images)
For the Brumbies to have a shot at winning the competition they need to go to the next stage of organised rugby, which is what Ireland has achieved. No individual player must be greater than the team. For example, a barnstorming run with little support risks a turnover which is worth less than a half-break and a reload.
If the Brumbies learn to forego that extra metre or two in attack for ball security, then their system rugby will break the top teams down. They have the firepower to play expansive rugby but Larkham must continue to strike the balance between organisation and chaos. The Brumbies’ attack is functioning a lot better with Larkham at the helm and should not be stifled nor held back to achieve this plan. Rather they should acknowledge the quality of their squad and trust that if they make one break, they will make another.
The Brumbies’ toughest games ahead are against the Hurricanes in week 10 and then the table-topping Chiefs in round 14. Both these teams play a fast and erratic game with world-class threats across the park. They can win both those games and rise to the top if that balance and new depth to their patience are found.
Lineout domination
The lineout is being dominated by all Australian teams and the discrepancy between Australian lineout leaders and New Zealand, Moana and Drua leaders are stark. The leading lineout winner is Brumby and Wallaby Nick Frost with 43 lineouts won. Next is his locking partner Cadeyrn Neville on 35, followed by Josh Canham (Rebels 34), and Force’s Jeremy Williams is in sixth on 30. The highest ranked non-Australian is the Fijian Drua’s Isoa Nasilasila in ninth spot on 22 followed by All Back Brodie Retallick on 21.
The reason why Australian lineout domination across the board is important is because it offers a weapon to each team and outlines the tactics around that weapon.
The lineout is one of the best opportunities to launch an attack, because playmakers have time with the ball before meeting the defensive line. If your team is winning the bulk of the ball at lineout time then that will mess with the opposition’s heads. This will suddenly become a consideration in the game managers mind and may alter their game plan which can unsettle and destabilise other aspects of their game.
Conversely you can start using this as an attacking weapon. If there’s no forward momentum after three or four phases then the playmaker should drill a ball along the ground and out as far as he can. Your team has a great chance to win the ball back in a better position and it will also start changing the behaviour of the oppositions’ wingers. They will be forced to sit deeper which could allow space out wide.
But this also means teams must execute basics like exiting their 22m. Exiting has been a struggle for most sides in 2023: kicks haven’t found touch or have been rushed and charged down.
The clear and evident domination should indicate to all Australian franchises to kick the ball out and well out to create a genuine turnover opportunity when it is not their throw. This also limits the quick lineout option thus eliminating the threat of a counterattack.
These stats must also be pleasing to Wallabies coach Eddie Jones who will be looking across the board and knowing he will be able to construct a dangerous defensive lineout come Rugby Championships and World Cup time.
Championships are won off the back off defence, but you must also score points and put teams to the sword. Both the Force and the Brumbies must score more points in the back end of this season. The Force must also plug the leaks in their defence.
While the lineout has been a weapon for the Brumbies for many a season the Force who lack genuine game-breaking players may want to look at a smarter kicking game to utilise its potential. They have the lineout operators to challenge some of the top tier teams and unsettle their rhythm through hard work and grit.
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.