Gregor Townsend's Caledonian cyclone can blow through a Rugby World Cup pool of death
Scotland’s dynamic, shapeshifting, miracle ball attack has dazzled rugby fans, and also has the element of systemic progress that can see them tilt the…
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Scotland’s dynamic, shapeshifting, miracle ball attack has dazzled rugby fans, and also has the element of systemic progress that can see them tilt the…
The 10 jersey is an enigma in the modern game. The allure of having a top class 10 to guide a team into a…
The 'sliding quarterback' is a term based on the tactical style of NFL mastermind Tom Brady, a direct player with evasive abilities, varying the…
Manie Libbok gave us a good idea of what he could do in a Bok jersey. He's an exceptional support runner with elite back-three…
Robbie Owen’s words of "Starting to think South Africa’s title hopes may just rest more on their first choice 10 being fit than Ireland’s"…
Japan’s stumbling form looks like an odd development, for a team that came oh-so-close to beating the All Blacks last year. Initially, their All…
The complexity surrounding Ireland’s future in a post-Sexton reality is integral to the future path, and as his career draws to a close-the question…
The figurehead flyhalf is definitely a statement of a team’s personality. However, a certain archetype has increasingly died out in today’s modern game. The…
Playmaker or a proper strike runner? This constant contradiction seems to bamboozle us when it comes to the inexplicable state of the All Blacks’…
There is a fresh point of difference to the Springboks attacking play compared to during the Rugby Championship. In the past they looked to…
At 37 years old, Morne Steyn kicked a winning penalty to secure South Africa’s back-to-back victory over the British Irish Lions. Steyn broke Lions…
Handre Pollard has had gotten a lot of stick after the Springboks had a disastrous Rugby Championship. Some say that the Boks need Elton…
The back three is a place where pace and agility are mixed with the ability to claim the high ball. It is a place…
At the turn of the decade we should start to analyse and appreciate certain tactics that have become trendy recently. Tactical trends come and…
Should Willie Le Roux retain his fullback jersey for the Springboks? Many say Damian Willemse and Aphelele Fassi are the future. However, few truly…
This is my fourth article in this team of the year series, and I fancied getting on to the big boys – the grinders,…
The backrow are the boys who do the real job. The guys who top the tackle, breakdown, and forward-handling stats. Athletic guys with power…
The midfield is a place where the most versatile skill sets mix and match to fit a variety of utilities. It is a place…
Every year, there will be form players in each position. However, this year, due to the rude interruption of the pandemic, we have a…
I think Dave Rennie has had the Wallabies develop a certain structure to their attack. Barring errors and with proper execution, it is very…
My pleasure mate. Floating Strategists are an interesting contraption.
I realised my list was short in elite role samples, adding Tamura and Libbok, Russell to that list.
I feel Wille Le Roux is an out of position application, with his ability to evolve the attack and ghost around, running the full width on any side to side passage.
On South Africa, do you think they should go for a more fluid attack in the absence of Pollard(who to the haters-now you see he is the lynchpin of their attacking system), or take Willemse to replicate his tight footwork, carrying power, and kicking game?
Ireland's Carty conundrum: Is he the answer to a Sexton-sized problem?
Secret with All Blacks is to play low Pass per Carry possession based attack rather than a kicking game. They were exposed by transition threats
There is a whiff of myth about this Springboks side - and they were badly exposed by All Blacks' coaching team
This thread aged well .
ANALYSIS: There are two types of fullbacks available to the All Blacks. Which option should they choose?
Class Article. Boks are a shadow of their 2019 composure kings where they could grind out a test better than anybody. They can certainly shoot out a fluidic, unanchored attack against Australia, but against the All Blacks they looked completely unstable.
Wille Le Roux had a long day at the office, but it was a valiant fight. He was left with too much work on defence, made a good fist of it(great initial cover tackle on Will Jordan). He didn’t miss many tackles and was decent in the 1 on 1. He seems to be completely carrying their phaseplay attack, Faf kicking away the ball(but not even effective box kicks this time). His classy passing almost singlehandedly engineered the opportunity for Kolbe to finish in the corner.
Centres were missing and a lack of contest in the lineouts.
Pollard is missed-because he knows when to kick, when to play it through the hands, when to grind the phases. That calm was absent.
Quote Squidge ‘Le Roux controls the shape, with pollard controlling tactics-choosing to kick, run, pass or crash it up.’
Willemse was taken to replicate the physical frame of Pollard and use a short passing game, but faded in terms of his structural integration.
There is a whiff of myth about this Springboks side - and they were badly exposed by All Blacks' coaching team
The semi attack is where u see the level of technicality of the 10. The quality of the 10 line and pass option.
In the modern game, Pollard, Cooper, and Farrell are excellent role samples of a 10 custom-made for the semi-attack
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
Just a few opinions:
1. The game has undoubtably moved on from technicality towards structure/breaking ability
Sanchez’s true breaking ability has deterioriated with age, and does not fit into the kick transition model.
2. Second tier club-perhaps a club that is doing poorly in the top 14, could be called second-rate. Since they are in the Top 14 and in the elite french league, could only be deemed second-rate
3. Idea of MOMENTS of brilliance
I wonder how we should define moments of brilliance. He touches the ball at least once in every side-side movement of play, and is often organising those around him.
moment of brilliance for a 10 is a shock play of set piece.
To continuallly knit things together when the chips are down from first receiver is a lasting statement of evergreen class
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
The current mode of Argentinean 10 is a far cry from that of old
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
Sanchez is a world class playmaker. He’s slowed and lost his old X-factor, but can nail a penalty like Wilco and guide a side like Carter. The Argnetinean attack had odd moments of cohesion with him on the field
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
He last appeared as a substitute in 2021 for the Pumas. Much calmer decision making and also vision. Has the skills to run an attack better than any 10 in the world from a technical perspective. https://youtu.be/G66y8Ea2HUM?t=5743
See here against France-creating momentum, looping round and finally putting in the kick to get a goal-line dropout, half a field of territory gain.
Carreras seems to favor the kick transition model
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
Best rugby is off 10. Attacking off the fringes is fine, but ideally you want to be outside the pillar defence, fire that ball past the drift and really start attacking. Cheika seemed to be confused-he went really well building around Sanchez, but then lost the plot and started looking for kick transition/strike runner system players like Carreras.
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
unfortunate. I will embed clips next time. Works with normal hyperlinks but clips seem to have an issue
Why Nicolas Sanchez is the last of the technical 10s
Could have marshalled the Tigers into the premiership final…shame his season ended like that. Pollard vs Ford/Farrell would be a great headline
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
And then Slade as 13, Steward at 15? This seems like a more strike running version of the Boks. Slade is their Wille Le Roux, while Steward may not be Am, but he certainly has the breaking ability to inject life into that backline
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
They wont have a chance without Sanchez even if they get lucky. Boffelli can kick goals all day long, but top teams will shut down their transition play. Sanchez is the man-the last of a golden generation of flyhalves. You don’t win without a general, unless you build around 9.
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
Sanchez too. The old class of Carter, Giteau come from a dying trade, but these veterans keep that flame alive
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
Farrell has found form, and a return to the 10/12 of yore is not welcome. It’s Ford to break down a reshuffling defence that constantly recycles like Scotland’s, But Farrell will be crucial to hitting France where it hurts. Boy can he pass!! Speaking of Quarter’s, Sanchez has been solid off the tee and with the ball in hand for Brive, put in a knockout situation he could carry the Pumas to their best since 2015.
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
Hmmm…a guy who could do everything. Nico Sanchez is a dying breed, a relic of the technical 10. Modern 10s tend to be skilful and athletic guys, between organisers and game breakers. But Sanchez still has that old school technicality, not turning like a cog in the clock, but instead constantly sprouting new wires to vary and empower the attack. Even in the last club in France, he is working his hands, feet, and boot to create a cohesive attack. He could carry Argentina if they build around him, but it seems they are gunning for kick transition and strike runners to take the 10 jersey with Carreras and Miotti
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
Boks have their own(unpolished) QC in Manie Libbok. Could be the South African Carter. Pollard is the South African Wilkinson with a classy passing touch.
The most indispensable player for Eddie's WC run: No.10s are like rock 'n' roll front men, and that makes Quade the Boss
Shaun Stevenson would be more of a utility back/winger, as the fullback is required to be a creative ball player/ heavy kicking option. Unless they are going to implement the Crusaders style within a year, which will not be stable at test level. The 2-4-2 model, although it can be very effective with talented players, will use way too much depth, and will be trapped into going wide to wide, searching for that one ‘moment’ a la France
ANALYSIS: There are two types of fullbacks available to the All Blacks. Which option should they choose?
has a strong breaking threat, when he played 15 for AB’s last year
ANALYSIS: There are two types of fullbacks available to the All Blacks. Which option should they choose?
was focusing more on those already in AB contention….
ANALYSIS: There are two types of fullbacks available to the All Blacks. Which option should they choose?
Will Jordan is indeed the best man to bring in back, but they seem to want to move away from the transition zone. DMac is the most complete option while Jordie Barrett has the best pedigree and form
ANALYSIS: There are two types of fullbacks available to the All Blacks. Which option should they choose?
Lealifano as a link and a pattern setter with Kerevi to pull tricky passes will work as a substitute
ANALYSIS: Quade would've been worried watching Wallabies' attack on Spring Tour - this is why
Christian Lealifano would be an answer. Not the same influence as Cooper but a functional operator of an attack
ANALYSIS: Quade would've been worried watching Wallabies' attack on Spring Tour - this is why
Carty is a master of manipulating attacking shapes to create breaks. Few in World Rugby do it better, if any
Ireland's Carty conundrum: Is he the answer to a Sexton-sized problem?