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What the raw statistics from the RWC say about the attack-defence balance in the global game [part 2]Nick Bishop looks in more detail at what happened when teams of the same general type played one another, or two sides of opposite approach clashed.
What the raw statistics from the World Cup say about the attack-defence balance in the global game [part 1]The first part of this two-piece survey Nick Bishop researches key stats thrown up over the course of the competition. In the second he will then apply them to the direction of a seminal match (France vs South Africa quarter final)
Has New Zealand solved the puzzle of the rush defence? [part 2]Has the the Rush defence puzzle been truly solved? Nick Bishop details the evidence from the recent RWC final.
Has New Zealand solved the puzzle of the rush defence? [part 1]Can a Kiwi attack handle an all-out Test-level rush defence?
In Part 1 of the 2 part analysis, Nick Bishop explains how since 2017 the Rush Defence has shut down the All Blacks vaunted attack.
How to construct an effective kick-chase gameAny team looking to build up solid fundamentals in a contestable kicking strategy, England’s RWC2023 semi final performance is great example.
Nick Bishop details how their kick-chase nearly took them to winning the game.
How to find a simple attacking solution from set-pieceCoaches at all levels of the game, and in all sports are always looking for simple, robust solutions that work – the simpler, the better.
Nick Bishop details what Set Piece Strike Play is working for a number of teams to date in the RWC2023.
How to find the right roles for twin number 10’sMost number 10’s are either strategist/game-managers or they are instinctive ball-players.
Nick Bishop looks at how England are successfully fitting their number 10 ‘strategist’ and ‘wizard’ into their starting lineup and attack structure.
What does good multi-phase offence look like?You do not have to win the lion’s share of collisions in order to play winning attacking rugby.,
It is still possible to find space in multi-phase attack if you have the will, the structures and the personnel to do it.
Using No 1 ranked Ireland and their recent RWC match against Romania as the example, Analyst Nick Bishop explains how it can be done.
Why the ‘droppie’ may be coming back into fashion!Nick Bishop details how drop goals like George Ford’s are a simple and risk-free method of keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
How to beat the pressure with both feetHowever rare the genuinely ambidextrous may be, it is still important for rugby players at all levels to cultivate the same ability to ‘play both ways’ as Nick Bishop highlights in this week’s analysis using France’s No 9 Dupont as his prime example.
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How to control the game with an accurate exit strategyNick Bishop balances the Exit Strategy ledger outlining the exiting in the case the All Blacks dominate their exit strategy against the South African return team.
How to win the #15/ #9 battle from midfield scrumsLaw changes frequently have repercussions, or send out impact ripples well beyond the original intention – for better or for worse. As Nick Bishop highlights how the Defending #9 not being allowed past the mid-line of the scrum trial law change has also changed how the backs attack and defend.
Why one ‘knee equals two feet’ against the high tackleThe solution is to drop body-height quickly and dramatically, and get at least one knee to the ground immediately. Nick Bishop details what knee on ground is a solution to and why it has become so effective in the tackle.
Why teams are feeling the need – the need for speed – at the scrum base [part 2]Nick Bishop highlights how the new law-trial requiring the defending scrum-half to drop back rather than chase up beyond the mid-point of the set-piece are having more of a positive impact than even the law-makers may have envisaged.
How to design and develop a ‘gadget’ move from lineoutInnovation can be the genuine discovery of something completely new, but far more often it represents the improvement, or streamlining of something already known.
Nick Bishop looks at how the ‘Teabag’ (lineout gadget play) has evolved as coaches ‘innovate’ the same concept from another angle.
How to control the opposition exit strategy, and play the game in the right areas of the fieldFine-tuning your own exit strategy, and pressurizing the exit strategy of the opposition is the most reliable way of creating those positions where you can reap what you’ve sown as Nick Bishop details in this week’s analysis.
The short-hand for winning the restartRugby fashions, like fashions in other areas of life, often work in cycles without obvious rhyme or reason.
Nick Bishop looks at the latest fashion in Restarts in this week’s analysis.
How to get on the right side of the referee at the breakdownFor defensive players in and around the tackle area, the challenge is to spoil and disrupt effectively while showing that they are following the rules.
Nick Bishop looks at one of the techniques to fit into this formula – the ‘fake pilfer’.
The Source and a Solution to Wayne Smith's FrustrationThe solution to the problem Wayne Smith needs to begin at source. Nick Bishop identifies a primary cause and solution.
How to make a second effort when all seems lost at ruck-timeSports coaches are always on the lookout for ways in which a player can make a ‘double action’ or second effort, reinforcing and improving the first, creating a snowball of momentum.
Nick Bishop highlights where a ‘double action’ is productive in rugby at all levels.
What are the benefits of a big scrum-half in the ‘boot’?Nick Bishop looks at some of the reasons which make a bigger unit at number 9 more desirable under the current laws of the game.
Why ‘pocket protection’ is so important under the box-kickThe cross-fertilization of ideas between collision sports is on the increase.
American Football Pass Protection designed for the Offensive Line to shield the Quarterback who wants to throw the ball downfield is the latest IP transfer to rugby as Nick Bishop illustrates in this week’s analysis.
Why teams are feeling the need – ‘the need for speed’ - at the scrum-baseNick Bishop explains why he fully expects the SRP law-trial at the scrum to be implemented world-wide in due course.
Where defending number 9’s are no longer allowed to advance beyond the midpoint of the set-piece.
How to get some ‘bounce’ into the kick-pass!Attacking methods to get the ball quickly to the edge need constant refinement for the attacking side to be able to exploit the full width of the field.
One of the easiest methods to reach the wide channels has been the ‘kick-pass’. Nick Bishop details at the latest iteration of the ‘kick pass’
How to recognize opportunities to attack wide versus a ‘jockey’ defenceUsing some recent examples from Super Rugby Pacific 2023 Nick Bishop explains just why the more passive forms of defence, like the Drift or Jockey, are becoming less popular and more marginal in coaching attitudes to the game.
Why the wide ruck can be a big Achilles heel for the attackA ‘sweet spot’ exists where the defence can move over to the attack at the breakdown as Nick Bishop outlines in this week’s analysis..
How the new law trial at the scrum is creating new possibilities for the attackNick Bishop highlights some new ideas to create clean attacking ball from scrums encouraged by the latest law-trials, and (potentially) the scrummage returning to its former status as a potent attacking weapon.
How to cover the break on defence, and bring ‘chaos’ back to ‘structure’How can the defence return from ‘chaos’ back to ‘structure’, and the odds shift in the defence’s favour from an attack break? Nick Bishop details in this week’s analysis.
How to get a second bite at the cherry at the breakdownThe recent changes in officiating guidelines at the breakdown outlawed a second move on the deck, and reduced the options at presentation for the ball-carrier. Nick Bishop details how coaches are adapting so players get a second bite at the breakdown ‘cherry’.
