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Nick Bishop Here's what Nick thinks...

About Nick Bishop

Nick has worked as a rugby analyst and advisor to Graham Henry (1999-2002), Mike Ruddock (2004-2006) and latterly Stuart Lancaster (2011-2015). He also worked on the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and produced his first rugby book with Graham Henry at the end of the tour. Since then, three more rugby books have followed, all of which of have either been nominated for, or won national sports book awards. The latest is a biography of Phil Larder, the first top Rugby League coach to successfully transfer over to Union. It is entitled “The Iron Curtain”. Nick has also written or contributed to four other books on literature and psychology.
“He is currently writing articles for The Roar and The Rugby Site, and working as a strategy consultant to Stuart Lancaster and the Leinster coaching staff for their European matches.”

Nick Bishop's latest articles

Why Scotland are sending opponents homeward ‘tae think again’

Scotland have won 13 out of their 21 matches, and five out of their last seven under coaches Vern Cotter and Gregor Townsend. They have beaten Australia home and away and they have run the mighty All Blacks close. Analyst Nick Bishop looks what is behind their renaissance.

How did the trial laws at the breakdown work out in end-of-year tour internationals?

World Rugby’s trial laws for 2017 included some potentially game-changing alterations at the breakdown. The end-of-year tour internationals in November provided the first crucible in which to test the new laws at elite level. Analyst Nick Bishop examines their effect and how teams adjusted.

Is the All Blacks midfield beginning to gel?

Analyst Nick Bishop considers whether the the current All Black’s midfield combination finally starting to ‘gel’. Or should we expect more changes before Japan 2019 WRC?

Rolling, rolling, rolling… why a double movement can cure the problem of isolation

In theory, the laws of World Rugby require everyone involved in the tackle on offence or defence to move away from the ball immediately. In practice there are two chances of this happening – ‘slim’ and ‘none’! Analyst Nick Bishop explains why.

The All Blacks scrum and the theory of marginal gains

“Aggregation of marginal gains… the 1% margin for improvement in everything you do.” Put all those little micro-wins together, and one day you will see an almighty change in the world outside them. Analyst Nick Bishop explores what Sir Dave Brailsford UK cycling approach has to do with the All Black’s scrum

Running attacking decoy plays in theory and practice

The viability of using decoys on attacking plays has become absolutely essential at all levels of the professional game. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how effective decoys/block are in attack plays.

Aggressive ball-placement options at the Women’s World Cup final

The women’s game has the virtue of being different in character to the male version of rugby. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at why the women’s game is on the rise, especially after the outstanding World Cup final played last weekend between the New Zealand Black Ferns and the England Roses.

How to use your eyes – the 10/15 hybrid and engaging the last defender on attack

The first Bledisloe match of 2017 between New Zealand and Australia was decided partly in advance, by selection before the game ever started. How did the All Blacks achieve this? Analyst Nick Bishop explains in his latest article.

Why the Lions series confounded expectation

The recent series between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions was one which confounded expectation. Received wisdom suggested that the Lions needed to dominate set-piece and gain ascendancy over the Kiwi tight forwards in order to succeed. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at what actually did happen during the series.

What is the currency of the British & Irish Lions after New Zealand 2017?

The simple answer to the question in the title of the article is $69 million NZ dollars. That is the monetary amount that educated estimates suggest will be generated by the Lions cycle (every four years) for the host union. Analyst Nick Bishop outlines who benefits most from the tours and ways it could be improved for all involved.