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How to take the short-cut to success off first receiverThe flat or short ball to the ‘forward’, and the ball out of the back door to another back-line distributor, which is more productive? Nick Bishop adds some weight to the ‘forward’ ball in this week’s article.
Is the full-back position about to get upsized? Part 2In part 2 of this series, with the pre-dominance of kicking, Nick considers the movement towards full-backs who offer more physical reassurance in the air and on the counter.
Is the full-back position about to get up-sized? Part 1Kicking ability out of hand and off the tee is this week’s focus in the 1st of 2 articles, as Analyst Nick Bishop looks at ways in which the full-back spot is looking towards a considerable upsizing in the professional game.
How to swing for the fences: goal-kicking and the golf gameHow are the golf swing and goal kick connected? Analyst Nick Bishop looks at the effect top golf and kicking coach Dave Alred has had in the crossover between the golf swing and goal-kick in rugby.
La razon por la que el contra-ruck esta ganando valor en defensaEn el Rugby Championship 2021, el contraruck tuvo un resurgimiento inesperado siendo el cambio de leyes un desfibrilador para el mismo.
Entonces, ¿cuáles son los KPI para el éxito de un counter-ruck? El analista Nick Bishop detalla en el análisis de esta semana.
Why the modern maverick 10 must be able to multi-taskSince the introduction of the new guidelines at the tackle area in June 2020 and the production of increasingly quick ball from the ruck, the No 10 has found him or herself fulfilling a much greater variety of roles than before. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at what roles the No 10s are doing in the game.
Why the counter-ruck is gaining currency on defenceIn the recently-concluded Rugby Championship, the counter-ruck responded positively to the jolt given by the law-making defibrillator, and made something of a comeback from the dead! So what are the KPI’s for the success of a counter-ruck? Analyst Nick Bishop details in this week’s analysis.
Why kicking for the posts has taken on a new meaningThe new rules around goal-line dropouts may already have some subtle, but far-reaching effects as Nick Bishop details in this week’s analysis.
Cómo cambio el ataque de los All Blacks desde 2019?En la copa del mundo 2019, los All Blacks utilizaron el mismo sistema de ataque que no funciono vs Inglaterra en la semi final. El analista de video Nick Bishop nos muestra que cambio desde entonces, cuan efectivo fue y por que…
How has the All Blacks attack changed since 2019?At the 2019 RWC the All Blacks ran the same attack and came unstuck against England in the semi final. analyst Nick Bishop looks at what has changed in their attack since then, how effective it’s been and why?
How to create breathing space for the lineout driveBy holding the receiver in the air for as long as possible, the receiving team forces the kick-chase either to mistime the challenge, or back off from it entirely and allow an easy receipt. Nick Bishop investigates if the same principle was at work during the lineouts in the recent Rugby Championship match between Australia and the world champions South Africa.
Is the game your team plays all what it seems?Do you know how many phases of play your team does for each sequence of play? How many sequences of play occur in a game? What factors usually decide the outcome of your game? We investigate how you find this information and why it differs from professional rugby to community level rugby.
Is the goal-line drop-out more important than the 50/22?Restarting the game from underneath your own posts makes a huge territorial difference, compared to a drop-out from your own 22 metre line. Analyst Nick Bishop details the outcomes of goal line dropouts in the recent All Blacks v Wallabies test match.
Analizando la defensa “Rush”Uno de los problemas mas dificiles en el Rugby moderno es la defensa Rush o Rush defence.
El analista de video Nick Bishop analiza como el ataque con un wing en un extremo puede ser exitoso.
How to chase the high kick – the Springbok wayAnalyst Nick Bishop spots some Springbox innovation in the Lions series of games where the pattern of play was both conservative and repetitive.
Getting around the 'Rush' DefenceOne the most difficult problems for coaches to solve in the modern game is the rush defence. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how a ‘single wing attack’ structure is proving successful.
How to get the ball away from the scrum quicksandWhat is the best way to avoid the scrum penalty/reset quicksand, and create usable attacking ball? Analyst Nick Bishop explains one option being used more by attacking minded teams.
How to make the pick-and-go really ‘go’The pick-and-go is often neglected, at least in field positions outside the opposition 22. Analyst Nick Bishop takes a look at some of the features that make the pick-and-go game tick over as smoothly as clockwork.
Is it better to play Rugby without the ball?The early evidence is that Test rugby is proving to be stubbornly resistant to the 2020 law changes, which were designed to promote quicker ruck delivery and more ball-in-hand attack. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at why this is the case
How to chop down the attack – the Shaun Edwards wayDefence coach Shaun Edwards has been around the game of Rugby Union for a long time. He has a history of teaching a low tackline technique known as the ‘chop’ tackle, and an equally well-documented dislike of high tackling technique (‘the choke’). Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how Edwards has safely amended and developed his low tackling, ‘chop’ philosophy with the times.
Why have the top teams stopped kicking for goal?It may just be the end of an era. The days of the penalty goal as the primary means of scoring in Rugby may be coming to end – at least if the English Premiership final is a true measure of judgement as Nick Bishop reports in this week’s analysis.
Decisions favouring the TacklerFollowing on from last week’s article, Nick takes a look at the different set of refereeing priorities which emerged during the Trans-Tasman Super competition.
Why the English Premiership is ahead of the gameIt is not often that you can say, with confidence, that the UK is leading the world in rugby innovation. It is happening again now as Analyst Nick Bishop explains – not with developments in coaching, but in refereeing.
How to use late movement on attack close to the ruckWhile a great deal of time is spent, and rightly so, on improving the speed of ball delivery from a ruck, it is just as important to focus on the movement around it. As Analyst Nick Bishop explains most rucks create their own geography, and two sides for the attack to explore.
What is the best defence at lineouts?There are always plenty of ongoing debates on lineout defence. Analyst Nick Bishop considers the rationale for each defence pattern option.
Is there a Renaissance in French rugbyOn and off the field, French rugby appears to be in a Renaissance with 2 teams contesting the 2021 Champions cup final and close to winning the last 2 6 nations titles. As Analyst Nick Bishop writes, some of those uniquely French attack characteristics are beginning to work their way back into the mindset of both club and country.
Why the cross-kick is a quick fix for attacking widthThe cross-kick (or kick-pass) is a low-risk way of moving the ball from one side of the field to the other in one movement, without the need for top-drawer handling and passing skills. Nick Bishop looks at the types of kick-passes and their effectiveness.
How to take your kicking game on an upward spiralAt the level of individual technique, some ‘amateur’ techniques which still give added value have been prematurely discarded in the professional game. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how in the hands of an experienced operator, the spiral punt can still be an effective attack option.
How to look for the transition zones on attackAgainst a defence which is still well-organized, one of the most reliable methods of attack is to seek out the so-called ‘transition zones’ between a forward and a back. Analyst Nick Bishop explains what is and why it is so effective.
Can the new trial kicking laws add value to the game?The pith of the new trial laws is to reduce the impact of defensive line-speed and the number of bodies in the defensive line, by increasing the value of the kicking game to the attacking side. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how effective they are proving in this year’s Super Rugby.
