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Can Japan shock the world again?Countries have finalised their RWC squads and now finalise their preparations for the tournament. Writer Graham Jenkins in his latest article looks at Japan’s prospects as host nation and make another indelible mark on sporting history.
How the All Blacks made the ‘twins’ click at Eden ParkWhat is this ‘it’, the magic ingredient on a professional rugby field? Analyst Nick Bishop takes a look at ‘whether the new 7s ’twins’ are the All Blacks ‘it’ after last weekends Bledisloe cup match in Auckland.
How to set up your short-side defence – the All Black wayDefence of the short-side demands a keen sense of anticipation and vocal communication skills in the defenders allotted to the task.
Analyst Nick Bishop explains why and who is key in his latest article.
Coaching to inspire in your own orbitAs the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, writer Graham Jenkins reflects on how coaches should be looking to inspire, and positively influence, their players within their own orbit.
Why defence does not begin or end with a line-breakOne of the main measures of the effectiveness of your defence, was simply to count the number of times the opposition broke your line when they had the ball in hand.
Although that remains a useful statistic, it is no longer the be-all and end-all of defensive measurement. What happens after a line break has been made is equally important as Analyst Nick Bishop details in his latest article.
How to use ‘joined-up thinking’ in your game-planHow do you find a clear plan of action on a rugby field? Analyst Nick Bishop in his latest article outlines the ‘thinking’ and ‘factors’ to create a successful ‘Joined Up’ game plan.
Innovate or die? Rugby's continued quest to stay relevant.The pressure on English rugby, and the game in general, to adapt and ensure the long-term success of the sport is evident in two innovations that are set to debut next season. Writer Graham Jenkins looks at these innovations and their possible positive effect on the game and its continued evolution.
Is it time for Ardie Savea to start for the All Blacks?Will the All Black selectors follow Wales coach Warren Gatland’s very successful approach and field 2 No 7s in the loose forwards? Nick Bishop analyses Ardie Savea’s recent development and claim for inclusion in the ABs starting XV.
How to mix backs and forwards at the set-piece!Backs can help the forwards in the tasks that used to belong solely to the pack – but only if they understand what their roles are and how best to apply their power. Analyst Nick Bishop investigate how that overlapping understanding is evident at the driving maul.
Coaches should embrace ‘half game rule’ challengeFrom the start of next season, all match day squad players at every level of youth, junior and minis rugby, from ages 6 to 18, must play at least half a game. A policy that has been in place in NZ and Wales for some years. Graham backgrounds the rationale behind the move and the impact on coaches.
How to find mismatches against the single-line defenceArguably the biggest change in Rugby’s professional era occurred when the game started to import defensive coaches from League. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how modern professional sides are looking to break through increasingly tighter rugby league style defences.
Is it time the Six Nations packed down behind the Nations Championship concept?World Rugby’s plan for a ground-breaking annual Nations Championship uniting both hemispheres appeared to have little support when revealed last month but is it actually a concept we should all be embracing? Writer Graham Jenkins looks at the merits of the plan.
How Warren Gatland won the preparation war in CardiffWarren Gatland’s knowledge of the game in the UK and Ireland is anything but one-sided. He has coached in Ireland, Wales and with Wasps in England and more importantly, he has coached on three consecutive British & Irish Lions tours. Analyst Nick Bishop details how that ‘inside knowledge’ gave him and Wales a priceless advantage against England in Cardiff.
Super Rugby 2019 Performance PreviewThe Gainline Analytics team have taken their Cohesion and TWI markers to the Super Rugby competition starting this weekend. Simon and Ben have analysed how each team and conference is likely perform and why?
How to play the ‘libero’ like Faf de KlerkThe ‘libero’ is an evocative term in the Soccer vocabulary. It describes the free role played from a defensive position occupied by outstanding players like Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, Ronald Koeman from the Netherlands, and Gaetano Scirea and Franco Baresi of Italy. Eventually the libero died out of the professional arm of the game with the demise of man-marking. However as Analyst Nick Bishop illustrates in the use of the scrum-half as the free man on defence have occurred recently in rugby through players like South African Faf de Klerk.
The Hidden Side of the 6 NationsOur friends at Gainline Analytics have had close look at the prospects of this year’s 6 nations tournament. It has been a moving feast in Northern Hemisphere Rugby especially at club level. Club and Test do not act in isolation however these effects take time to manifest. GAIN LINE Analytics research into teams show some very clear correlations over the long term around this aspect. They have taken a look at the prospects of this years 6 nations sides and the effect of their club setup and the draw might have on their prospects.
Are 'foracks' the future?Last week Eddie Jones introduced the possibility of in the future backs playing the in the forwards. Writer Graham Jenkins, in his latest article, looks at whether Jones’ comments have merit or are just pre 6N tournament banter.
What attention to detail at the cleanout really meansIreland’s Joe Schmidt already coaches with the same values as his All Black counterparts, Sir Graham Henry and Steve Hansen. He insists on high standards of behaviour both on and off the field, on the need to ‘sweep the sheds’ and take responsibility for every individual action. I believe this makes him a New Zealand head coach-in-waiting. Analyst Nick Bishop explores the attention to detail from Joe Schmidt’s Irish team in his latest article.
Is there a right time to walk away?In the cut-throat world of elite sport, unfortunately coaches do not always get to choose when they step away from a role with their future more often than not defined by their employers. In his latest article Graham Jenkins examines the decision of the leading coaches who have met the success criteria of their bosses yet still opt to move on all the more interesting and perhaps revealing.
Getting your defence right: when to ‘dig’ and when to ‘wrap’It is probably no accident that the teams with Farrell-coached defences only lost two of the six Tests they played against the All Blacks. Against other opponents in the same time-frame, New Zealand have scored tries for fun, averaging a runaway 5.7 tries per match on their way to a 90% plus win rate. Analyst Nick Bishop explores one of Ireland’s key breakdown defence strategies when to ‘wrap’ around into a new position, and when to ‘dig’ for a turnover after a tackle has been made.
Farrell spearheads the case for the defenceIreland’s defence was pivotal in their win over the All Blacks last weekend. Graham Jenkins identifies who and how Ireland managed to shackle the most potent attacking team in the world.
How to attack with the box-kickThe perception of ‘negative play’ in rugby is often associated with kicking the ball. The idea that a team which can no longer think of anything positive to do with the ball, kicks it away instead. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how kicking is now about creating opportunity for the offence, rather than simply to move the ball off the field of play.
How to blind-side your opponent from scrums!Defence in the modern game is built around the speed at which the defensive line can move up and mount pressure on its opponents. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at when the offence becomes “How can we offset that momentum? How can we take away some of that speed?”.
Is the sport lacking a global star?In a break during training recently, writer Graham Jenkins took the opportunity to ask a group of his Under 12s whether they had sat down and watched any of the great rugby we had been treated to in recent weeks.
The where and when of ‘how to offload’The offload can be one of the most exciting and rewarding skills in the game of Rugby Union. Analyst Nick Bishop explains how offloading is a particularly valuable skill for teams who know that they will not go into most games with an advantage in physical size and power over their opponents.
Defence Ruck - Practice PlanIn this session Ben goes through the important parts of defending the ruck. From knowing what to look out for and how to execute, Ben recruits some expert knowledge from current players who are doing this ‘out on the field’.
Defence Team - Practice PlanIn this session Ben goes through some of the key components to defending as a team. He goes through some key points around line defence and gets some input from some top coaches we have on the site.
What is Creativity? – the curious case of Beauden Barrett versus South AfricaIf the notion of creativity can be summarized in one word, that word would be ‘vision’. Better peripheral awareness and depth perception lead to better decision-making, and from this perspective Beauden Barrett’s game in the recent match between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington was of interest from start to finish. Analyst Nick Bishop reflects on Barrett’s performance in his latest article.
Tigers run out of patience after just one game?Writer Graham Jenkins reflects on the biggest story to emerge from the opening round of the newly-sponsored Gallagher Premiership in England – Matt O’Connor’s sacking as Leicester Tigers’ Head Coach. Is it a one off or a growing trend.
How the All Blacks dismantled the Wallaby lineout in SydneyIn his latest article analyst Nick Bishop uses Victor Matfield’s excellent Lineout series to helps illuminate the problems the Wallabies experienced in the first All Black test last week.
