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Reason’s Round-UpOur resident journo’s weekly round up of news from around the rugby world, this week featuring: USA looses key World Cup player, the return of Stephen Ferris, South Africa’s loss to the Wallabies, the All Blacks starting line-up and Rugby World Cup ticket pricing…
What's bugging Wayne Smith?Laws that promote negative play make a lot of coaches want to throw rugby’s rulemakers under the deck of a scrummage machine. I am not talking about the laws that stop good, aggressive defence or the laws that hold attackers back from having an unfair advantage. I am talking about those laws that strangle an opportunity to attack before it has even started…
AlignmentLanguage changes over time and one of the new buzz words in the All Blacks coaching set-up is ‘alignment’. Once upon a time if you had talked about alignment in rugby Dan Carter might have asked if you wanted him to stand flat or drop into the pocket. But in 2011 ‘alignment’ is about making sure the coaches, captain, leadership group and players are all headed in the same direction…
The Red Rose in Black?You have probably heard that the RFU have announced that England’s ‘away strip’ for the Rugby World Cup will be ‘all black’ in colour, consisting of jet black shirt/jersey and shorts. We’d be interested to know what your ‘take’ is on this decision…
LeadershipThere is no point in trying to be a captain if you are not worth your place in the side. Maybe once a century, someone in some sport defies the convention. England once had a cricket captain called Mike Brearley who was not the world’s greatest opening bat but who had a mind like Plato. He was a successful leader..
Where did the All Blacks go so horribly wrong?24 years and counting – that is how long it is since the world’s greatest rugby side has won the World Cup. Surely they can’t stuff it up this time? Not at home. Not with only one teeny, last minute defeat in the whole of 2010. Not with the four-time IRB coach of the year, the three-time player of the year and the greatest fly-half in history. They couldn’t drop another World Cup could they?…
The Perfect TensI have played against some pretty good 10’s over the years. Half of them even seem to go to my old school, Boys High in Christchurch. But there are a couple who really stand out. The big two in my time as a player have been Jonny Wilkinson and Stephen Larkham…
on Attack
Welcome Victor & BismarckWe are pleased to announce that Victor Matfield and Bismarck du Plessis have joined The Rugby Site team.?Victor and Bismarck are looking forward to bringing you their coaching videos in the coming months. Stay tuned for further details…
SevenI break down playing seven into four key components: tackling, clearing rucks, putting pressure on ball carriers and carrying the ball yourself
The Art of TenPeople out there think that I have one of the lowest heartbeats in rugby. I often get asked how I have so much time on the pitch.
on Attack
Catching the MomentAsk the people down your local club what they think the most important skill for a fly-half or midfield back is. I reckon speed and passing might feature at the top of a lot of lists, but I am not sure how many would identify ‘catching’ as the number one priority. It seems, well, it seems so ordinary. Anyone can catch a rugby ball, right? Or nearly everyone…
The Law is an AssThe All Blacks leaders, Graham Henry and Richie McCaw, nominate laws they would like to see changed. Mark Reason asks what law would you like to see scrapped?…
