My overwhelming impressions from the competition is that NH rugby needs to move away from the ruts they are stuck in in terms of player profiles and expectations. As long as we continue to be satisfied in terms of selection with heavyweight tight five players, we will continue to lay too much emphasis on the set piece. How many times do you see NH teams battering each other in the scrum in an effort to win penalties, rather than quality ball for the half-backs? In the final we saw far more channel one ball, hooked quickly and cleanly in order to get on with attacking, rather than simply trying to win kicking opportunities. The one or two scrum penalties were the exception rather than the rule.
It's all very well taking the ball into contact again and again, relying on forward support and securing the ball, but this is a costly tactic against faster, more fluid and determined tacklers and jacklers. How many turnovers did we see from Fardy, Pocock et al? Their game plan is to steal, or appear to be doing so in order to force the turnover or penalty not just occasionally, but at each and every breakdown. Their tackling technique appears to be determined to leave the carrying player vulnerable to being stripped by players whose sole role is to do do. The speed and frequency at which this is achieved is so remarkable, that it must be trained over and over and over again.
The best defence to this tactic is the offload. You've tied up two or more defenders in the tackle, and simply pop it out to a supporting runner. If trained and ingrained sufficiently at the training ground, the carrying player knows he will always have an offload option, either side, and what's more, not just the back row or centres, but each and every player on the pitch, ready to exploit the gaps left by the tackling defenders. The mobility and quality of handling from the Kiwi forwards, props included, means that they are very hard to defend against, and the requirement for power and grunt at the breakdown becomes less of a priority. Weight becomes less of an issue, fitness improves, so you can bring a new centre into play at 60 minutes instead of having to replace the props you've knackered/damaged through collision after collision up the middle of the pitch.
Don't get me wrong, I'm an ex-prop, and forwards coach for age-grade players, and I'm all for the spectacle and bullying power of a really good, strong and aggressive pack, and we all know the crowd pleasing nature of a good forwards game, but watch how the SH approach that aspect of the game, using it to win and carry rather than mangle and stifle. Unless we move away from our stodgy formulaic rugby we won't compete, at least not for all four quarters of the game.
