Under Wayne Pivac, Wales had a rocky start defensively, conceding over 90 points across for the first time since 2015 in the 2020 Six Nations. The defence wasn’t any better when Wales played in the autumn, when they conceded the 3rd most points of any team. There were still some problems with the defence under Gethin Jenkins with them conceding over 100 points. But there were some general improvements and tweaks as Jenkins got his feet under the table.
Wales General Defence Structure
Wales had a clear defensive system under Gethin Jenkins, with the Welsh defending using a typical 13+2. This means that they have 13 players in the front line, and 2 deeper players covering the backfield. This allows them to use line speed more often, as they often match numbers, while it also covers the kicking spaces well with the back 2 players typically quick to cover the ground.
In the example above, we can see the Welsh 13+2 system at work. France have just won the ball near half way, and begin entering their own phase play patterns. Notice how the Welsh backfield players track the ball. Dan Biggar and Liam Williams stay evenly spaced and try to cover the zone between the 15m lines. The only real time the Welsh backfield do push beyond the 15m is when the ball enters the tramlines. This makes them better at covering centrefield kicks, but has caused problems especially with tactical kicking going into the 15m.
Wales Changing to a 14+1
Whilst Wales generally defended with the 13+2 as above, when they were defending in their own 22 they switched to a 14+1. This allowed them to increase their line speed, and be more aggressive.
This example begins with Wales defending using that typical 13+2 with Ireland attacking in the Welsh 50m area. The backfield is being covered by Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar. The system is the same as described above, however they are adaptable as the Irish attack develops.
This adaptability is incredibly important as Wales transitions to the 14+1 with ease. It begins with a small Irish break down the 5m channel. This leads to Halfpenny partially entering the ruck. As a result Dan Biggar, at the bottom of the screen, pulls across ready to cover the 15m channel.
Wales reform their defensive line incredibly well. Halfpenny (White Arrow) immediately joins the backfield having disengaged from the breakdown. With the Full Back entering the backfield, Biggar (Black Arrow) begins pushing hard to join the front line. This allows Wales to transition smoothly to their 14+1 defence system.
Dan Biggar pushing hard into the defensive line opens the 15m channel kick space. This shows one of the issues with the 14+1, as it can leave a lot of grass uncovered. However, on this occasion the 14+1 is a necessary evil, as Biggar’s actions prevent an Irish overlap. This passage of play shows Wales defending comfortably. Easily transitioning from their typical 13+2, to their 14+1 defensive structure, and covering the Irish threats well.
Defensive Frailties of the 14+1
Every defensive system has its flaws, and the 14+1 is no different. The major trade off in defence is covering the kick space versus having a strong front line. Wales typically uses a 13+2, and then changes to a 14+1 when the ball enters their 22. However, this 14+1 puts a lot of pressure on the Full Back to cover the space and manage the backfield well. On occasion Wales have struggled with this, occasionally allowing dangerous situations to develop, as a result of kick space opening.
Darcy Graham catches a kick just inside his own half, and carries to just beyond the 15m line. Here, the Scottish winger is met by Tauluape Faletau who makes a dominant tackle. This gives Scotland a midfield ruck splitting the welsh defence. As a result Scotland has an opportunity to attack.
Scotland play to the blindside, attacking the soft edge created by the Welsh trying to regain their shape. The weak edge allows Scotland to make good ground, putting the Welsh defence under stress. The team in blue then plays a phase into the midfield to tighten the Welsh defence.
Scotland plays a phase off. Scrum Half Ali Price aims to tighten the Welsh defence. They are also able to trap some players into the ruck. This leads to the wider Welsh defence being exposed on the next phase as 3 players are missing from the main line.
On the following phase, Scotland makes a line break through the centre of the Welsh defence. The linebreak puts Wales under enormous pressure. Wayne Pivac’s side then transitions into their 14+1 defence, as the Scottish attack reaches the 22.
Scotland plays a phase tight off 9 following the line break, meaning the Welsh defence becomes incredibly tight. This phase has shifted the balance of the Welsh defensive line toward the right. This is best shown by 5 Welsh players marking the blindisde, a space filled by just one Scot.
On the openside, Darcy Graham is hidden within the forward pod allowing his run to take Wales by surprise. The snipe from Ali Price draws attention, and gives space for him to kick. Halfpenny is unable to cover the backfield, and Graham beats him to the kick. However, you’ll notice that Halfpenny is offset, sitting near the 15m line, before Price snipes. This is evidence of the pressure applied by Scotland. The pressure applied is even more evident from the end on angle.
The End On angle shows just how far over the Welsh defence has shifted. Halfpenny sits just shy of the 15m line and Davies, the scrum half, has just joined the blindside defensive line. This creates a massive uncovered space in the centre of the field. The panic induced by Scotland has led to Wales overmanning the blindside whilst leaving this crucial zone uncovered. As a result, Price has a large area to aim for, and his kick is perfectly placed for Graham to canter under the posts.
Wales Passive Defence
There are clearly some trade-offs in the Welsh defensive structure. However, Rugby goes beyond just numbers and backfield coverage. There are many facets which make a defence, most crucial of all is how they approach the contact area.
Wales Double Tackling
It’s clear that any side wants to pride themselves on their work in the contact area, and Wales are no different. The first weapon that Wales have is an incredible breakdown game, but they are also able to slow teams down and steal the ball before they even hit the ground. They are able to do this through the use of a strong double tackle game.
This is a perfect example from the Welsh victory over England this year. England end up going lateral in their phase play, and Wales are coping well. This means that when the ball is spread by England they don’t have enough support to protect the ball. George North manages to target the ball as Callum Sheedy drives the tackle towards the welsh centre. The strength of the rip then allows Wales to relieve pressure.
In this passage of play against Scotland, Wales deliberately uses double tackles to slow down the ball before it culminates in a turnover for James Botham. We join on phase 6, and Scotland has been steadily making ground and applying pressure. As the ball is thrown wide, Tompkins, defending on the wing, tries to jam in before recovering and working with Owen Watkin to make the double tackle. Duhan van der Merwe tries to cut inside Tompkins, meaning he can gain quick yards, but it also means that Owen Watkin can attack the ball relatively easily which slows it down for the next phase.
Scotland attack using Fin Russell behind a forward pod. A strong press from Adam Beard prevents Scotland from going wider, instead forcing Scotland to use the short carrying option. Wales again used a double tackle to make a strong tackle with Elliot Dee and James Botham combining. Botham is the primary tackler, staying locked on to the ball as he wrestles the carrier to the floor. This allows Elliot Dee to target the ball as it hits the floor, and while he may not fully release the tackle before hitting the ball, it serves a purpose by slowing down the Scottish ball and allowing the Welsh defence to get ready to absorb another phase.
This tactic of absorption has become a key characteristic of the Welsh defence. The line speed is slow and methodical and gradually turns the screw on the Scottish attack. In this phase Scotland again played wide, trying to flank the Welsh defence. Sheedy and Zammit push higher on the Welsh wing to meet Hogg, and yet again force the Scottish attack inside. Tipuric supports Faletau in the tackle, but is able to easily release when he realises it’s a lost cause.
The effect of Tipuric being able to rejoin the defensive line allows Wales to go and meet the Scottish attackers. Again Wales uses a double tackle, with James Botham and Wyn Jones combining. Botham, clad in a red scrum cap, wrestles the ball free again targeting the tackle from the side. This angle of entry into the tackle means that Botham disrupts the Scottish latchers, and leaves Kebble slightly isolated. However, the main advantage of Botham’s angle of entry is that he can target Kebble’s arm and rip the ball away from the Scotsman’s body instead of against it. This makes it significantly easier and gives the Welshman the opportunity to lever it away.
This entire passage is a great breakdown of the Welsh defence and it’s policies, especially around the contact area. One clear change under Pivac has been a shift from a blitz defence to one based around absorption. This major diversion leads to Wales often giving up soft edges; however, this is designed to support one of their strengths, which is their ability over the ball.
Passive Defence and Breakdown Policy
In this clip we see Liam Williams come up with this great steal directly from use of the weak edge. England stretches Wales with Elliot Daly running a great line to get outside of North. However, Josh Adams is happy to drift, giving up ground, happy that there will be cover inside. George North leads the inside defence, making a strong tackle on Daly. The English Full Back makes significant ground by targeting the soft edge. However, this ground gain comes at a cost. Daly becomes isolated from his support, giving a window of opportunity for Liam Williams to target the ball.
Liam Williams comes in to attack the ruck, noticing the opportunity as he covers in the backfield. The Welsh Full Back’s technique is clean as he attacks the ball first and manages to get a clear lift. The pick up from Liam WIlliams is a moment of pure skill. The steal may be a moment of skill, but has benefitted from a defensive structure designed to give a soft edge.
Again England target the soft edge trying to use their overlap to beat the Welsh defence. England have spread the ball, with Jonny May receiving it outside his opposite number. May tries to attack outside George North but his options are quickly cut off. Louis Rees-Zammit makes a great decision, jamming in, and preventing the offload. George North works well from the inside as a supporting tackler helping to bring May to the floor. Following the tackle, George North stays on his feet and manages to win the space over May. The English Winger rolls to try and buy some time, but this is noticed by Gauzere who awards George North with a turnover.
In these two examples, Wales use their defensive structure to create opportunities. Defending with a soft edge, Wales allow teams to run away from their support, thereby giving their outside backs time to target the ball. This is a defensive strategy built around a Welsh strength.
Under Pivac, Wales have developed a solid defence. It may not have the same reputation as it did under Sean Edwards; however, the ability of Wales to absorb opposition attacks should be admired. It’s also important to remember that Pivac has a different focus when defending. Under Pivac, Wales have become hugely focussed on winning turnovers, whether it being rips in the tackle, or over the ball in the wide channels. Overall, there is plenty of room for development but it is certainly a formidable area of their game.
The Analysis Guy 