The Lions tour is in full swing, and against the Force, we saw an impressive display. It started in the first minute, with Sheehan offloading the ball before grasping a second touch to open the scoring. However, the attack wasn’t their most impressive aspect on Saturday; instead, it was their exertions without the ball which …
Tag Archives: rugby
Learning From The Lions: Argentina
The Lions tour is one of the biggest events in the rugby calendar, and we were treated to an enthralling encounter in Dublin against the Pumas. Argentina became the first team to beat the Lions in an opening game since 1971, but the game held promise for the Lions. We can already see the building …
Ferocity versus Flow: Understanding Munster and Benetton’s Defence
Munster and Benetton are the two most effective defensive sides in the URC this season, with both conceding under 125 points in the URC this season. This miserly tally is built on consistency, with neither side conceding over 30 points in a single United Rugby Championship game this season. While these facts alone make them …
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Inverted Wingers to Wide Play: Eddie Jones’ Wallabies Encounter Bumpy Start To Transition
The Rugby Championship began with a disappointing defeat for the Wallabies as they lost 43-12 against the Springboks. While the defeat will leave a sour taste we began to see the changes that Eddie Jones is looking to make this Australian side his own. Today we examine how Jones’ use of wingers varies from Rennie …
Deconstructing Dominance: Analysing the Crusaders’ 7th Title Triumph
The Crusaders are the standard setter in Southern Hemisphere rugby having underlined this status with a 7th Super Rugby title in a row. Today we dive into the building blocks behind their triumph. First we look at how they use forwards in their attack before focussing on their ability to change the point of attack. …
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Kick to the title: A Leicester Story
In the final written piece of this deep dive into Leicester Tigers, we look at the strength of their kicking game. One of the key parts of any rugby side is their approach to the kicking game. As the modern game has developed controlling territory and “playing in the right areas of the pitch” has …
Chop, Jackal and Scramble: How Tigers Designed Their Title Winning Defence
Welcome to the second part of this series breaking down Leicester Tigers. Today we take a look at the formidable Leicester Tigers defence. The defence built by the superb Kevin Sinfield were the only side to restrict their opponents to below 20 points per game. A superb achievement given some of the attacking talent in …
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Analysis: How Italy Shocked Wales
Italy provided the shock of the Six Nations beating the Welsh in Cardiff. The Azzurri won their first game in seven years off the back of a new-found pragmatic attack, and their suffocating defence. The Pragmatic Approach Italy adopted a more pragmatic approach in the 2022 Six Nations. They were previously a side happy to …
What does Adam Beard’s try tell us about the Lions?
Throughout the Lions tour we have seen Gatland developing the structures he believes will beat the Springboks. While most of the games were not of the highest calibre, they have provided a useful laboratory for the Lions. By looking at Adam Beard’s try against the Stormers, we can begin to see the fruits of their …
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Wayne’s Wales: Lineout
Under Wayne Pivac the Welsh lineout has been quite the roller coaster ride. In the 2020 Six Nations Wales had perhaps the worst lineout. Using Simon Gleave’s Lineout Effectiveness Metrics they sat bottom, however by the end of the 2021 competition they had risen to the top. This piece won’t focus on how they fixed …
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