Now Pay Attention, Son!

With another thrilling Super Rugby final on our door step, Ruck Tales steps back and looks at what Finnish rugby should learn from the Southern hemisphere pros. It may seem like a strange thing to look at: Super Rugby players are some of the best on the world stage, supplying players to the top 3 teams in the IRB rankings.  However, putting aside the advantages of professional training, here are some of the key areas to adopt into your own game.

Jackaling -

The art of stealing the ball at the breakdown. You know the key men: Richie McCaw and David Pocock have turned the turnover into a fine art, employing a combination of perfect timing and rock-steady boy positioning – but it is becoming a popular and valuable skill. Have a look at some of this video explaining the different aspects of the jackal situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6A78esc-Zo

Best exponents in the Finnish game: Rob Hussey (JRC), Crispin Mäenpää (Tampere), Jaakko Vilen (Warriors)

Expansive play -

Playing on the wing in Finland can be somewhat lacking in excitement and action after watching Habana, Savea and Ioane. Presently wings account for less than ¼ of the tries scored in the Finnish Championship, whereas the Super Rugby try rankings are dominated by wings and fullbacks (with Chiefs prop Sona Taumalolo the exception). We have a need to break the cycle of underusing our wide men and build more confidence in our speedsters.  For a look at some great expansive rugby, check out these highlights from the Crusaders v Cheetahs in round 5 of this year’s competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxfJ323QsYY

Best exponents in the Finnish game: Warriors have developed a consistent ability to drag opponents accross the field while re-aligning their backs to send it out wide the other way. Elsewhere plenty of wings and fullbacks have shown individual potential but are not getting the opportunities they deserve.

Body position in contact -

Knee and ankle injuries are common enough hazards in rugby as it is, but seemingly even more so on the Finnish scene compared to the pros. We would suggest that a key cause of this problem is the body positioning of both the tackler and ball carrier when going into contact situations. Far too often are tacklers disinclined to fully commit their body to the tackle, preferring instead to reach out and grab opponents. From there, the tackle becomes half wrestling, half human hammer throw – where players are swung and dragged rather than being taken down directly, meaning far more stress on knees and ankles. Now notice the difference with the pros: more direct running by ball carriers and better body committment by tacklers results in more ’classic’ tackle situations.

Here are some of the best hits from 2012 Super Rugby (just ignore those cheeky illegal hits that are dotted in there....):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XG-WcumxIc

Best exponents in the Finnish game: as a tackler, Eagles’ centre Pieter Le Roux has made (please excuse the pun) quite an impact this year with textbook low tackling.  As ball carriers, check out ex-pats Fred Harrison and Dawie Van Der Walt (Tampere) and Isaac Visser (Eagles) as well as home-grown juggernauts Ari Tikkanen (JRC) and Juhani Majanen (Helsinki RC).

Half-back control -

Think about the most successful half-back pairings of rugby.  With the exception of Gareth Edwards and Barry John, they’re all from the Southern Hemisphere: Gregan and Larkham, Farr-Jones and Lynah, van der Westhuizen and Stransky.  Success has come from the scrum-half’s ability to quickly organise the ruck, whilst also listening for his fly-half’s call.  Last season we have seen how the quick establishment of control has allowed Will Genia and Quade Cooper to take advantage of oppositions.

Best exponents in the Finnish game: while there is plenty of promise among Finnish half-backs and some strong individual performances, the problem with inconsistent line-ups makes for slow development of silky partnerships.

Pack cohesion -

The pack as a unit is the real engine of the team. Watching the recent Super Rugby semi-final contest between the Chiefs and Crusaders, the role played by flanker Liam Messam was crucial: frequently making himself available as a support runner and earning himself a fantastic try and generating plenty of forward momentum. Chiefs prop Sona Taumalolo has racked up 9 tries predominantly from capitalising on rolling close-range opportunities. Meanwhile the traditional skills of South African back rows has resulted in the Boks having a group of players who can mix and match and still complement each other on the field. Have a look at the highlights from some pack-dominated games: Crusaders v Chiefs in round 17 and the Reds v Chiefs in round 12 (contrast Taumalolo’s 8th try with Genia’s brilliant individual score).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ82mT89Zc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ82mT89Zc4

Best exponents in the Finnish game: JRC have built a gameplan around rolling pack play, but 2012 has also seen great pack performances from all 5 teams.