Kuopio RC v Vaasa Wolves game film

Kuopio RC have uploaded their game film from their match in Division 1 North versus Vaasa Wolves, played on 06.07.2013 in Kuopio.

Link to match video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mUitTP8sL0

Ruck Tales has also jotted down some notes on the game. The time refers to the video time on youtube.

time                       comment

0:02:05                  Have a look at KRC's loosehead during this scrum. The primary bend of his body is  at
                                his waist, which leaves his bodyweight almost directly above his feet. This means
                                when the engagement comes, he cannot drive forward into a strong and stable
                                position. As we see when the hit comes, this leaves him vulnerable to being bent in
                                half under the pressure. Points to take from this: 1. bend at the knees, not just at
                                the waist, and 2. work with the second row so that you can lean your bodyweight
                                forwards (while still keeping your feet flat, the weight should be on the front part
                                of the foot).

0:06:35                  This is great work by the KRC scrum-half to disrupt the attack, but it could have been
                                avoided. The scrum is wheeling toward the opposition scrum-half so surely this is a
                                time to use the back row as a natural barricade - getting the number 8 to bring the
                                ball to his right foot, as far as possible from the pressure.

0:07:35                  Here's the first try. Note than in attack there is very little on: there are only 3 players
                                waiting on the outside, one of which is a prop. Moreover the KRC defensive line
                                seems to have everyone covered. The problem happens when then ball pops out - at
                                this point, three KRC players are blitz towards the ball, without any regard to the
                                Vaasa players left unmarked on the outside. A clever loop creates a simple overlap.
                                Happy days for number 14.

0:11:00                  A good example of the sheep mentality: not one player in the whole nearside of the
                                pitch. Resisting this following of the ball is one of the traits that makes Warriors so
                                effective in the Championship, as it allows them to move the ball quickly back and
                                forth while stretching an opposition.

0:30:00                  One of the basics: if you concede a penalty or free kick, don't turn your back on the
                                opposition to go back 10m! If the ref's arm goes up against you, just start jogging
                                backwards as fast as possible - otherwise you're giving the opposition easy meters
                                and momentum.

0:37:45                  Great work for number 22 to ride the tackle and keep the presence of mind to
                                offload. Even better that 13 brings the ball back towards the support. All that was
                                missing was to give a pass to the legion of forwards waiting and the momentum
                                would have continued.

0:41:35                  The move ends with a good outcome for Vaasa - getting a line-out deep inside
                                the opposition 22, but with the way the back line has been attacking so far in the
                                game, and with so few KRC players defending out wide (including a prop), you have                       to feel that a chance was squandered a bit here.

0:50:50                  Again, do Vaasa squander a chance in favour of an optimistic kicking game? KRC's
                                blitz defence has again left them exposed, and a simple miss pass could have put
                                them in all sorts of trouble.

0:51:55                  Vaasa make up for the missed opportunity off the back of the back of some handling
                                howlers by KRC, which allowed Vaasa to pile on the pressure before KRC's pack
                                could make their way back from the scrum. There was still work to do, and the pick
                                up off the bootlaces by Vaasa's 22 to release 13 for the try was a touch of class.

1:01:05                  Nice bit of work by KRC's scrum-half here: he's the attack runner in one play, but
                                wastes no time in getting back to his feet so he can be back at work controlling the
                                distribution from the following ruck.

1:03:02                  Great vision from the prop to make the intercept - but then comes butchered
                                opportunity number three of the match: his inside centre has immediately run into
                                his outside channel and is unmarked, but even after breaking the fullback's tackle
                                the pass didn't go. It would have been very hard to catch 22 if it had!

1:13:09                  Is that a prop kicking? Yes it is! More importantly, it results in a try that didn't need
                                to happen. Great work from Vaasa's 13 to put the pressure on and force an error.

1:17:05                  Finally we see Vaasa on a running attack. Simple miss-passes remove KRC's forwards
                                from the game and leave a miss-match in Vaasa's favour out wide. Well finished!

1:18:30                  Once again the panic kicking returns to throw away another chance. If he'd thrown
                                the pass instead of kicking the overlap was on!

1:21:15                  The left wing is the key to this try: his dummy run infield holds the KRC midfield in
                                place and leaves his fullback with the space out wide.

1:23:15                  At this point KRC's defence is just going through the motions. The defenders away
                                from the action are walking slowly back into place, backs to the opposition. When
                                the defence presses up, there's no flat line, but rather a single player charging up to
                                try and cut off the attack. Once he is beaten the try is a done deal.

 

Key points from the game

·         Basic handling was a factor. Play was broken up by a huge number of scrums, which worked
more in Vaasa's favour than in Kuopio's.

·         Similarly, line-outs were a frequent source of wasted possession for both teams, with many throws either missing the target or failing to go straight.

·         Vaasa were more clinical at the breakdown, securing their own possession and contesting for turnovers which disrupted plenty of Kuopio attacks.

·         Defensive alignment made the difference in the end. Both teams were guilty of following the ball around the park, leaving large open spaces out wide, but Vaasa were better at covering each attacker while Kuopio were often guilty of charging at the ball and leaving others unmarked.

Final score: Kuopio RC 3 - 35 Vaasa Wolves