Better late than never, eh? Here's the game film of the climactic Men's 2013 Championship Final with our notes and observations. (Coming soon will also be the Ladies' Final and Division 1 Final analyses).
Video (Times taken from here):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhisqlKhfJ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhisqlKhfJ8
0:01:04
The opening is classic Warriors: quick possession through fast support play, then pinning the opposition back with a searching grubber. It's incredibly difficult to defend against structure like that as it pulls up the defence to defend against the pods, leaving the fullback alone to cover the entire width of the pitch.
The opening is classic Warriors: quick possession through fast support play, then pinning the opposition back with a searching grubber. It's incredibly difficult to defend against structure like that as it pulls up the defence to defend against the pods, leaving the fullback alone to cover the entire width of the pitch.
0:02:50
The first scrum. Warriors are up against it with two non-props starting at 1 and 3, but there's no evidence of destruction here.
0:03:20
Aggression versus technique: Tampere are pounding away at the line at close range, but the passion overrides the technique, so that Warriors are able to adopt nice low body positions and turn over possession at the ruck.
0:09:10
Warriors do brilliantly to kill the initial move from the lineout (clearly a crash pod was set to peel around on the blind side). The error comes when the ball comes out: Warriors' fly-half flies up out of the line, leaving an open space behind him and going at a speed that doesn't allow him to match his opposite number's sidestep. (7-0)
0:17:53
Here's the importance of keeping a clear head. It's a cheeky bit of hazing from Warriors' 6, but it does the job. Tampere's 8 rises to the bait and instead of defending a lineout, they concede a penalty.
0:18:45
The idea here was spot on: Tampere's wing has been caught out of position and Warriors' wing would have had a clear run to the line. It wasn't an easy pass but it was a the right option.
0:20:15
This is a great option. Warriors have backs and forwards mixed up all over the place, so aiming for touch rather than looking for a chase gives Warriors a chance to regroup as well as good field position.
0:20:58
A word on tackling (forgetting that Warriors had advantage coming): three Tampere players had Warriors' 8 lined up - all three went for upper body and all three failed to effectively bring him down.
0:23:05
At this stage, Warriors have been down in Tampere's 22 for some time without result. The penalty is in an ideal position - we would have just taken the points, especially considering the abnormal front row.
0:24:25
This maul is a real beauty in terms of its formation. It forms almost in one movement and the ball is straight to the back. It's pulled down, but we would have liked to have seen the three or four Warriors players who are still standing peel around and continue the drive against the two Tampere players around the edge.
0:27:24
Again, here's the importance of a flat defensive press. Warriors' 6 comes up much faster than Warriors' 2, allowing Tampere's fly-half to hit the gap between them and feed the ball into the hole that's been left behind.
0:31:50
Kudos to Warriors' centre pairing here, who force up the ball carriers from the pick-and-drive, which allows for the turnovers. At that range, the pick-and-drive needed to be at knee-height, not chest-height.
0:33:55
Warriors' back line has drifted up and across together nicely, so really there should never have been a problem, but Warriors' 13 is facing totally the wrong way, expecting play to go wide and leaving Tampere's 15 free to hit the gap. Both Warriors' 9 and 11 go far too high for the tackle, before 14 puts in a textbook tackle to halt the attack and force play back across the park.
0:34:55
The key to the try was Warriors not realising that the scrum had been lost until it was too late. The 9 was already heading towards his 8-man, which allowed Tampere's 8 to pick up and get a head of steam. Panic ensues, with Warriors' 10 and 13 getting in each other's way so that neither can make an effective tackle, and it's a good stretch to dot it down. (12-0)
0:39:45
This one was all about the missed tackles. Warriors had plenty of guys there, but they were caught sleeping. There was still a chance for a last second tackle, but the Warriors player bottles it. (17-0)
HALF-TIME
0:46:30
The try comes from good awareness. Warriors are just little bit sharper and catching Tampere unprepared around the ruck. Tampere's 3 was the man at the side of the ruck and needed to be a little more alert to the danger. (17-5)
0:48:45
Another excellent example of the driving maul. This time Warriors are able to keep it rolling around the first and second hits, giving them front-foot ball. Then Tampere's 12 makes the defensive line error, drifting to tackle a player that his team mate already had covered, which allowed for a simple inside pass into space!
0:57:30
There was just no need for this to become a pressure situation - Warriors had plenty of time, but their 15 just leaves it too late. To be fair, it's excellent work from Tampere's 13.
0:58:20
Not Warriors' finest moments for tackling: the first just misses, the next two are far too high and finally we have a shoulder charge which gives away a penalty, which is doubly silly as he had already done the hard work to catch up with him.
1:01:23
Tampere turn the tables on Warriors with a driving maul of their own. It's not as pretty but they get the try! (22-5)
1:05:35
A note to Tampere's 6: go for the legs and he can't duck and dance!
1:11:55
The tackle here is crucial - not just because it's a nice hit, but mainly because the quick tap had put Warriors in behind most of Tampere's pack. A quick ruck and Tampere would have been in trouble.
1:14:00
A good phew phases of pressure gives Warriors their second try. Tampere are sucked one way, then another to cover the quick taps, which eventually leaves a simple two-on-one nicely finished by Warriors. (22-10)
1:15:52
Bad discipline here from Tampere. They have just conceded a try on the back of multiple penalties - the last thing they want is to compound it by marching back not ten, but twenty metres for back-chat.
1:17:44
A bit of scrum positioning practice needed here from both sides.....
1:19:30
A good decision by Tampere to add a few points after a period of pressure from Warriors. (25-10)
1:21:40
It's Tampere's turn to suffer from poor tackle technique. Both 5 and 12 have the chance to stop the ball carrier, but neither wrap their arms around him, which allows Warriors' 8 to wriggle out and power across the line. (25-17)
1:33:30
We lose sight of play for the try itself, but the build-up is the same story: Tampere's lack of discipline around the rucks is their un-doing, combined with Warriors' ability to take advantage of quick-tap opportunities to keep their opposition moving backwards. (25-24)
1:34:56
Kudos here to Warriors' 8, who gets crunched just as he catches the ball but still hangs on and twists himself round to present it back to his scrum-half.
FULL TIME
Warriors' back line has drifted up and across together nicely, so really there should never have been a problem, but Warriors' 13 is facing totally the wrong way, expecting play to go wide and leaving Tampere's 15 free to hit the gap. Both Warriors' 9 and 11 go far too high for the tackle, before 14 puts in a textbook tackle to halt the attack and force play back across the park.
0:34:55
The key to the try was Warriors not realising that the scrum had been lost until it was too late. The 9 was already heading towards his 8-man, which allowed Tampere's 8 to pick up and get a head of steam. Panic ensues, with Warriors' 10 and 13 getting in each other's way so that neither can make an effective tackle, and it's a good stretch to dot it down. (12-0)
0:39:45
This one was all about the missed tackles. Warriors had plenty of guys there, but they were caught sleeping. There was still a chance for a last second tackle, but the Warriors player bottles it. (17-0)
HALF-TIME
0:46:30
The try comes from good awareness. Warriors are just little bit sharper and catching Tampere unprepared around the ruck. Tampere's 3 was the man at the side of the ruck and needed to be a little more alert to the danger. (17-5)
0:48:45
Another excellent example of the driving maul. This time Warriors are able to keep it rolling around the first and second hits, giving them front-foot ball. Then Tampere's 12 makes the defensive line error, drifting to tackle a player that his team mate already had covered, which allowed for a simple inside pass into space!
0:57:30
There was just no need for this to become a pressure situation - Warriors had plenty of time, but their 15 just leaves it too late. To be fair, it's excellent work from Tampere's 13.
0:58:20
Not Warriors' finest moments for tackling: the first just misses, the next two are far too high and finally we have a shoulder charge which gives away a penalty, which is doubly silly as he had already done the hard work to catch up with him.
1:01:23
Tampere turn the tables on Warriors with a driving maul of their own. It's not as pretty but they get the try! (22-5)
1:05:35
A note to Tampere's 6: go for the legs and he can't duck and dance!
1:11:55
The tackle here is crucial - not just because it's a nice hit, but mainly because the quick tap had put Warriors in behind most of Tampere's pack. A quick ruck and Tampere would have been in trouble.
1:14:00
A good phew phases of pressure gives Warriors their second try. Tampere are sucked one way, then another to cover the quick taps, which eventually leaves a simple two-on-one nicely finished by Warriors. (22-10)
1:15:52
Bad discipline here from Tampere. They have just conceded a try on the back of multiple penalties - the last thing they want is to compound it by marching back not ten, but twenty metres for back-chat.
1:17:44
A bit of scrum positioning practice needed here from both sides.....
1:19:30
A good decision by Tampere to add a few points after a period of pressure from Warriors. (25-10)
1:21:40
It's Tampere's turn to suffer from poor tackle technique. Both 5 and 12 have the chance to stop the ball carrier, but neither wrap their arms around him, which allows Warriors' 8 to wriggle out and power across the line. (25-17)
1:33:30
We lose sight of play for the try itself, but the build-up is the same story: Tampere's lack of discipline around the rucks is their un-doing, combined with Warriors' ability to take advantage of quick-tap opportunities to keep their opposition moving backwards. (25-24)
1:34:56
Kudos here to Warriors' 8, who gets crunched just as he catches the ball but still hangs on and twists himself round to present it back to his scrum-half.
FULL TIME
