How to use your lineouts to score with variety, looking at the British and Irish Lions.

 The British and Irish Lions have played two games already against Japan and the Sigma Lions. Warren Gatland will be happy with how things are going now as they prepare for the rest of the tour.

There are a few articles out on tries scored and the source of possession it came from and most will tell you that most of those tries scored would have come from lineouts. Below is a image obtained from Opta Data which focused on the tries scored in the rugby world cup quarterfinals in 2019. The full article was written by Eoin Toolan who is a performance analyst and can be found here for deeper reading:

https://www.the42.ie/analysis-world-cup-quarter-final-tries-4864914-Oct2019/


So far we have seen a few tries from the British and Irish Lions where they are looking to score from first phase and from their lineouts, attacking the transition zone and vacuum and looking to put opposition under pressure. But first the intention is not just to set up, play phases and get into structure but score as soon as possible. We take a look at the following clips to get a better understanding.

First things first what is the transition zone? The transition zone is the link between the lineout and the rest of the defence line or if its from a scrum the link between the backs and the scrum. These zones if not covered and if defence doesn't connect well and quickly, can really cause problems for teams that are weak there.

1st Clip

In this clip against Japan we see a peel and Bundee Aki clearly attacking the transition zone and making metres. If defence does not connect and close that space quickly that can result in easy yards for attack. Attacking those transition zones and vacuums can be rewarding for teams if they do their analysis and pick up that defence are rather slow to close that space down. Japan managed to eventually stop Bundee Aki and a few phases later the British and Irish Lions scored.


2nd Clip

The British and Irish Lions set up a maul and earn a little bit of momentun. The Japanese manage to stop it but had to sacrifice using extra players to stop the rolling maul. This forces defence to also get sucked in. Connor Murray picks up Robbie Henshaw with a hard line which makes it almost impossible for defence to stop him. Also have a look at the defence focusing on the maul and Connor Murray, they end up by identifying Robbie Henshaw as a threat when it was already too late. 


3rd Clip

In this clip we see a fake maul and Hamish Watson plays as a link. Owen Farrell comes in on the hardline and Watson plays Ali Price in behind Farrell's hardline. Ali Price commits two defenders onto him and then plays Josh Adams whose running an inside option. You can clearly see the stress that the British and Irish Lions have placed on the transition zone with defenders sitting on their heels and taking out the connection but having options running into the transition zones.


4th Clip

In this clip we note that if you don't set up quickly to defend, smart teams will take advantage. Have a look at the slow reaction to set from the defence as well as how poorly the connection was from the lineout to the rest of the defence line. In this one we have an overthrow straight to Owen Farrell who then plays Ali Price on a wrap around running into space getting to the tryline untouched. 


So what do these tries teach us? The British and Irish Lions are going to punish you if you are not set and organised from first phase defence. They want to score from first phase and if they can't they will be patient in their structure to break you down. They use alot of variety from their attacking lineouts ie fake mauls, peels, overthrows and incorporation of backs and forwards from lineouts, which can make it tough to defend as you might not be aware of what is going to come next. Teams that still have to play them have to make sure that they set first, have clear roles on who is connecting from the forwards and backs to close the transition zone and be able to assess all available threats. 


Katleho Lynch

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Springbok Defence vs Scotland RWC by Katleho Lynch

Image
  The Springboks have launched their World Cup campaign on a promising note. They asserted their dominance over the game, highlighting why they are considered one of the favourites. My focus will be primarily on their defensive strategies, including scrum and lineout defence, overall defensive performance, and general defence. Additionally, we will analyse their defensive tempo, individual player roles, and the pressure they exert off the line to disrupt the opposition's attack. It's worth noting that Scotland, known for their strong attacking capabilities, encountered difficulties adapting to the Springboks' aggressive rush defense. Lineout Defence: Effective first-phase defence hinges on grasping individual roles and adapting to the unfolding play. Often, conducting an opposition preview proves beneficial, providing us with a basic understanding of the opponent's intended attack and enabling us to construct a defensive strategy that counters them while maintaining our
Read more

"Smart Kicking: Boks' Quest for Back-to-Back World Cups"

Image
  I thought it would be insightful to delve into some statistics and their potential implications for the Springboks in their quest to defeat New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final. Analyzing key metrics from the opening game between France and New Zealand, as well as the quarterfinal clash of Ireland against New Zealand, provides valuable insights into where the World Cup might be decided for the Boks. France vs All blacks The statistics below reveal a distinct pattern in the France vs. New Zealand match. Notably, France outperformed in kicking and consistently kept the game in New Zealand's half. In terms of attack, New Zealand dominated in passes made, doubled the defenders beaten, and covered a substantial distance of 631m, compared to France's 449m. It's evident that the All Blacks heavily relied on an expansive running game, aligning with their strategic approach to secure victory. In matches of this caliber, where top-tier teams face off, the set piece performance
Read more

The Springbok Championship Defence

Image
  The Springboks are the World Cup champions, Rugby Championship holders and have just clinched the British and Irish Lions series. Their defence has to be admired and the coaches have put in a good shift to make it world class. I want to focus on their defence system and why it is so good.     To start this piece off I would first like to start of with some of the principles of this Bok defence. I list a few of  them below.  They have the player profile Their conditioning is up there with the best Players have clarity Tackle technique is a weapon that they use They rush attack to make decisions They force attack back on the inside They scramble well High energy defence system (linespeed) The Boks have big men who hit you hard, are physical in contact with the right attitude. They also have hitters with a high work rate and with a good technique that also gives players confidence and certainty. They don't only hit you hard in the tackle they also put a huge amount of pressure on th
Read more