Anatomy of a Try – Ben Smith New Zealand vs England June2014
It's been a couple of weeks since our last Anatomy of a Try, or Video, but we touched on this try in our article focusing on the second test. It's an absolute gem and a lot happens in the sequence so I wanted to come back and break it down in a bit of detail. England had a great start to this test match but you're never going to sit on a lead against the All Blacks, so it can't have been much of a...
Keep it Simple Stupid – Focus on New Zealand vs England 2nd Test
Game two and the series to New Zealand. But did we expect anything less? While it was a very good game to watch, and England were competitive throughout, it was New Zealand’s ability, post half time break, to raise and maintain the intensity for a 20 minute period that was the major difference. Within those 20 minutes they gave one of the most clinical displays of attacking Rugby you are likely to see, but what struck...
New Zealand vs England – 1st Test Analysis
One test down and three games to go and it’s close but no cigar for England, and business as usual with New Zealand working a very well taken try in the closing minutes of the game to take the spoils. As first tests go, it was exactly what we’ve come to expect, an error strewn affair. With a New Zealand team finding their feet and England playing a predominantly set piece oriented game trying to create try scoring...
Focus on: Englands Summer Tour Part 3
With days until till the first test we take our final look at the two teams, focusing on New Zealand’s attack pattern, how England can defend it and how Lancaster’s men must approach the game. Most teams in the modern game play a similar attack pattern, generally a flow pattern with punch groups (Pods) moving forward and getting over the gain line. They will flow from one side of the pitch to the other looking to get...
Focus on: Englands Summer Tour Part 2
It’s just under two weeks till the first test in Englands tour to New Zealand, and with the Heineken Cup done and dusted, and the Premiership finalists now known, we have a rough idea of how the first test team will line up, and well, it’s reasonably strong. Yes, England will be missing a couple of key players, Owen Farrell and Tom Woods for example, but in most positions they’ll be bringing in international...
The Anatomy of a Try: Lamerat ASM Clermont Auvergne vs Castres Olympique May 2014
For the second year in a row Castres Olympique upset the apple cart by beating the colossal ASM Clermont in the Top 14 play offs. To be fair to Castres, they are defending champions but having finished 6th in the regular season, no one gave them much of a chance against Clermont and their winning streak at home. The thing is, Rugby in France is all about the playoffs, and teams that may have cruised a little in the regular season...
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