Letting the opposition get the better of you

How do you know that the opposition has really got one over on you?

My belief is it's not the narrow controversial loss that you walk away from feeling gutted. It's when you see a game coming, don't know how you'll win it. Lose it, then throw out your systems and look for new ones.

Steve Hansen has said that the England game last year made him realise that NZ's systems were too predictable and repetitive, and that new systems were required to break down England's game plan.

True? or a mind game?

What typified NZ's approach prior to the England game was kicking. A lot of kicking. Chipping the defensive line early and repeatedly to put hesitancy in the rush defence and keep the back three back. Kicking for territory too, since shag took the reigns, the ABs rarely run from deep en-masse. Territory is gained first, the pressure is ratcheted up and then the AB's feed on opposition frustration and mistakes. In their own half, NZ will normally go wide, kick for space or grind up the middle and then box kick for a wing to chase. In the opposition half they'll keep it tight, keep the carrier close to support, drag in men and then look for a wide play assisted by a big man popping up on a wing. Often passing at the gain line.

I haven't seen NZ deviate much from that plan since last year, and it was the same story against France.

Has shag ripped up the play book for England? Will we see something new and unexpected? has he lost the plot? will he lose the plot? or will it be the same system again, but executed better?

to be honest i don't think it matters what system they sue, they'll still beat us.

With the ageing AB's sensitivity to local cuisine and microfauna, and Ashton's return to rewriting union wing play, I really think England can keep our loss down to less than 15. Here's hoping for the right combination of runny bottoms and running rugby.

Barney McGrew did it wrote:With the ageing AB's sensitivity to local cuisine and microfauna, and Ashton's return to rewriting union wing play, I really think England can keep our loss down to less than 15. Here's hoping for the right combination of runny bottoms and running rugby.

 
 

nathan wrote:to be honest i don't think it matters what system they sue, they'll still beat us.

Ah, the litigatious All Blacks! Always looking to get an angle and change the laws to suit themselves

Having no credibility hurts sometimes.
Now I know how it feels to be Scottish.

Jeebus, it was a joke. Lighten up GE!

Likewise. Don't be so fricken defensive.

 No probs.

GE regards last year's ALL Black v England game.

I dont think it was the All Blacks that was predictable in how they *( All Blacks) played.

It was more down to the fact that England did not play the the way the All Blacks expected them too play...It was England who changed the way they played the game, their was no kicking the ball away. Like they used too all the time.

I do believe that each game is taken on its merrits. No 2 games are ever the same. NZ this year will not play the same way has they played last year.

So England will have to change their game plan to beat NZ this year.

England just need to focus on putting together a full convincing 80mins,
can't see them beating NZ but they sure need to convince the real fans who have a clue that England are truly building!
Lancasters sound bites and media spin pacify the arm chair boys but you do get the sense genuine fans who want England in the mix come 2015 RWC are far from convinced.

Personally I think we are kicking wayyyy to much. If it were England/SA kicking as much as us fans would be talking about boring play. We don't get called for it because we chuck a bit of magic in once in awhile which dazzles a few people.

Think MRSA or C Dif might be our best chance to get a result this year! If England can actually play to a decent standard for about 70 min I think it will be close and we could win. Big if though as NZ will want pay back from last year and will want to defend their 100% record for 2013. Just hope we take another step along the road and will be delighted if we manage to do it.

Partly our kicking too much ball because our kicking was poor nganboy. We spent too much time down in our half and when we did pass it out wide we weren't getting over the gain line because we hadn't drawn in enough players. We kept waiting for mistakes from France that didn't come instead of creating our own opportunities.

The first 3 minutes from NZ were good. If Jane had capped that try in the corner I get the feeling the French may have capitulated, they're that kind of team. I reckon Ben smith would've got it, if he hadn't been busy in the mid field missing tackles (sorry Ebop)

Come again GE, mistaken identity?

We are definitely kicking a lot, bit hypocritical of us really. Surprised no one is having a pop at us over it. Are we just kicking to avoid getting turned over/penalised? We seem to win a few scrums from the up n under.

It started a few seasons ago and there seemed to be a pattern to it. First 20 or so minutes, everything was kicked. From deep, long to touch or down the middle, from the opposition half, grubbers and chips. My feeling was it was to take the wind out of early rush defence.

Then we'd see a period where it was nearly all ball retention, close quarters stuff. Second half repeated, kick kick kick and then that onslaught of retention. It looked to me awfully like a premeditated plan. Perhaps to give the forwards a rest so they could hit the rucks during the possession phases.

Dunno just a crazy theory, but I swear watch last years RC and AIs and it happened in every single game.

Mmm, defo some kind of strategy. Most kicks are kept in play. ABs backing their fitness maybe. Can't complain though huh. There's been some well constructed tries in amongst all that kicking.

Don't agree, I am complaining. Sure there's a time for kicking it but I'm sure our stats are way over the top. And yes some of the kicking has been average as well but there's just too much of it. Here's something interesting from a NZ website. I can't get the same kind of stats out of ESPN.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/9379058/Statistics-reveal-All-Blacks-ruthless-game-plan

Saw those stats ngan and these are similar to the ABs stats for some time now. Looking at those stats, you couldnt tell which side actually won the series. They key stats that reflect the ABs are things like 'brilliant offloads that result in a try'.
Our main strength is the quality use of the ball- quality meaning engineering tries through whatever it takes.

Some sides come into our half, go through phase after phase and after several minutes get nowhere. We get a try in one swiftt attack then we are back to the other sides multi phase routine.

In that period the stas show the opposition had far more ball and territory, won heaps of turnovers, made more linebreaks, made the ABs tackle more, missing a couple. Yet the sum diff on the scoreboard is 7-0 to the ABs.

The stats simply dont reflect quality and efficient use of the ball.

Yeah I know but I still hate us kicking so much ball - especially when its a poor kick.

nganboy wrote:Yeah I know but I still hate us kicking so much ball - especially when its a poor kick.

It was actually very effective during the RC I thought.

The effective ones are the 25-30 metre kicks from about our 25-30 yard line that land about the opposition 40 meter line.

For one it's instant yardage and gets us out of our penalty/ drop goal area, two it makes attacking use of our bomb disposal unit the 09 Boks made us deploy so we're not just using them on defence, and thirdly it puts the opposition under huge pressure if we regain the ball, or if they start bobbling it around on the ground. They can't be 'marked' and can't result in a kickable penalty against us.

Its similar to the Boks 09 tactics except we use it to apply try scoring pressure more, not just to extract kickable penalties or kicks to the corners for lineouts to then fall over the line.

Yeah but it relies on the opposition not taking the ball and attacking us with it. So when the oppo full back is good at his job then watch out. I know its working but it's still a bit hit and miss