Flat needs an image change

The IRB have changed their name. Maybe acronyms sound too distant. When you think of the word flat, inevitably negative thoughts spring to mind. That girl is flat chested. This coke is flat. I live in a flat rather than a house. The economy is flat. I don't know what's wrong with me but I've been feeling flat recently. To make matters worse, fat and flat sound very similar.

In terms of a rugby back line, however, the word flat is bold and exciting. It is high risk, but so too is sitting deep in the pocket and thinking you can win games by accumulating penalty goals.

Simply put, standing flat in a back line gives you an edge on attack that has the potential to create havoc to opposition defences. Kurtley Beale apparently is an X-factor player. Whatever that means. But the simple fact he can never be anything but a broken play opportunist the way he stands at first receiver. Why? Because he sits deep and his instincts are to run across the field. Say what you like about Quade Cooper or Foley but the advantage they give to their team is that they stand flat in the backline and that makes them more of a consistent attacking threat than Beale will ever be.

You have to have composure to stand flat and you need good distribution skills. A short pass, a wide pass, a good as well as intelligent kicking game. When you look at the best teams, they invariably have a player up in the line on attack. The NSW coach, Cheika, is a keen rugby history enthusiast notably of the 1980s Sydney Randwick side. Mark Ella is a legend of the Australian and international game and it's no surprise that Cheika's flyhalf was encouraged to play that sort of game.

Defences running at a flat back line may arrive quicker but if they're not well organised, they can be just as quickly exploited. A delayed pass and shimmy past the first defence and suddenly the flyhalf is running with the ball in hand and has an overlap either in the centres or out wide.

Defences running at a deeper backline are able to adjust much easier to what's happening in front of them because they simply have more time to react. It's early days but Meyer's use of Pollard seems to be making a Morné 2.0 version rather than putting him flat in the backline and dictating the play with a positive attacking mentality.

Obviously you have to choose your moments at first receiver when to stand deep and when to come up in the line. If you're clearing then you're obviously standing back deeper. If your backs are struggling to get clean ball at ruck time, it's tempting to stand back to give yourself more time. But often, when your pack is struggling at the breakdown, standing deep only compounds your problems. You find it hard to get over the advantage line and you run the risk of falling into despair because you are unable to make ground.

By mixing up the depth at which you stand, you make it not only hard for opposition defences to adjust, but also you are more likely to get past those first tackles and make those decisive breaks that can lead to game changing tries being scored.

When it comes to rugby, flat is sexy and exhilarating. Deep may be good to describe someone's character or a porn star's attributes but in rugby it's positively unsexy and conservative. Spread the word.

Mate you need to get out more often

We can't all live in the big smoke like you, mate.

Posting with a phone sucks the kumara on this site.

Could be worse mate. Could be using NZ internet with NZ rates.

Got any rain yet Kia?

Mate 37 degrees yesterday and 26 at night. Thank God for beer and Madrid nightlife. During the day I hide at the deep end of the pool.

Jaysus. I'm off to Morocco tomorrow and that'll be even hotter. At least you'll be able to watch the game somewhere-doubt Marrakech will have anything.

Doubt you will. Going out on Friday and I think it'll be the same as two weeks ago but this time without the power nap. I have a feeling the McLean park kickoff is earlier which means I think a kick off time here at 7:35.

Thought I will weigh in with some comments.

Agree varying your "flatness" is crucial to the cause, it keeps defences guessing, but "flatness" also varies according to the front foot ball your pack provides you.

It is difficult to stand flat when your pack is going backwards, easier when your pack has momentum.

At the end of the day it has all to do with space and time, and how much of it you need.

Maybe special awareness is more apt when it comes to attack.

If you are on the front foot, and have momentum, it also depends whether you attack the space, the weak shoulder or running on the angle.

Anyway, enough of this, space and time is the ultimate goal.

And getting a f**king TV to watch it on.

Indeed they are BB but how do you get that space and time?

DC just take a laptop or IPAD and watch it online like I will.

Watch your outgoing credit card details. The last time I went to Marakkech, I used my credit card once: at the hotel to get the room. Didn't stop a guy booking a flight to Barcelona, some internet dating site in South Africa and some other crap paid for in rand. VISA took ages to reimburse me. Must have doubted I didn't pay for them myself.

One factor for moving back to NZ was so could be sure to see the rugby on TV and I could get to live rugby. Got tickets for the game in Wellington next week!
While internet is not the best in the world in NZ at least its a bit more open than in China.

You speak first about a flat backline giving an edge in attack but then concentrate on analysing just the first receiver. There is a lot more to it than that. A deep lying first receiver will be more of a percentage player giving himself the security of an extra yard if opting to kick. But take for example Dan Parks who most observers would consider the epitome of a conservative kicking fly half. He had the Connacht backline playing some fantastic fast attacking rugby by standing right on the line and whipping out some great passes when the opportunity presented itself.
A flat first receiver will more often than not look to run the ball , is usually faster on their feet than most and when opting to kick will either drop deep themselves thereby telegraphing the intention or opt for a little dinky kick or chip due to pressure from the defence. Cooper being an obvious example.
As a collective the backline by its nature must be somewhat deep to facilitate the backward pass and a deep lying backline at pace is the ideal weapon to execute an overlap and expose a strained defence. Traditionally this is how backlines have scored their tries. Let big boys batter down the defences with carries, close in picks and go and offloads to suck in defenders. Hopefully create an overlap out wide and give it to the girls to finish off and hug each other in celebration.
Conversely there is little point in a backline running from deep at a defensive wall who can see you coming from miles away and hoping your big centre can bash his way through. And this is where the flat first receiver can really make a difference. Taking the ball up to the line with centres and wingers running options and picking the exact right moment to give the flat pass. When it’s done well it looks a bit like magic. How can the centre receive the ball in heavy traffic yet make a clean break without so much as a hand laid on him? Of course it has risk attached and it’s how most interceptions occur but when you don’t have the beasts up front to beat the opposition into submission, it’s a risk worth taking.

You're quite right. As a former 10 I often have trouble remembering there are players outside or they deserve mentioning.