1^st Phase

Yes you can think of counter attack just like scrums, lineouts etc. It is a 1^st phase possession in which you know many factors about the defence. Much like other sources of ball you can go through them or round them. Going round them is difficult if you are going wide but the defence will have to come straight and then drift, which gives the attack a real opportunity to outstrip the defence for pace. Secondly, you can “switch back”. The first pass is thrown central and then the player that receives the ball heads back sharply towards the player that passed it to him. The goal is to make a classic 2 v 1 at the edge of the chase. Going through them will rely on defensive confusion,  it is high risk & isolating. A small tip is to aim for one of your players retreating. It takes the fear of isolation away and the defence may actually think that the supporting player is on thier side – a moment’s hesitation is all you need. Lastly, counter attack on the 1^st phase is more like 7’s than 15’s – AVOID CONTACT!. For every second you allow your support to get back the less risk there is of being isolated.

2^nd phase

Ok. You have been tackled and the wingers, the 15 and the hardworking 7 has secured the ball. The defence around that breakdown because they lead the kick chase are ;

• Centres (defence organisers)
• backrowers  ( their best defenders).

Therefore, what they have out wide is the tight 5 in defence. Therefore the centres & halves need to be able to exploit those defenders out wide or wider on the blind. It will take a mind shift from the spare backrowers & even the 10 to shift a little wider and not come forward to hard. It is not a classic  backline of draw and pass. It is about passing early and giving a talented runner, may be a centre or even a 6 a 1v 1 opportunity against a tight 5 defender in a lot of space.

Lastly, have a go. Counter attack is a great source a ball. Many teams kick in a thought that it relives pressure. As a consequence this is a perfect time to create pressure.

Pat Howard

It is the dream of every coach. Take a team that has been struggling, give them hope and belief and suddenly they start winning. You start picking the guy that every body wrote off. It is why we coach, it is what we love.

The Queensland Reds are that team this year. Ewen McKenzie who has had a very successful career with the Waratahs, a brief sojourn in to the politics of French rugby and is hired for Qld. A team that has languished in the bottom 3 teams and if the southern hemisphere had relegation (which I would support) they could be playing in the local club competition.

The facts are; he didn’t get to recruit any new players, he has no budget to speak of & he hasn’t hired a crew of thousands. In fact his assistant is an unknown Australian (Jim McKay) who unless you have been watching the Cornish Pirates, you would not know him.

Firstly, he came with a blank canvas. The trials offered opportunity and he picked one or two on form ahead of the seasoned veterans but gave the veterans their chance as well. The symbolism to those aspiring to be picked is huge. It says I have a chance if I perform. He selected the Faingaa, a year before written off – they have turned up performed grown. As a coach, you offer opportunity. 18 months before Danny Hipkiss played in a world cup final he was on a knife edge to stay at Leicester. He was given an opportunity, a time frame to perform and he took his chance. Nobody, should be written off for life, it may be the wrong environment ( I know Leicester doesn’t suit everybody ) but people rise to the occasion more often than not.

Lastly, he came with a game plan that suited the strengths of the team not his strengths. He analysed and came with a solution that was appropriate for the circumstance. No coach should be of the mentality one size fits all.

I don’t know where Qld will end up this year. They may win the comp, they may end up mid-table but beyond they now have belief. As a coach, talent is one thing but culture, opportunity, work ethic, vision all go in to the melting pot of a successful outcome.

Paddy

Much has been made in the southern hemisphere of  the change in interpretation of an existing law.

Don’t believe the hype or rhetoric, this is an existing law, not a law change that has not been focused on for long enough in the southern hemisphere and it  is going to increase the appeal down here of ball retention, more fatigue, more tries.

What is the change?

Possession

With the interpretation of the law “the tackled player must be allowed to place the ball” re-addressing the balance of attack and defence in Super 14, the southern hemisphere is actually following where the Guinness Premiership has been from 2007. Encouraging teams to hold possession for long periods.

It is difficult to hold on to the ball, it takes no more than 1-2 people to slow the ball down and if done efficiently those 2 players can get out of the breakdown and into the defensive line. To secure the ball it takes a minimum of the tackled player plus 2. A term I call “ruck efficiency” is how many of your players it takes you to win the ball and how many of their players are taken out at the same time, ultimately for every player of yours that secures the ball you need to take one of theirs. Why is this important in possession?

Unless your ruck efficiency (breakdown skills) is good you are giving the defence an overlap at every play. Therefore if there is no overlap you rely on missed tackles, overly condensed defence around the breakdown or attacking kicking to make a break. Possession become harder and kicking encouraged.

Therefore what are our keys to determining to hold on to the ball and retain possession:

1. Is the referee rewarding the team in possession or has he a tendency towards the not release law?

2. If the ball is slow, and they have a flat line against you – kick to compete. Eg. A slow driven collapsed maul – the next breakdown will be behind the forwards. A dynamic maul is different.

3. Where is the hole? Sometimes the hole is straight in front. If you have 4 attacking players in the breakdown and no defenders – go through the breakdown!! The idea that you need to go around team is false, it is one tactic not the only tactic.

4. Kicking in attacking form can create space – kick to isolate defenders. Only kick out if you have a defensive lineout to back up a kicking out strategy. Key tip: where is the opposition 9? If he is defending the grubber or chip the blindside is thin, if he is on the blindside then consider and attacking kick – a little simplistic but often is true.

Lastly, when assessing the need for possession over position assess enjoyment of the game. David Campese (love or hate him – and I like him), his mentality was to run, everybody knew it, your players and the opposition but as a supporting player I was far more urgent because I KNEW he would retain possession. If you have a culture of retaining the ball it will cause everybody work harder to enjoy the game more.