Posts Tagged ‘jamie roberts rugby blog’

Passing in the Centres

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Hi all,

There was a very interesting question posed on the forum recently about passing in the centres, and why the modern centre game seems to have become slightly more physically dominated, with more offload pops rather than long ‘playmaker’ passes.

I wanted to add a little perspective on this one and try and tie the question into the modern day demands of an international side.

Thinking logically, most centre plays these days do come off first phase ball. The key off first phase is ‘get over the gainline’! It’s a simple and obvious aim. You also have to consider the style of defence you’re playing against and what will best unlock it. We’ve looked before in my articles on how you do this against both a Push and Blitz defence, and powerful drives into contact, or contact and offload are the favoured methods, certainly when you have physical centres.  Once those yards are made, then more options are available and hopefully the defence will have gotten a little narrower, but fundamentally, unless that initial yardage is made you’re back pedalling. The pop offload is a real tactic from first phase, especially when you have players like Bowe and Ashton who are very adept at coming off their wings at pace.

Now, take this a stage further, if you look for the long mispass off first phase, there’s a strong chance that even before the pass lands you are STILL behind that gain line. Unless it’s a play that is something truly exceptional the truth is that the crash or offload are better options. The long miss also risks the receiver becoming isolated and, especially against the blitz, giving the covering back row little time to get their in support.

It is also incumbent upon you to look at a) the style of rugby you want to play and b) the players you have available. James Hook is a very good passer in the Welsh side and will hit the big miss moves very adeptly at the right time. He can mix and match his game- be physical when he wants to be and offload when required. However, his passing is best used of multiple phase ball, that is for sure, although having him around means we have a variety of options open to us, and that variety, or ‘options’ allows us to vary plays. The Irish, D’Arcy and O’Driscoll, are very clever at mixing their plays- and D’Arcy offers a lot as a second playmaker. But on the flip side, when Ireland fail, it’s often because they’re not making first phase yards, which underlines my point about power.

I hope this helps Earl in his thinking; don’t think for one minute I don’t see your point- but international rugby is about making 100 small steps to break a defence and completing very single one of those steps. Rarely is a side unlocked through one pass these days and I believe that, with the players around me at Cardiff and Wales, that having variety, pace and direct power are the key drivers of the midfield first phase moves.

Cheers,
Jamie

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Attacking using ‘Off the Top’ lineout ball

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Hi all!

This is quite an interesting piece for me to pen after my recent article on the blitz and drift defences, as it’s highly relevant.In the Welsh side Alun-Wyn Jones is our line-out captain, but he’ll work closely with our 9 and 10 to determine the game calls for the line out. The key point to this is keep it varied and keep it relevant to the overall game plan.

A lot of first phase lineout plays will be informed by the type of defence you’re playing against. So let’s examine our options:

Against the Blitz:

If we get fast ‘off the top’ ball, the moment the line out ceases, we will have the blitz defenders running hard at pace against us. We’ll be either at a standing start or just commencing our runs, so they will have more momentum. So the key here is to move them around, get behind them or make them turn.

The best ways of doing this are:

  • A chip or grubber kick by the 10 or 12 with the other 3/4’s running to chase and collect.
  • A cross field kick to our openside wing, just behind the defending winger
  • Wrong footing with a dynamic inside pass
  • Take ball hard into contact wither through the 12 or a back rower standing in the line


The key against a blitz is what you’re looking to do off the 2nd, not the 1st, phase. If you take the ball into contact, then a fast ruck will leave the blitz defenders narrow and without momentum, forcing them to adopt a push defence very quickly. This then offers us the opportunity to go around them, due to the lack of ‘spread’ of their defence.

Against the Push or Drift Defence:

Obviously, as I’ve discussed before, a good push defence will be enticing you to go wide and to use the openside touch as their 16th man or defender. Once they’ve shut down the 1st phase the defensive attack will be on your second phase when you lack momentum. So to overcome this you need to:

  • Run HARD, Run straight and set up fast, dynamic 2nd phase ball and attack from that.
  • This can be done through the 10, 12 or flankers
  • Decoy runners are key- use them to pull the full back across the pitch and open up space behind the defensive line
  • Out to In ball- easily the hardest ball to defend against- pull the drift across and get your openside wing running onto one of the centre’s inside shoulders and change the point of attack. If you look at Jason Robinson’s try for England in the RWC Final 2003, this is the perfect example of executing this from 1st phase (scrum) against the drift. England did it twice- once with Dallaglio, and then Wilkinson again inside to Robinson coming off his wing at huge pace. A textbook try.


Other considerations:

As with all these things, have a feel for the game. Understand what I like to call the ‘\Match Landscape”. For example:

  • If you have a big heavy dominant pack, use the catch and drive to tie in the defence and take way their momentum.
  • Don’t be overly predictable- have a variety of plays
  • Use your backrow intelligently- take a flanker to make an extra battering ram or decoy runner in the 3/4’s. Use a number 8 powerhouse like Ryan Jones or Nick Easter to make a dent, and use both front and back peels to add variety, especially against the blitz.


I hope this helps put some context into my view on attacks from primary Line Out possession. It can be some of the fastest ball available, but on the downside, you need to leverage your options to break down a well organised defence.

Speak soon and enjoy the sunshine!

Jamie

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My Six Nations

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Well, that’s it for another year, the curtain has drawn and the 6 Nations is over.

I have to be honest, I’m bitterly disappointed with our placing; to win 3 from 5 and finish 4th is annoying, but even more irritating when we analyse the reasons. In short, we’re a better side than that. When I look back, there were a lot of missed opportunities and from our side, too much gifting of cheap points to the opposition. On the upside, we showed again we have the firepower to attack and play exciting rugby, but when loose kicks and stupid turnovers prevail, you are going to struggle against the best.

I’m convinced we stared very poorly against England. It was a tight game that turned on a couple of close incidents and I feel that had the planets been aligned in our favour, or more pertinently, we’d have played a game beforehand, we could have taken the English. Against France, we simply didn’t turn up and that’s annoying, especially when we knew we were in with a shout of the title, and we also were aware of the rumblings of Gallic discontent in the French camp. No matter, what’s done is done so we learn from our errors and move on.

Looking at the teams overall,  there’s very little to choose between the top 4 I think, and on any given day, each one of us can turn the others over. England played a limited but effective game, France blew hot and cold, Ireland showed their huge nous in the run in and Scotland and Italy both showed glimpses of their improving sides.

I also wanted to talk about a few individuals that have impressed me, dealing with each nation in turn:

Wales- Dan Lydiate and Sam Warburton were my two stand outs, and with the back row being the crucial battle of the game these days, I’m pleased we’ve got two great youngsters so skilled in the loose forward arts. I said a few weeks back that Sam’s keeping out a living rugby legend in Martyn ‘Nugget’ Williams, and Dan’s quiet, shrewd effectiveness really does remind me of the great Lion, Richard Hill, which is praise indeed. Also an honourary mention for James Hook, who really put in some massive moments of brilliance at ten.

England- For me the lines of Chris Ashton were something very special. He’s got a real nose for the ball and loves coming on the carrier’s inside shoulder to take the ball at pace. I expect he’ll become a big part of England’s game plan in the future. Toby Flood’s maturity and game management also impressed me. He’s keeping out Jonny Wilkinson no less, and that is an achievement in itself. I worry about his ability to last 80 minutes though.

France- Forward power really helped their efforts- Lionel Nallett was huge for them, a big, big unit who carries, catches and rumbles. And, yet again, Imanol Harinordoquy showed all of his talents in the line out, around the park and being a general pain in the backsides of each side he plays against.

Ireland- Their mix of 10’s really assisted them. The raw talent of young Jonny Sexton, a gifted runner, combined with the hard-nosed Munsterman, Ronan O’Gara. A great blend of skill, experience, youth and pace. Mentions too for Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy who provided some much needed ‘new muscle’ to the aging Irish pack.

Italy- interestingly I think they possibly had the two stars of the tournament. Andrea Masi, who really made the 15 shirt his own, culminating in an historic Man of the Match performance against France, and, yet again, the stand out player in the Northern Hemisphere, the ridiculously talented Sergio Parisse. It’s great to see both of these charming guys having success on the field and the France win was something that I suspected may be on the cards and must have been one of the highlights of their rugby careers.

So, another international season draws to a close. Disappointed? Yes I am, desperately so. Hopeful? Definitely- if we can cut out our error count and maintain our attacking aspiration we’ll be a difficult side to beat and that’s something all of the boys will work on during the summer.

Take care

Jamie.

 

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Rugby- A game for all shapes and sizes

Monday, March 7th, 2011

 Coming off the back of the Italian game, I was musing about their physicality and how that size and power gives an advantage in the modern game. Yes the Italians were very direct, and Canale and Sgarbi are very big units indeed,  but when I analysed it further, I realised this was both a strength and a weakness, and the lack of contrast and variety in the Italian back line prevented them from playing anything other than a very predictable game, which made it easier (although tiring!) to defend against.

For a youngster taking up the sport for the first time, you should always be mindful that rugby accommodates people of all shapes and sizes, and you can adapt your game to be effective no matter what your physical shape is. The age of the smaller player in rugby is far from dead- Shane Williams, Mark Cueto and Australian David Pocock are proof of that, and before them, no-one will ever forget the electric footwork and agility of Jason Robinson, surely one of the most exciting players ever to play the sport.

As a centre, at 6’ 4” and 109 kgs, I’m definitely one of the bigger three quarters around. That allows me to be very direct in my game, and to really hit the gain line with pace and power. Those are my strengths, and I try and play to them. However, on the flip side, I’m also aware my height can be a weakness- I know that I have to work hard on my tackle ‘shape’ and not go in too high on my man. If I do I’m prone to a hand-off or I can slide up the man and deliver a chest high tackle, which is not particularly effective. I know I can get too upright, and I am aware this is potential a weakness in my game if not properly managed.

A good contrast of styles were the combinations on the 09 Lions tour, when I played with Brian O’Driscoll in the tests and Riki Flutey- both are low centre of gravity merchants, both under 6 foot, very agile, very athletic. I don’t have that level of natural agility- so when they rely on foot speed and agility to beat their man, I will use directness, power and pace. Of course, when you have a blend of abilities like that, it tends to work very well and playing with both Drico and Flutes was really exciting for me, knowing we had contrasting skills with which to break down the big South African midfields.

Again, in another position, if you look at two world class backrowers in Pocock and Juan Smith of South Africa, both men adapt their skills to their size- the lanky Smith is the consummate operator in all areas of aerial combat; whereas the squat Pocock’s ability to jackal at rucks is amazing- his centre of gravity is so low he’s almost immovable at times. And, at scrum-half, my team-mate Mikey Phillips is a huge unit and plays a game suited to his strengths- power to tie in the opposition tacklers and direct running, whereas England’s Ben Youngs is almost 7 inches shorter, and uses agility, hand speed and footspeed as the core of his improving game. Totally different shapes, totally different games plans, same positions.

We have Ireland in a weeks’ time, and another good example of this will be the match up of the skill and ball hunting ability of  Dan Lydiate (who has been outstanding for us this campaign) against the sheer brawn and power of the emerging 18 stone Sean O’Brien. Two hugely contrasting styles, both very effective in differing ways.

So my message to you is find a style and a position that suits your natural shape and strengths, and once you have done that, develop a game plan that uses your shape to your advantage. Effective rugby needs a blend of styles, so don’t try to do what perhaps you’d be naturally weak at; cut that out of your game and focus instead on what you are naturally suited for and naturally ‘shaped’ for.

Always be mindful that rugby accommodates all shapes and size, one of its greatest appeals, and a key reason why it’s such a great game to watch.
Cheers

Jamie.

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The 6N’s- Jamie’s Verdict so far….

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Hello Ruckingballers….

Looking back over the last 2 games I have to admit Wales’ start to the 6N’s campaign has been a little bit of a curate’s egg- good in places!

I have to confess to a degree of frustration in many aspects of our performance against England. When I came off I realised I’d touched the ball 5 times in the entire  game- which says something about both our distribution and, being very honest with myself, the way I went looking for the ball.

The landscape of the match was bizarre- we didn’t manage one set play off our primary set piece and that’s something we pride ourselves in. I can’t put my finger on why, but maybe we have to look at England having a very big physical pack and perhaps we played into their hands.

However, we were lucky enough to be able to turn that around against the Scots, and I was pleased to see a tremendous defensive effort from Mikey Phillips, who’d had a lot of stick after the England game. I managed to touch the ball more times in the first 25 minutes than I had in the entire England game and that was great! In fairness, we’d wrapped the game up in the first half, and the second half was a little bit of an anti-climax. But we were as direct and clinical in that first half as I’ve seen us for a long time and the management and senior players were delighted with that.

So how to we learn from these experiences and how do we take this learning into the Italian game?

Well, we’re aware of Italy’s love of contact. They’ll look to kick, hoist, drag players into contact, slow the game down and so on and so forth, all orchestrated by the intelligence and skill of Parisse, who is by far and away their best player (arguably their best back as well as their best forward!). Italy are a very well known quantity and it’s obvious how to beat them, but by saying that many sides go there, forget everything they’ve planned, and get drawn into an arm wrestle, which is exactly what the Italians want.

We’ll therefore look to play what I like to call the “Welsh Way”. Speed, tempo and pace, let the ball and the hands do the work, and trust your defence. We’ll look to commit the minimum at defensive rucks for instance, until we see that golden turnover chance, and only then will we sling the numbers in to secure the turnover. Discipline is utterly crucial in this area, and that means two things- no penalties and trust the guys around you in a structured way. In a nutshell, we want to box clever, use our brains over brawn (no I’m not plugging our shirt sponsors there!) and be clinical in our execution. We have some wondrous attacking talent in the likes of Jon Davies, Shane and Hooky, and we need the ball in their hands, where they can do the most damage.

In closing this blog, I also wanted to mention how pleased I and the team are with our youngsters in the back 5. Alun-Wyn Jones and Bradley Davies are forging a strong partnership in the boiler house- already we reckon they’re the Welsh Bakkies and Victor! Dan Lydiate was superb against Scotland and his accuracy and physicality remind me at times of the greatest of blindsides, Richard Hill, and that’s a complement indeed. Sam Warburton is keeping a 100 cap legend out of the side (Martyn “Nugget’ Williams) and that says volumes about the way he’s contributing.

So, all in all, my verdict is that in results, maybe we’re disappointed in some aspects, but we’ve learned a lot, and turning round the English defeat with our 1st half performance in Edinburgh demonstrated the steel in our side. I want to be sure we continue to take our learning forward, to execute what we know we need to do in Rome and hopefully to come away not only with a win, but a win in the right style, based upon the strengths of this Welsh side- great handling, speed and intelligent rugby played at tempo.

Speak to you next week!

Jamie.

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Heineken Cup – Week 1

Monday, October 11th, 2010

There has been a real buzz around the Blues camp this week, after four weeks of league games it was Heineken Cup time. I’ve no doubt it was the same across all the clubs. Training has gone up a gear, best team selected. “Full Metal Jacket”, because this is the competition that you are really judged by.

Well, starting with the Blues we had a bit of a lucky escape with a very determined Edinburgh who had a well structured and determined defence. To be honest we were more than a little naive tactically, and will need to step up several gears next week away at Castres. That said we did win at home and that is a must in this competition.

Speaking of Castres they will be as delighted as Northampton are disappointed with their performance on Friday. The Saints kicking problems are well documented, and if they are going to be a force in Europe it is something they need to address.

Regarding the rest of the games London Irish impressed me greatly, but the result of the round for me was the Scarlet’s demolition of Perpignan. Elsewhere Bath will be disappointed to get beaten at home, while Wasps and ospreys had chances to pick up results on the road.

Saracens will have expected to have done better at Clermont, while Leicester played a get out of jail card in winning in Italy.

Overall an exciting weekend of games that has now thrown up some crunch games in round two.

My rehab is on schedule from the last time I talked about it, nothing has changed in terms of when I will be back playing. My speed work is going well and I have set a few PB’s. Oh, and there is no truth in the rumour that I will be running in the 4 x 100 relay squad for Wales in the Commonwealth Games.

Jamie

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Heineken Cup Hopes

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Last year was the year of the French in the Heineken Cup with Toulouse being the dominant force. Indeed in would be fair to say that the French teams set a new benchmark in excellence last season. This no doubt being helped by the huge financial resources available to the top clubs that have enabled them to build big and powerful squads.

The question is can anyone live with the French this season?

Well, we at the Blues are both optimistic and determined to do well this season. Not least because the final is at the Millennium Stadium. Having been involved in the famous “Shoot Out” semi final two years ago we would love to get to the final to play in front of a capacity crowd and electric atmosphere.

Before we get ahead of ourselves there is the formidable challenge of getting out of the group stage. We certainly haven’t got it easy with Edinburgh who are much improved our first up opponents. Castres will then be a real tough nut to crack, before we play Northampton in back to back fixtures.

The Saints have been running hot in the early season games and with such potent attacking players as Ashton and Foden we know we will have to be at our best.

Jamie

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Training & Studies

Monday, September 27th, 2010

This week I thought I would talk about something I know a lot of you younger players are asking about and that is balancing your rugby and education.

Balancing studies and training is a big challenge. The biggest element of which is the physical and mental tiredness which is very hard to deal with. Also allied to that is eating properly because you are constantly pressed for time. This though something I do try to focus on.

My education is hugely important to me and the fact is with any rugby player you are only one tackle away from premature retirement. In addition even if you stay injury free rugby is not for ever and come your early thirties you need to be ready to move and do something else. Education gives you options when your rugby is over.

I have been lucky with my medical studies because I know it has helped me to become a more balanced person. I have been able to gain a wide range of experience friends through both rugby and studies.

As I mentioned balancing studies and training can be difficult and demanding. My average day will see me doing weights early in the morning followed by team training that is usually over by 1.00 p.m. I then go to university to study between 2.00 and 5.00 p.m.

Rest and social time is very important and although I do like to be busy doing things that are rugby or study related, time with friends is crucial. I am very lucky to have a great group of friends who understand the demands placed upon me as a professional player.

My message for anyone aspiring to combine rugby and studies is simple. It can be done but it requires hard work and sacrifice.

Jamie

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The Italian Job

Monday, September 20th, 2010

This year’s Magners League has seen the introduction of Italian flavour teams and all the pundits are looking very closely to see how they go. There is no doubt that they have set themselves high expectations and are not interested in just making up the numbers. This been illustrated by Treviso beating the Scarlet’s in week one.

Can they maintain that level of performance throughout the season? Only time will tell, but certainly from my experience all the teams can expect a hostile and aggressive encounter when they travel to Italy.

The biggest question mark for the Italian clubs will be how they do on their travels away from home. Maintaining form on the road will be difficult and the physical and mental strain of travelling every other week may tell in a long season. That said I am sure they have planned for this and have put together recovery strategies for the players that will help them overcome this hurdle.

Another interesting issue will be the strength in depth of the Italian squads. Injuries, as I know too well are an occupational hazard. It may well be that as the season goes on we get to see some young and untried youngsters making appearances. This in the short term might prove problematical in terms of results. But in the longer term and in the wider context of the Italian national team this could be fantastic in terms of developing players. I fully expect one or two new names to be catapulted into the Italian Six Nations squad on the back of the impact they make in the Magners League.

Yes the addition of the Italian sides is a shot in the arm for the Magners League and let’s hope the additional interest and hype that has been generated results in an enhanced competition.

Jamie

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Injury Update

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Time flies, and it is now two months since I had my operation and I am happy to report the plaster cast is off and the pins have been removed. I now find myself wearing a splint and I’m starting some passive mobility exercises. This will be followed by some more specific strengthened exercises before I can move into more rugb training and contact work – and eventually return to playing.

That said I have not been idle and have been doing plenty running. I have been working on both technique and speed and when I do come back I hope to be sharper than ever.

People are asking me when will I be back and to honest the answer is when I’m ready. I really do not want to rush things as the consequences of doing it again would be devastating.

Anyway let me talk for a minute about the boys and how they have started the season. We are one and one as I write this blog and confidence and spirit in the camp is very high. Dan Parkes has started well for us especially against Edinburgh. The loss to Leinster was a bit hard to take with us giving away a three point lead with ten minutes to go and eventually losing by ten, and not even getting a bonus point.

The other Welsh sides have all fared roughly the same, but for me the talking point so far has been the way the games have been played. The new law interpretations have most certainly meant more exciting and open games and I just hope that this can continue for the rest of the season.

Jamie

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