England World Cup Chances - The Biggest Threat.

As the Autumn Internationals approach Englands final push, preparations for the World Cup are under serious threat from the ever increasing list of injured players. England have great strength in depth, however not in all positions and equally as yet the side is not settled. With a large number of these England contenders out with injury the chance to play a settled team during the AI's and the 6 Nations is becoming less likely.

So why are we seeing this increase ? I believe it is a very complex picture. Certainly the increasing physicality of the game is taking its toil, but I would argue a bigger influence is the refereeing of the game which is becoming of great concern. To date with the Premiership season I would estimate a strong arguements could be made that every week 2 or 3 players could easily have been red carded for foul, dangerous or reckless play and that's only from the games I have seen. Are the referees becoming weak ? I think this is too simplistic an answer.

I would highlight a very subtle, not orchestrated, undermining of the authority of the referee which has led to referees turning to the yellow card as opposed to red. Main culprits for me are the whinging and moaning Directors of Rugby and TV pundits/commentators. Referees decisions are being constantly challenged despite one of the fundamental principles of such a physical game as rugby is the referee is the sole judge of fact. Without acceptance of this simple statement the game would fall apart. It cannot be challenged if we and future generations of players/people want to gain the benefits of this special and great game.

There seems to be an attitude amongst DOR's and TV pundits that challenging the referee publically is fair game. It is not. The game at the top is Professional and hence under pressure to entertain. A sending off can end the contest and be contrary to the business principles required by the clubs. However the Professional Clubs do not own the game. To a degree a can understand DOR's reactions to decisions as livlelihoods are constantly under threat, however that does excuse this behaviour. There can be no excuse for TV pundits. Basically often their comments are simply totally irresponsible.

Equally there seems to be a misguided attitude that sending off a player for illegal and dangerous play is in some way making the game soft - "In my day the we took it and got on with it and had a beer afterwards" " handbags" "don't be a big girl" etc etc. Well the game is going soft but not in that way. The increasing tendency NOT to send off players, tolerating dangerous and reckless play, this is soft. Whining, moaning and continually challenging the referees authority is weak, pathetic, soft and most importantly damaging the game at grass roots level and now also at England International level.

It is time to take a stance against those attacking the fundamental core values of the game and stop defending foul, dangerous play. The time has come to encourage and support the referees to take tough action. If England suffer in the coming months leading into the World Cup due to an excessive injury toll a great deal of the responsibility will sit squarely with DOR's and TV pundits due to their unrelenting assault on the referees over several years. Referees have and will always make mistakes. Do what generations have always done before, accept it as a peculiar and centrally important part of the game - live with it. 

Rugbys core values provide an effective preparation for the challenges life present. Learning to deal with events and outcomes as they happen and developing coping strategies makes a person stronger, better. Rugby is just a game, but it is a special game which provides an exceptional basis to ALL that play to lead their lives in a positive and productive manner. I repeat the Professional Clubs do not own the game, it is game owned by all.

Wasps v Quins Away 20th Sept - Verdict

Can't really make any comments as yet I have not seen the game, only a few highlights. However from reports made to date for the over riding season target of improving consistency and accuracy we seemingly have made little progress.

We are scoring tries which is a good sign but very much as per previous seasons - that is apart from driving lineouts very little is coming from concerted pressure or organised attack. Mostly interceptions, Individual snipes, turnovers or kick chases. Now these should not be dismissed, however I guess what I'm trying to say is it would be encouraging to see some signs of affective coaching, tactical nous and development as opposed to simply a team that has appears to have trained well.

Still 6pts on the board is a good return from the fixtures to date. Although the teams played so far finished in the top four last season as yet it's not clear if these teams are performing at the same levels as last season - that would be with the exception of N'pton.

My call for the Quins game was a 17 to 26 win for Wasps. Going into the game the interest for me was to see if we could adopt the right mind set as it was pretty clear Quins would react from the heavy defeat the previous week that after our N'pton result expectation with players, coaches and supporters alike had been raised. From all accounts Quins did come out all guns blazing and with a little more composure we could well have secured the victory albeit not that pretty. This was never going to be pretty.

Mind set is everything and so again this week v Falcons we will need to be at our best. They have played 2 of the top 4 from last season and although only returned one losing bonus point have scored 6 tries and conceded 10 - not as good as our return on both counts however not much in it. Equally they had a 14pts turn around which went against them v Leicester via an intercept try on the Leicester line which could have presented a whole different picture. A further 4pts on our League tally would be very welcome and should go some way to improving our composure and confidence. 

We are very much on target for that top six finish and although performance seems to be erratic at this stage most teams bar Bath and N'pton seem to be playing with a lack of consistency.

Wasps v N'pton at Home 14th Sept 2014 - Verdict

Well, what a fantastic result. Confidence restored big time. 5pts on the board. In my pre season review the need I identified was for 12pts from the first six games....we are well on target. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, consistency has been the issue with us, highlighted by supporters, coaches, players, pundits etc so we need to back it up over the next few weeks. However lets enjoy the moment, we have just beaten the reigning Champions with a controlled, patient, composed, quality performance - YES.

So why the improvement ? Going into the game most had N'pton as favourites. I did anyway, looking at a 19 - 31 predicted score line. N'pton will have to carry this tag for the whole season as reigning Champions but that's their problem. Mind set wise we will have known anything short of our best could have led to a defeat and possibly a heavy defeat - this tends to focus the mind. Technically we were a different beast defensively and although we had few chances, in attack too. We showed composure and purpose - individually we have never had a problem, it is collectively we very seldom perform as one with clear focus.

For the majority of the game we had our backs to the wall. We never relented in purpose and organisation until just about their final attack. We did not over commit at the rucks before this last attack and made accurate decisions to attack the ball or drop back in line and keep our shape. We were only broken by the same movement as against Sarries where we over committed to a simple post or circle ball off 10. That is 9 running round 10, although in this instance 10 was tackled but still managed to off load.

In attack I can only think the presence of Leiua within the squad is focusing the mind of the whole back line, particularly the centres. Bell stuck to doing what he does well in attack and defence and Daly stayed straight and showed he can distribute accurately and effectively off his right hand. Dai Young has a big decisions to make, lucky him. Every player now must perform to the highest level or risk losing their place. This, hopefully will bring the consistency we are after. For future games the mind set will be a more difficult challenge as we will not be underdogs and more importantly we will need to take the initiative in attack. That is we can't start thinking we have beaten the Champions so all we need to do is turn up.

For this game, Goode showed his experience and kept the team moving forward with excellent game management and some good distribution. However it was not until Jackson entered the fray that we really threatened in attack, playing much higher and keeping the back line straight, creating space out wide. It is attacking the space between the attack and defensive lines that is the difference between top quality 10's and most other 10's with ball in hand. Much higher risk but the only way to threaten the defence effectively. The best 10's play flat and can distribute in the face of the defence. We now have options and again huge choices for Dai Young to make. Questions are if Jackson would have started would we have controlled the game as well and kept N'pton at bay.....I doubt it. However against other teams where we need to take the initiative Jackson or Lozowski could be better starting options particularly if the back line maintains the effective running lines. We simply must use all the resource we have across the field, but at the right time to suit the suitation.

Nathan Hughes gave us the good go forward last week but was mostly stifled this week. Haskell and Bell provided most of the go forward this week but mostly it was Goode who turned the N'pton defence with intelligent kicking supported by good chasers. Ashley Johnson was Ashley Johnson, simply a pain in the neck around the breakdown and in loose play. The front five provide superb cover and compensated for the lack of some of the requirements produced by our back row. Mostly our back row are ball carries first, tacklers and jacklers second and support players last if at all. However, the front five, Launchbury and Gaskell particularly, provide great support, high work rate and high tackle counts. Equally we have replacements available in Lindsay, Cooper Wooley, Myall, Cannon, Davies and Swainston who offer dynamic, high work rate options. Launchbury and Gaskell could quite easily and have played in the back row.

This performance whether resulting in a win or loss was very encouraging. N'pton choose to not take kickable pens and will be rueing those decisions today. They may have been believing their own press after their performance last week. However we must not fall into the same trap. We must play our game appropriate for the situation, all games will provide different challenges but we clearly have the fire power to beat any team if we play with this composure and accuracy. The rustiness of last week had disappeared and we looked sharper in mind and deed. We should also remember the Ashley Johnson intercept was a try the other end if missed. For me what was a delight was the Tom Varndell try. On the front foot, ball taken flat by Jackson, line straighten by Daly with accurate right to left passing putting TV in space. We know TV and Wadey can finish but a great decision and execution of the chip, gathered and scored. We should also highlight two excellent difficult conversions, with pressure, from Jackson.

Next up is Quins. We need to forget they are in turmoil and focus on the requirements. Narrow pitch makes space out wide a premium. So keep our defensive shape and play territory. Take the points when offered. Use the pack, midfield, counter attack and grubber kicks to provide the tries. Quins will come out all guns blazing and we need more of the N'pton composure and to turn the screw in the attacking zone. Keep lifting the aggression in defence line speed in attack and defence. COYW - back to back wins please.

Wasps v Saracens at HQ - 6th Sept - Verdict

First games are always a bit of a lottery and not a true indication of what may develop further into the season. My feelings were I guess much the same of many of the Wasps supporters, great expectation due to the strong finish to the previous season gaining ECC top level inclusion.

Realistically playing Saracens I was not expecting a win, however as the week progressed and understanding Saracens were several key players short, Britz, Joubert, Bosch, Burger, Mako Vunipola, De Kock and possibly Farrell and Hamilton, a win was not out of the question. Indeed with Borthwick also having retired the Saracens players, many who have played 1st XV during the previous season would have to front up without the leaders on the field, this a significantly different task. Wasps fundamentally were only one significant player missing, Leiua, even though he is totally unproven I, like many others, believe he will make a huge impact, we will see. Most/many of our other new recruits are high level players but not significantly better - simply provide good depth. Hence my Prediction League assessment changed several times, I finally settled for a 29 - 26 win to Sarries, based mostly on our rollercoster form last season.

Having now seen the game it was really one that got away. Saracens were a shadow of the team they were last season and very much for the taking. We need to improve significantly from this performance if we are to challenge for a top six place. Defensively we were a shambles throughout the game. During phase play we conceded the gain line too easily, too often drawn in by the dummy runner, had little or no composure during scrabbled defence situations and were too easily undone by simple post or circle balls. Equally we took a belt and braces approach to defend the short side off scrums supposedly due to the threat of Billy Vunipola, this approach left us exposed on the openside and led directly to the second Strettle try.

In attack Nathan Hughes gave us some excellent momentum crossing the gain line regularly. Haskell was more hit and miss but generally carried well. Most of the pack carried well, Launchbury was simply outstanding with work rate and support play and Gaskell showed at last we have a player that can pass a ball effectively. Mullen and Festuccia worked hard and effectively in the loose as well as contributing to a good set piece work from the pack. Like most of the previous 3 seasons our attacking play relies on individual brilliance as opposed to any structured approach. Joe Simspon carved a big hole, Launchbury unbelievably was first up to maintain the attack, Goode hit a fantastic cross field kick, Wade finished brilliantly and Ashley Johnson showed his versatility to create a score. Pretty sure this will continue to happen throughout the season, but we must do more, we must work purposefully and collectively.

Our back row is terribly unbalanced and provides little support in attack, little cover or defence in the wide channels. Our distribution around 10 and 12 is slow, predictable, inaccurate and often we are taking too much space from the players out wide with our distribution and running lines. Generally off slow ruck ball our runners are taking the ball standing still and provide no threat and mostly fail to get across the gain line. Also of concern is our perceived fitness levels. We did not look sharp. This could be early season cobwebs. However it needs to be better.

Next up is Northampton who were simply outstanding against Gloucester. Should imagine (hope) they cannot perform to that level again back to back. Hopefully the Saracens game was just a case of nervousness, over excitement and we will see a more structured and controlled performance to go with the undoubted individual brilliance within the squad. 

2014/15 Season Preview

On the back of a fantastic end to last season we can look forward to season 2014/15 with great expectation. Back into the top level European Competition and thank goodness we have dropped the London tag, simply Wasps again. Currently we now sit alphabetically bottom but effectively joint top. The season can't start soon enough. Just need to reinstate the Hoops in Black and Old Gold, shirts that stand out in a crowd. This would make me for one very happy. Last season was pretty much an even playing field although we did not have the benefit of full recruitment opportunities. As we enter the new season we now have a club with greater stability, are once again an attractive option for high level ambitious players and can benefit once again from full recruitment options, although, this window may not be open for long so we need to act now.

Targets for the season have been announced by Dai Young, a 6th placed finish being the minimum requirement.  Also towards the end of last season the coaching staff highlighted a need for a 30% improvement. Indeed this level of improvement based on the numbers would provide the 6th placed finish as required. But what specifically needs to improve and and is it acheivable ?

Already highlighted many times is the need for performance consistency, greater accuracy and discipline in order to turn around many of the close run matches from last season. Home results and an improvement in the Feb onwards Premiership form will be further indicators of progress. Recruitment has been well reported with 13 players or so leaving and 12 ish new players arriving. Certainly the quality of the recruitment to date looks to provide much needed depth to the squad, genuine options with the staring XV and this should indeed lead to greater performance consistency. However, the depth is a bit uneven and some positions look still exposed. With many intangibles likely to affect all clubs as the season progresses I feel we still to keep fingers crossed to try and avoid some possible events. As yet it is not clear how the Feb onwards results schedule will be improved, we will just have to wait and see. Changes to training regimes, not too much time on their feet during the week, extra 2nd XV fixtures to keep the whole squad in shape ready to step up if and when required and greater strength in squad depth may prove to be answer to the Feb slump. Massive changes to the conditioning team has occurred but personnel was not really the issue, in fact most have moved on from the club to international level service. It is the amount of time players spend on their feet during the week and lack of match programming for wider squad players which I think need to be addressed.

The first 6 fixtures will provide some indication as to how the season will progress. The first 6 fixtures provide a strong challenge. Last season the return on these opening 6 fixtures was 13pts. So a 30% improvement equates to a haul of 17pts which would be very welcome. However, the opposition in these first 6 fixtures has changed, based on the League position finish last season of our first 6 opponents the challenge looks much tougher. Like for like against these teams, based on last seasons results, we would have achieved a total of only 9pts, with the added 30% performance increase that equates to some 12pts from the first 6 games. Now that does not look too great and would result in a League position of about 9th/10th after 6 games. Point is as Wasps supporters we have a tough opening batch of fixtures and will need to hold back on the expectation and be patient. Anything in single figures and we should be concerned about achieving a 6th placed finished, anything north of 12pts we should have a satisfied, confident grin.

We had an outstanding finish to last season with the Euro play offs but this needs to be put into perspective. Our Prem home record reads won 5 from 11 (inc The Stinger) and the Feb onwards form was won 3 from 10. The key benefit of this end of season performance is for the longer term future and not necessarily next season (2014/15). We certainly need to back up that performance with a top six finish, however recruitment with an eye on season 2015/16 is the main benefit and we need now to maximise the advantage. At this point we are now a much more attractive proposition for experienced quality players. In my experience the pounds shillings and pence are obvisously important to players however to the highest level players, playing in the top competitions is also a high, if not higher, priority. Now we could wait and let the season unfold or we can make hay whilst the sun shines and start signing players now. That is current squad players extensions and new players, ready for season 2015/16 and beyond. Most importantly any recruitment needs to be geared to the playing style direction the coaching staff are taking the squad and hence they need to be briefed on the current progress with securing a ground the key issue being the likely playing diamentions of the new pitch and building a squad to suit.

At present we should assume this communication is taking place and a new ground would come with a pitch of maximum size dimensions, a jointly shared rugby/soccer stadium may not provide the width we need to benefit from the pace and mobility within the squad. The main strength of the current Wasps squad, what has really saved the day for Wasps, is the exceptional pace and individual brilliance within the squad. It is no great surprise that Wasps perform/compete much better on wider pitches in good conditions. Adams Park is narrower than the maximum permitted, our home form is poor and our away form at certain venues is very good, Twickenham being one example. Basically the squad strengths are not being complimented by the Adams Park pitch, but it is the long term we need to build for not just this coming season, the long term offers a different pitch option.

11 of the Prem matches are at home (LDH permitted), playing in an environment which compliments our strengths or adjusting the squad to suit, seems to make sense to me. Indeed when we played at Loftus Road with a narrow pitch the playing patterns and recruitment was designed with this very much to the fore. The pattern was flexible with the ability to be effective on the wider surfaces, however a narrow pitch was not a disadvantage to us but was mostly to visiting teams. The move to Adams Park fitted perfectly with the squad strengths and although playing patterns changed when Warren Gatland took charge introducing Gatlandball and also the rush defensive system introduced by Shuan Edwards both these systems very much complimented the playing pitch diamentions and the strengths of the squad. Nowadays there are more fixtures played on maximum width pitches, but we currently suffer with half our games played on a pitch which does not fully compliment our squad strengths. Our playing systems are also a little unclear, seemingly centred around a forward dominated, safety first approach, which does change within games when the need arises to a more risk orientated approach. However this more risk orientated, catch up rugby style approach has produced our most successful periods throughout the season, albeit usually when chasing a game. This has resulted in a important gain in terms of losing bonus point tally. Greater commitment to bring the pace we have into the game earlier, albeit on a narrower pitch, may well be an answer short term/long term to a more competitive consistant performance and help to improve the overall handling, passing accuracy - (match) practice makes perfect.

So getting back to the need now to recruit for the longer term future, in particular we need a Fly Half of International status to take us forward if we are to be serious contenders for top 6, top 4. Andy Goode has contributed massively to the current success of Wasps this past season and will again provide excellent direction this coming season. However his natural game does not bring the outside channel into play as a major threat enough through distribution, although this is compensated for to some degree via his vision and ability to kick accurate cross field type kicks to stretch defences. However the key point is Andy will not go on forever, hence a Fly Half with the ability to manage the game, make best use of the pace available out wide and distribute effectively is a key requirement and should be addressed now whilst we are in a position to attract the very best. It may well be the recent recruitments of Jackson and Lozowski provide the answer however that is yet to be seen. The fact is we now have a squad pretty much capable of winning the League with the exception of a current World Class fly half, which all teams above us do possess. Teams that win the throphies all have top class 10's.

Further to this we have pretty much all in place with a mobile, skilful squad of players with great pace throughout. The front line additions to the squad with Gaskell, Miller and Leiua fit perfectly with overall strengths of the current squad and I'm sure other new recruits will as the season progresses provide great competition and real options for the selectors. An addition of another top level scrum half to compete with Joe Simpson (and keep him fresh) with pace and threat along with another inside centre with the ability to truck it up and off load/present momentum ball quickly would also be on my initial want list.

Off the field many changes have taken place. However the only effective, significant change will be ownership of a stadium or definite news of this objective. The Stinger was a big success in terms of a great event, a great day out and demonstrated the potential of the club, even though it was a financial loss falling about 15,000 short in terms of attendance for break even, it did however provide a massive boost and injection of confidence into the Club. The short and long term future of the club is currently still very much dependent on a generous club owner and will remain this way until a stadium is in place. A top 6th finish and with it inclusion in the top level European competition has significant financial implications. Rising the average attendance at Adams Park this season will of course be very welcome but filling the stadium every week will only just about balance the books. We need the ability to run conference events, gain more from food and drink sales and turn the Stadium into a major income source 7 days and week throughout the year.

In summary, on the field, we now have momentum and need to maintain this. A 6th placed and above finish is achievable with the assembled squad. It will not be a gimme, the first six fixtures provide a real challenge. The squad additions should provide the consistency we require. The accuracy required will only come from playing outside our comfort zone and challenging our skill sets in a match environment on a regular basis. We need to understand better the playing environment and play appropriate patterns to suit. I think just about every player, coach, supporter understood the advantages playing towards the clubhouse at Sudbury. Adams Park has more subtle characteristics and playing patterns need tweaking to maximise performance. On the field confidence is everything in sport and I believe the confidence gained from the Stinger and at the end of last season will be evident at the start of this season and carry us through the first 6 fixtures with a 12pt return. This will provide the base to go on to achieve a 6th placed finish. Just need a strong start to the season.

Season Predictions - 

Saracens - Top 4

Northampton - Top 4

Leicester - Top 4

Bath - 4th to 6th

Harlequins - 4th to 7th

Sale - 6th to 9th

Wasps - 6th to 9th

Gloucester 6th to 9th

Exeter 8th to 10th

London Irish 8th to 10th

Newcastle 11th or 12th

London Welsh 11th or 12th

Pitch sizes from Premiership Rugby - 

Bath: 100m x 68.5m, 5 m in goals.

Exeter: 100 m x 69m, 14 m in goals.

Gloucester: 97m x 70 m, 7.5m in goals.

Harlequins: 100m x 65m, 8m in goals.

Leicester: 89m x 64.5m (post to post).

London Irish: 94m x 68m, 5.5m in goals.

London Wasps: 94m x 68.5, 5m in goals.

London Welsh: 98m x 70m, 10m in goals.

Northampton: 100m x 70m, 8m in goals.

Sale: 100m x 67m, 6.5m in goals.

Saracens: 96m x 68m, 5m in goals.

How to exploit space out wide by pictures.

Picture 1) 3 men inside 5m channel. Space but not much. Passing player square pulling tackler onto them - hence preserving the space. The defender/tackler should drift/push out but he is sucked in by the quality of the pass.

Picture 2) Ball carrier is fixing defender with eyes and by staying square. Ball held high providing ability to pass left or right. Most important the ball carrier can advance very close to defender and still be able to pass, hence holding the defender.

Picture 3) Note the passer is engulfed by the defender - he has pulled him right into the tackle but the ball has gone into the space which has been preserved.

Winger is now away with one defender to beat. He cuts inside and feeds the 8 who goes in for a simple try. I say simple. I don't think many other teams in the world could do this, remembering two back row forwards were involved in the action. 

Pictures 4 and 5) Below.

What happened to the England defence ?

In the 3rd Test, NZ v England, in the first half it appeared that NZ were able to simply pass the ball into the wide channels and be presented with massive overlaps, 3 v 2, 3 v 1. Watching the game live I guess like many others my head filled with horror with the ease that these situations were created.

NZ scored 4 tries during this period and butchered 2 more, if that is the correct adjective. NZ are not in the kitchen chopping up joints of meat they are in the hospital theatre, performing the most delicate operations...at speed...some go wrong...Julian Saver salvaged one with a brilliant pick up off his toes. Space had been created, space had been protected and the ball passed into the right area but only just clinically enough - space exploited - try. Passing is not just about transferring the ball from one to another, it needs to be performed with the defender/defence as the trigger. Knowing why you are passing, how to pass with the end outcome in mind, and hence when to pass. Technically a player needs a range of passes and needs to apply the appropriate technique to fit the bill. Spin passes are seldom the correct option when trying to expose an overlap or put a receiver through a hole.

Most of the post match inquest has focussed on individual stats, highlighted that things improved for England when subs were made and a big bollocking was administered at half time. If it was only that simple - the game was over.

To me there is far to much focus on stats - tackles made, tackles missed, meters made etc. Stats are becoming a comfort zone for players and coaches, they should be viewed as a guide and no more. For instance a tackle on the front foot is vastly different from one on the back foot. In particular in this 3rd test the damage was done way before the ball arrived in the wide channels. The defenders in these channels had little or no chance of making effective tackles, being faced by often 3 attackers all on the front foot. It is far too easy to say these individual players had a bad day at the office. It was the unit defence and the brilliance of the NZ passing and support movement that were the key factors.

Equally first half line speed was another reason put forward as the issue for the poor defensive display, justified by we improved line speed in the second half and then defended much better. Line speed improved, did it, where's the evidence for this. Sure it was nothing to doing with NZ taking their foot off the pedal just a bit and making a change at 10 later on.

No, to me all these comments have little to do what really is going on. It's all down to the ability of the NZ back line and squad to pass a ball accurately and more efficiently than any other team. To me the same occurred in the first test but the end result did not manifest itself as the execution was just not good enough, they were rusty. 2nd Test showed a glint of what is possible, just 20mins worth but enough to win the game comfortably. Also, a quick aside, in the 3rd Test the playing conditions were the worst of all the Tests, so the quality of the passing was even more impressive.

In detail, the NZ backs are capable of playing the ball closer to the opposition, still get the pass away because they hold the ball correctly. What this does is hold the midfield defence. I see endless pictures (see below) of England players passing with their hips turned, ball held low hence not holding the defender.Together with this ability the NZ backs support running lines are more effective as they drift onto their final line very late and right on the tackle line, offsetting the defender. Equally by having correct passing technique enables the ball to be transferred quickly and effectively if need be. Result of all this is the defensive line can end up as startled rabbits as they are drawn into tackles which don't exist as the ball has been moved on.

With England the support runners are mostly on straight lines, the ball is carried too low and the hips rarely stay square when the ball is being passed. In essence our game is to dominate the opposition physically, in the collision, with speed and power and then look for the off load. This game approach being our preferred method of breaking defences and one we are very good at, however very seldom wins tournaments. This method of course also fixes the defender effectively but rarely creates extra space and/or overlaps.

One example of this would Chris Ashton's try in the 2nd Test. Manu Tuilagi ran straight and hard as he does, at 2 NZ defenders in the wide channel (see below). There was no space created. However his power drew in the outside defender and he then made an awesome one handed off load to Mike Brown who magnificently caught the transfer (pass) which was behind him and low. Brown then had a simple task to feed the ball inside to Ashton to score.

Playing this way brings it's rewards and indeed England are very good at this game pattern approach and I believe should simply persist with this approach rather than try and mimic the NZ approach which requires seriously high levels of distribution skills which we simply do not possess. Time and time again we see England create space with 3 v 2's or 2 v 1's but fail to protect the space created by turning hips out in the pass and hence failing to fix the defence or exploit the space created.

To stop NZ we simply cannot defend as narrow as we have been. We need to get numbers quickly into the defensive line, so not over commit at the ruck and work the line speed more but most importantly look to drift the defensive line. NZ will not go through the middle of us, or most others for that matter but they will and do expose teams in the outside channels. Our defensive pattern is fine against other teams but for NZ special measures are required.