How the game took a turn back to heavenly
JOSH RAKIC
August 1, 2010
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RUGBY has come good on its promise. After a year of struggle and dwindling interest, ARU supremo John O'Neill declared at the start of the year that 2010 would mark a rugby revolution. But little did we know how dramatic that change would be, even just six months later.
Courtesy of the new breakdown and kick-chase interpretations, the try tally already stands at a whopping 14 just three matches into the Tri Nations series - more than half the total number of tries scored in the Tri Nations in 2009.
Running rugby is back.
Further proof is the fact that average kicks per match have dropped from 60 in 2009 to just 33 this season - Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper remarkably putting boot to ball just once in Australia's 30-13 win over South Africa in Brisbane last week.
The kicking statistics now mirror those of rugby league's showpiece, State of Origin, giving ARU officials all the more reason to smile as audience figures continue to grow.
"There is no doubt the rugby we saw through the opening three matches of the Tri Nations series was the sort of spectacle we need on a consistent basis across our game, at all levels,'' O'Neill said.
"It was thrilling and absorbing; we had teams running the ball from inside their own 22-metre zone. How long since we've seen that sort of high-octane, positive, ball-in-hand approach on a consistent basis?
"Last week against the Springboks, the Wallabies only kicked the ball 11 times, and Quade Cooper put his boot to the ball just once.
"That in itself would have to be some sort of record for a Test five-eighth. It's almost unheard of when you have a look at some of the statistics from recent years.
''In the Six Nations this year the average was 62 kicks per game. And there were matches at the last World Cup where there were more than 80 kicks in general play.''
Wallabies high-performance director David Nucifora said the breakdown and kick-chase interpretations were allowing players to unleash their natural flair and talent without any fear of failure. ''I think just that ability to put the game back into a bit more parity from where it was - with regards to defence versus attack - has opened the game up significantly and given teams the confidence to use the ball,'' he said.
''That's certainly the issue at the tackle and I think the other thing that's made quite a big difference is the enforcement by the referees with regards to kick-chase - because combined with the tackle law, it's given teams the confidence to be able to run the ball back once they receive a kick.
''Firstly, because they've got space and time to do it, and secondly because they can have the confidence it's going to be an equitable contest at the tackle when they do carry it.
''I think those two things have made a huge difference.
''It's not without risk when you play like that, that's for sure. But you're more encouraged to do it now because you have a more balanced contest in more aspects of the game.''
And if international rugby wants to return to its glory days of the 1990s, Nucifora said teams had better start taking notice.
''I think the Kiwis and ourselves have both adopted that style at international level really well, whereas the South Africans probably haven't quite come to grips with it yet,'' he said.
The Springboks are winless after three matches. ''I think more and more teams from around the world will start to look at it and if they've got the right set of skills, then I think more teams will start to play like this, which will be great for rugby,'' Nucifora said
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...k-a-turn-back-to-heavenly-20100731-110hz.html
