Backs are turning into grunts now
HEARTFELT apologies in advance to forwards everywhere for this treacherous item because I know how incredibly hard you all work and heavens knows the bloody backs already get more than enough glory, headlines and sponsorships.
But a harsh fact of life needs to be addressed and some coaches have already clocked it and acted accordingly. Some backs – curse them – could actually be much better than forwards at scoring from a foot out and finding a way over the line after their hard-working pack have gone through their various muscular lineout rumbles and latch-on ploys as they lay siege to the opposition line.
In the past we have rather mocked the dilettante showoffs as they raced in from wide open spaces, full of the joys of spring and their kit still untouched by mud or perspiration, to join the maul and add their ‘weight’ and dubious grunt to proceedings.
Getting in on the act and gate-crashing are two of the more polite terms used to describe such behaviour even though most forwards, frankly, scarcely noticed their presence.
Still at least the backs were showing willing and coaches like all that ‘collective’ stuff with everybody putting their shoulder to the wheel for the greater good.
But wait. Are we seeing a major development in this? Last weekend no fewer than three backs joined said mauls and actually scored the tries, showing great awareness and try-poaching qualities to seal the deal and earn the five points.
We had Jonny May cleverly sneaking over for Gloucester up at Newcastle, little Harry Randall joining the fray for Bristol at Exeter and securing the touchdown and then Mike Brown expertly finishing off a rumble for Quins with an unstoppable low dive against London Irish. In the past we would fine the upstarts for such impertinence but it seems this is about to become the new norm.
And to be honest it all makes sense if we can just put our prejudices to one side. May is one of the great try scorers of modern-day Test rugby and Mile Brown is Quins’ record try scorer in the Premiership. They possess god-given gifts of spatial awareness and natural tryscoring instincts, to use the vernacular they know where the line is. Most forwards don’t.
May and Brown might not pack the poundage of many forwards but neither are stick insects and they are pretty muscular and sinewy in their own right. More than that they are agile and quick, they can slip off a big enveloping tackle rather than try to absorb it. They can jacknife and find new angles of approach. They can explode out of the blocks from a very low starting point.
When they – and others like them – join the heaving mass of humanity on the opposition line, or lurk just to the side, all they see is the white line or microscopic holes in the defensive line. They are not looking for the next contact or collision.
Their mindset is different to the majority of the forwards who are going through an almost choreographed routine of pick or latch-on, drive, take the hit, recycle. And repeat. Possibly 15 or 20
times. On they endlessly go, it becomes a macho arm-wrestle and test of strength and ball retaining qualities with the ultimate aim to manufacture a position in which there simply aren’t any defenders left – or perhaps just one – to make that ultimate hit on the line.
It requires Zen-like patience and calmness under pressure and recent evidence suggests that some sides – notably Wasps and Bristol against Exeter in recent weeks – are beginning to counter such tactics fairly comfortably. So why not introduce
the x-factor of tryhungry backs such as May and Brown?
As for Randell that was another interesting case. The smallest player in the Premiership joined the tryscoring rumble very early in proceedings, clearly by design, and it was interesting to see him burrow over almost unnoticed while all the huge muscular lads were engaging in their usual argy bargy two or three feet above him virtually unaware of the scrum-half ’s presence.
You can’t help thinking that sometimes forwards
don’t see the wood for the trees in these situations.
I remember a few seasons back Munster were entertaining Racing in a big European game at Thomond and the two packs were going at it hammer and tongs on the Racing line.
What everybody had missed, other than Conor Murray, was that the ball had popped out and was sitting on the try-line unnoticed. He simply did what any natural try scorer would do and lent over from an onside position and dobbed down for five points. Simple.