Matson brings the Wayne Smith tackle technique to Quins
FOR all their attacking credentials, defence remains a massive focus at Harlequins as the reigning champions look to sign off the first block of Premiership matches with a win at Wasps.
Defeats to Sale Sharks and, most recently Saracens, and a below-par first-half performance in the win over Bath, suggest the upcoming break for the Premiership Cup is a timely one.
Quins are still third in the table, so there’s no sign of any unease, but head coach Tabai Matson knows they need to reduce their 25 points-per-game-conceded average if they are to have any chance of defending the trophy.
“In my first meeting here Joe Marler said, ‘the elephant in the room is our defence, we are not going to be able to make the topfour is we keep haemorrhaging points like we have’. I think everyone is aware of that,” Matson said.
“One of the things I think the team is realising is that being good at attack and being good at defence are not mutually exclusive, you can be good at both. It’s just about putting some more resources into the other one.
“We are an attack-focused team but it doesn’t mean we aren’t also focused on improving on the lowest lying fruit which is chipping away at our defensive ability.
“After seven games, we feel like we are tracking right but we are still coughing up tries.”
Matson is now more hands-on in his coaching, specifically around tackle technique, and the influence of Wayne Smith has never left him.
“I do a lot of the tackle tech(nique), that’s one area we wanted to put a lot of resources into and that is an area I am passionate about,” said the former Bath coach.
“Nothing that comes out of my mouth is original, I can tell you that. But I was lucky, I was coached by Wayne Smith and he was the All Blacks defensive coach for a decade.
“For me, he is still the best coach on the planet so a lot of the stuff I do around the technical piece of the tackle revolves around the stuff he taught me while I was playing under him. But system wise the game is different here, the way it is reffed is different here.”
One specific area Quins will be looking to improve on is the defensive breakdown, where, according to Matson, Quins gave “Sarries a free punch in the
face”, by not rolling away.
Experienced lock Matt Symons, below, was one of the frustrated spectators at last week’s 29-22 home loss to Saracens but is back in the mix after recovering from a sore neck.
The 32-year-old was given his first professional contract by Matson at Canterbury in New Zealand and the Fijian knows his value to the team.
“I coached his brother Andy as well, and they are both good young men. I always find that players who go overseas to sample a different way of rugby get a broader understanding of the way the game can be played,” the Fijian-born Kiwi said. “From a young age, he was a turbo-diesel. He has got a phenomenal workrate and he carries a massive burden for us.
“He does all that unseen work, he is one of the best in the league at that. When he isn’t on the field, we miss little things in the dark places.”
Symons has spoken about the impact of losing the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Marcus Smith to England.
Last season Quins got off lightly in terms of international call-ups but their two leading lights have finally got the long overdue recognition they deserved from Eddie Jones.
“We’ve spoken about it in the off-season and the challenges that’ll throw up, with a few guys getting called up,” said the lock.
“I guess that played into our hands positively last season and also the way the performance team looked after us, as we had a pretty low injury count.
“It is something we have got to embrace; it is a big squad effort and there’s new guys getting opportunities this week.
“With the salary cap decrease you are going to need more academy guys coming through and playing earlier in their careers at first-team level.”