O
ollybarkley
Guest
I've been watching rugby for 15 years now and have noticed something similiar about the teams that win the world cups; they all field a ball handling and kicking center in the mid-field to take some of the heat off of the #10.
1995- South Africa won with the tandem of #10 Joel Stransky and #12 Hennie Le Roux, while New Zealand fielded #10 Andrew Mehrtens and #12 Walter Little (who had also played #10)
1999- Australia won with the tandem of #10 'Bernie' Stephan Larkham and #12 Tim Horan (who had been capped as a #10, although a running one), while they beat the French, who fielded #10 Christophe Lamaison and #13 Richard Dourthe (who always wore 13 but actually was playing 12....and had played #10 before)
2003- England won with the tandem of #10 Jonny Wilkinson and #12 Mike Tindall (but it was the inclusion of Mike Catt who gave them a chance to win) while Australia fielded #10 Stephan Larkham and #12 Elton Flatley
2007- South Africa won with #10 Butch James and #12 Francois Steyn, while England fielded #10 Jonny Wilkinson and #12 Mike Catt
New Zealand has long been running this system for a long time, since 1995, hence their success at breeding finshers and playing winning, open rugby. Mehrtens with Little outside him. Mehrtens with Aaron Mauger outside him. Mehrtens with Dan Carter outside him. Carter with Mauger outside him. Carter with Luke McAllister outside him.
Australia did the same, even as far back as the 80's, with Mark Ella and Michael Lynagh. They then partnered Larkham with Horan, and then Larkham was partnered with Flatley, and then finally Giteau. Now Giteau has taken the jumper and has been partnered again with Derrick Barnes.
France have long played with Damien Traille running outside of their #10's, like Thomas Castaignede, Freddie Michelak, and others.
Wales have now gotten into the act, partnering Gavin Henson with James Hook or Stephen Jones, whomever is in the pole position for the #10 jersey at the time. Same with Ireland, who have started using Paddy Wallace as the mid-field distributor to free up Brian O'Driscoll to be the strike runner that he was when he first arrived on the scene.
1995- South Africa won with the tandem of #10 Joel Stransky and #12 Hennie Le Roux, while New Zealand fielded #10 Andrew Mehrtens and #12 Walter Little (who had also played #10)
1999- Australia won with the tandem of #10 'Bernie' Stephan Larkham and #12 Tim Horan (who had been capped as a #10, although a running one), while they beat the French, who fielded #10 Christophe Lamaison and #13 Richard Dourthe (who always wore 13 but actually was playing 12....and had played #10 before)
2003- England won with the tandem of #10 Jonny Wilkinson and #12 Mike Tindall (but it was the inclusion of Mike Catt who gave them a chance to win) while Australia fielded #10 Stephan Larkham and #12 Elton Flatley
2007- South Africa won with #10 Butch James and #12 Francois Steyn, while England fielded #10 Jonny Wilkinson and #12 Mike Catt
New Zealand has long been running this system for a long time, since 1995, hence their success at breeding finshers and playing winning, open rugby. Mehrtens with Little outside him. Mehrtens with Aaron Mauger outside him. Mehrtens with Dan Carter outside him. Carter with Mauger outside him. Carter with Luke McAllister outside him.
Australia did the same, even as far back as the 80's, with Mark Ella and Michael Lynagh. They then partnered Larkham with Horan, and then Larkham was partnered with Flatley, and then finally Giteau. Now Giteau has taken the jumper and has been partnered again with Derrick Barnes.
France have long played with Damien Traille running outside of their #10's, like Thomas Castaignede, Freddie Michelak, and others.
Wales have now gotten into the act, partnering Gavin Henson with James Hook or Stephen Jones, whomever is in the pole position for the #10 jersey at the time. Same with Ireland, who have started using Paddy Wallace as the mid-field distributor to free up Brian O'Driscoll to be the strike runner that he was when he first arrived on the scene.
