Alex King Joins Northampton Saints

[TRF_Cymro]

Northampton have appointed Clermont Auvernge assistant Alex King as their new backs coach for next season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20912566​

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

A very good appointment. When he took over from Joe Schmidt as ASM backs coach, there was virtually no drop off in the quality of that backline's play.

King was being strongly linked with the Connacht head coaching position.

 

[psychic duck]

A very good appointment. When he took over from Joe Schmidt as ASM backs coach, there was virtually no drop off in the quality of that backline's play.

King was being strongly linked with the Connacht head coaching position.

A very good appointment. When he took over from Joe Schmidt as ASM backs coach, there was virtually no drop off in the quality of that backline's play.

King was being strongly linked with the Connacht head coaching position.

No that's not true.

Firstly, King is the Clermont defence/skills coach not the backs coach which is Frank Azema. And I never read him being "strongly linked" to the Clermont head coach position, as there has been no speculation that Cotter is leaving. Do you have a link for this?

Secondly, Clermont's attacking play fell off significantly after Schmidt left.

When Schmidt was there, Clermont notably scored a load of tries with great backline moves and scored plenty of tries against the best teams in Europe including Leicester, Leinster etc.

Nowadays Clermont are a much more boring forward orientated side. Just look at how they had to grind out an ugly win over Leinster at home, and were outscored try wise by Leinster despite being on top for much of the match in Dublin. Also a much larger percentage of their tries come from short range pick ups, rather than backline plays like they used to. Also they rely very much on the very accurate boot of Parra to win them matches like home game against Leinster and the recent match with Bordeaux. Before the blowout against a poor Bayonne side last week, in their last 4 matches they scored just 3 tries and a massive 24 penalties.

Considering that their entire backline is international class players and the excellent platform and quick ball they get from a strong pack, I think they can do better.

Nothing wrong that they have changed their style from what was previously a combination of power and creativity, and it is now just simply power combined with a deadly boot. However many in the British Isles seem to have been influenced by their Heineken Cup form this season with large wins over Scarlets and Exeter, but they have been winning but not firing on all cylinders for much of the first half of the Top 14.

Here is a video of Clermont scoring 40 against Leicester in 2009 when Schmidt was backs coach and some great running rugby which doesn't happen so often with them now.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SQpxSVvnQQQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Meh ...

Great singing by Northampton, promising English coach who was touted to be part of Lancasters backroom staff. Good deal.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

@psychic duck

King was being strongly linked with the Connacht head coaching position.

I didn't say ASM! Check any of the Irish newspapers.

I stand corrected on King's role with ASM. Nevertheless, it's unarguable that Clermont's ball handling is superb, an indication that he's done a terrific job there.

Not to cherry pick stats but ASM have 45 tries in 18 games this season, averaging around 2.5 tries per game. Under Schmidt as far as I recall they averaged around 3 tries per game. That's not a massive drop off given Schmidt is widely hailed as the best backs coach plying his trade in Europe. I'd suggest Azéma and King are doing something right. That's purely subjective though.

It's an excellent appointment for Northampton.

 

[psychic duck]

@psychic duck

I didn't say ASM! Check any of the Irish newspapers.

I stand corrected on King's role with ASM. Nevertheless, it's unarguable that Clermont's ball handling is superb, an indication that he's done a terrific job there.

Not to cherry pick stats but ASM have 45 tries in 18 games this season, averaging around 2.5 tries per game. Under Schmidt as far as I recall they averaged around 3 tries per game. That's not a massive drop off given Schmidt is widely hailed as the best backs coach plying his trade in Europe. I'd suggest Azéma and King are doing something right. That's purely subjective though.

It's an excellent appointment for Northampton.

Sorry my mistake I read your post wrong.

Clermont's try scoring stats might not be bad, but I reckon if you analyse those tries closer a large percentage of them would have come from short range 5-10 metre pick ups rather than back moves.

It's the Clermont forwards who are most likely the creators and reason behind Clermont try scoring rather than backs. They have dropped off in terms of scoring tries though, which was shown by their inability to break down Leinster in Bordeaux, or score against Toulon in the Top 14 semi last season.

I also reckon that their try scoring average is upped by isolated one off games like the thrashing of Bayonne last week, rather than the general consistent pattern. Also just watch how they play most of the time and you will see they are kind of a club version of Wales at their best with a strong pack, very fit side in defence, and enormous backs and a team who play a power game.

Anyway, King isn't the attack/backs coach anyway that's Azema. He is the skills/defence coach, and Clermont's defence has been very good this season so he should take credit for that.

 

[McTallshort]

Good result for the saints would like to see King move into a coaching role at England level one day.

 

[Teh Mite]

A defence coach would be useful before this season is up... So far you wouldn't notice a difference if Rob Kearney, Mike Brown and O'Gara were staples of the backline.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So far you wouldn't notice a difference if Rob Kearney, Mike Brown [...] were staples of the backline.