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2024 Guinness Six Nations
"No-Ruck" tactics
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<blockquote data-quote="Goodey" data-source="post: 840225" data-attributes="member: 69270"><p>I watched the game late and I am kind of floored by the difference between the reaction and what actually happened.</p><p></p><p>My first impression from player, coach and pundit comments was that Italy successfully disrupted England thanks to this tactic and, were it not for a late collapse, nearly beat them with it. Not just Jones having a bluster and fans excited to see England struggle either. O'Shea: "Everything we did was completely legal; <strong>I was incredibly proud of what the players put out there.</strong>"</p><p></p><p>Then I watched the game and this isn't close to what happened. Firstly, England ran in six tries, more than they scored against Italy last year and twice as many as Wales scored against them earlier this year. That is a shellacking and there is no reason for O'Shea to be proud of his side's defence that continues to ship as many tries as the side facing them can construct.</p><p></p><p>It's true that Italy led at half time and that is because England played badly regardless of what was put in front of them. Italy didn't stop England scoring, England did. Throughout the first 20 minutes England's shoddy kicking and handling left them scoreless, and the very first mention of the no-ruck tactic on commentary happens after 22 minutes. Shortly afterwards Hartley and Haskell have that conversation with Poite, and England score three tries in the next 20 minutes, and would have had a fourth had May not dropped it. That butchered try is actually the video currently stickied on reddit to show everyone what Italy's tactics were <strong>and it shows them getting beaten.</strong></p><p></p><p>ESPN headline right now - "Italy silence doubters with ruckless riddle". The article is full of praise for a defence that was fortunate to only let through six tries. Guardian article on the same topic - "England caught cold by Italian rules of engagement" and claiming "it worked a treat." The last time England haven't conceded six tries in a match was the SA tour in 2007. Guardian writers on that day - "In 101 years of fixtures with the Boks, weakened team or not, there has never been a hiding on this scale. With injury and illness also stalking the squad, there is a case for halting the tour on humanitarian grounds. Even the locals are starting to sympathise, comparing the occasion to watching a little old lady being mugged of her pension money." It's baffling.</p><p></p><p>I don't really care for the supposed breaking of the spirit of the laws idea, or it suddenly becoming the new thing for sides to pull off, because on the evidence of this game it doesn't actually work. But I feel like the only one who noticed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goodey, post: 840225, member: 69270"] I watched the game late and I am kind of floored by the difference between the reaction and what actually happened. My first impression from player, coach and pundit comments was that Italy successfully disrupted England thanks to this tactic and, were it not for a late collapse, nearly beat them with it. Not just Jones having a bluster and fans excited to see England struggle either. O'Shea: "Everything we did was completely legal; [B]I was incredibly proud of what the players put out there.[/B]" Then I watched the game and this isn't close to what happened. Firstly, England ran in six tries, more than they scored against Italy last year and twice as many as Wales scored against them earlier this year. That is a shellacking and there is no reason for O'Shea to be proud of his side's defence that continues to ship as many tries as the side facing them can construct. It's true that Italy led at half time and that is because England played badly regardless of what was put in front of them. Italy didn't stop England scoring, England did. Throughout the first 20 minutes England's shoddy kicking and handling left them scoreless, and the very first mention of the no-ruck tactic on commentary happens after 22 minutes. Shortly afterwards Hartley and Haskell have that conversation with Poite, and England score three tries in the next 20 minutes, and would have had a fourth had May not dropped it. That butchered try is actually the video currently stickied on reddit to show everyone what Italy's tactics were [B]and it shows them getting beaten.[/B] ESPN headline right now - "Italy silence doubters with ruckless riddle". The article is full of praise for a defence that was fortunate to only let through six tries. Guardian article on the same topic - "England caught cold by Italian rules of engagement" and claiming "it worked a treat." The last time England haven't conceded six tries in a match was the SA tour in 2007. Guardian writers on that day - "In 101 years of fixtures with the Boks, weakened team or not, there has never been a hiding on this scale. With injury and illness also stalking the squad, there is a case for halting the tour on humanitarian grounds. Even the locals are starting to sympathise, comparing the occasion to watching a little old lady being mugged of her pension money." It's baffling. I don't really care for the supposed breaking of the spirit of the laws idea, or it suddenly becoming the new thing for sides to pull off, because on the evidence of this game it doesn't actually work. But I feel like the only one who noticed. [/QUOTE]
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2024 Guinness Six Nations
"No-Ruck" tactics
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