Spy?

[Dai Perk]

So, in the NFL, defenses often employ a ‘spy,’ whose job it is to watch one particular player (usually the QB) and ignore anything else he sees.

Is there a rugby equivalent? Because it seems obvious that teams need to start putting a spy on Sharples... I don’t care where the ball is, you absolutely need someone blanketing him for all 80!...

 

[BPM]

Sharples is having a purple patch for sure, but I feel like you might be giving him a little too much credit. It’s a long time since he was in the picture for England and I’d say most people would regard him as a good, but not great winger.

You can’t really man-mark in rugby. The game is too fluid and unpredictable.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

As BPM said, you can't afford to have 1 of your players focusing solely on one of the other teams players as they will just constantly get caught out in defence. A play in NFL is pretty short and the QB will get the ball once in that time if at all so you can afford to dedicate time to watching just him. In rugby the equivalent would be the 9 and 10 and they will get the ball multiple times, sometimes without a break in play.

 

[Dai Perk]

Interesting, thanks for the insight, guys... and I admit, my statistical sample size is limited, but man oh man, he is electric!

 

[Dai Perk]

Also, “purple patch” has a lovely ring to it, never heard that phrase before.

 

[Scotty]

He's very good club player thats on form, i look at him the same as olly Woodburn. Both good players and both will get many tries but over looked internationaly because they are great at club level but as said they dont stand out in any one area.

 

[Chief Pete]

I think the only time a player would or should get 'special' treatment would be an exceptional FH at their peak of their powers, taking your Sharples example, I'd say stop Cipriani and you go along way to stopping Sharples and Glous as an attacking force, not just down to him but if your talking about shutting a player down then it's that team's outstanding FH for me...