What is swerve? is it effective ?

[alanlee7]

I have watched some videos about how to use swerve to run away from the defender, but i still don't get how the action work. Is it a kind of changing speed move ?

 

[dangandan]

I guess you mean something like a sidestep. As a winger i usually step inside the defender's inside shoulder a metre before i get to him and then step back out again to put him off balance. Sprint it off while you have that advantage and you may leave him for dead. More complicated sidesteps are the one's the islanders use, those are the most entertaining to watch, which i can't do... lol

 

[Charles]

I guess you mean something like a sidestep. As a winger i usually step inside the defender's inside shoulder a metre before i get to him and then step back out again to put him off balance. Sprint it off while you have that advantage and you may leave him for dead. More complicated sidesteps are the one's the islanders use, those are the most entertaining to watch, which i can't do... lol

That would be what I call an inside-out. You cut back in towards the defender to stop him and then take the outside.

Check out Heymans on Muliaina, Shane Williams on SA, Ngwenya on Habana.





You also have the simple side step, usually you cut back inside the defender on his inside shoulder as he is moving towards you laterally.
Juan de Jongh against the Tahs


Sireli Bobo




The Islanders sides step you are talking about is probably the goose step, a step used mainy by Fijians. I can't really explain it but it's very effective.
Sireli Bobo again


William Ryder


Then you got all sorts of variations on a theme, stuff like this



or this, at 1'52



My 2 favorites step vids





Btw, loving the embedding of vids in the posts.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

As I nderstand it a swerve is a small degree of lateral movement at full speed. Check out some of the moves by Joe Rokocoko; he sometimes uses his shoulders to make it look like a step but he never slows down and the movement is minimal.

I tried it as well and it is effective in that if it works you are probably home free as no cover defense will get you once past at full speed. Would only reccomend to bigger wingers who don't step as effectively as the smaller guys though. I found that the defender usually got a hand or arm around me but being a biggish winger (played lock at a point as well) at full speed it doesn't even register.

I'll see if I can find a video some time. Bit busy at the mo.

 

[dangandan]

ah yes i wasn't talking about the goose step but more like the one quade cooper did. back when i lived in new zealand some of the islanders would do a lil jiggly hop and then take off leaving u on ur arse (me).

 

[Charles]

ah yes i wasn't talking about the goose step but more like the one quade cooper did. back when i lived in new zealand some of the islanders would do a lil jiggly hop and then take off leaving u on ur arse (me).

Yeah I know what you mean. William Ryder and Benji Marshall do it all the time.

 

[ranger]

A swerve is pretty much just picking a curving line while you run at full pace. Often you see wingers running full pace just curve infield gently towards the post and the fullback just flys past them. Its beautiful when done properly

 

[smartcooky]

I have watched some videos about how to use swerve to run away from the defender, but i still don't get how the action work. Is it a kind of changing speed move ?

This try scored by Chris Ashton has been discussed on another thread. It is a great example of how to beat an opponent using swerve. The overhead replay shows it best.




Watch from about 1:56 as Ashton does it twice, first to the left catching Drew Mitchell with his weight on the wrong foot, then to the right as he sees defenders coming up on his left.

This is different from a sidestep, which is what Ben Young does to beat Quade Cooper earlier at 1:50

 

[Teh Mite]

Speaking of Ashton, there are loads of examples of him doing it in this vid. The most notable being at 2:00 when he changes direction 3 or 4 times before going (how he was temporarily nicknamed "Snake-charmer").

<iframe ***le="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uKpR9vVY3No" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ranger]

Speaking of Ashton, there are loads of examples of him doing it in this vid. The most notable being at 2:00 when he changes direction 3 or 4 times before going (how he was temporarily nicknamed "Snake-charmer").

<iframe ***le="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uKpR9vVY3No" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That move is pretty but it doesnt really look like a swerve..

 

[Teh Mite]

Sadly the camera was playing funny buggers after the tap-and-go at the 22 drop out. The ball was passed to him and he sailed past someone just as the camera cuts on him (I was in the crowd at the time so remember it). I'd already found the clip and point so posted it anyway!

 

[The_Wol]

Samoan Sidestep - Running over a player

 

[No Soft Centres]

William ryder scares me. Wheres he at these days?