Look and learn young Grasshopper

[Spiffsson]

Every team in the tournament could learn two things from Japan. The value of

- fast ball
- keeping the ball in hand

They just don't give the opposition time to counterruck or the defence to get marshalled before they're up and running again. And they never kick away possession.
Beautiful rugby.

[jackthelad]

Every team in the tournament could learn two things from Japan. The value of

- fast ball
- keeping the ball in hand

They just don't give the opposition time to counterruck or the defence to get marshalled before they're up and running again. And they never kick away possession.
Beautiful rugby.

.....and how to say Glasshoppel.

[BaggyTrousers]

Yes Spiffer they were a pleasure to watch but teams play how best suit them, I don't see Ireland being best suited to that game.

Intriguingly it's not far from how the Argies have been playing, something that a few years ago you could never have seen them do.

It will be to an extent a role reversal on previous Ireland v Argentina, I see Ireland playing, or trying to, injury permitting, to replicate the France performance. I can see no good reason to vary something that worked so well, physically overwhelm them.

I've never seen Ireland impose themselves physically on a French team as they did yesterday.

I was thinking about the margin of victory & decided to check it out. It is Ireland's largest winning margin against France since the last game Willie John McBride played for Ireland, in a 25-6 win in 1975 in which the great man himself scored the last try, sparking a mini pitch invasion as I recall.

Ever helpful, I found the video, weird looking rugby, we thought it was brilliant at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_ZYyA9iVI

[rumncoke]

Different ball = different game

Harder to catch harder to hold and less easy to kick

The rules of the breakdown were some what different which gave the backs greater space

But at the end of the day it was 15 v 15 passing running with the ball or kicking it

More scrums and fewer penalties


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[bazzaj]

Spiffers I think you are half right as Bagster says you've got to work with the tools you are given.
No matter what you do its has to be done with a high tempo giving sides less time to organise.
You can play a kicking game by drawing players out of position and playing territory but if its simply hoofball its a world of difference.
Similarly you try to move slow ball and you will be smashed.
One thing this world cup has taught us you can struggle at set piece and still win games but you lose the breakdown you have no chance.

The only other thing I might add is that Japan as good as they were to watch, never made it out of their pool and Scotland did which shows they still need to learn a bit themselves

[againstthehead]

Japan had little option. They are a tiny team so no point slugging it out. They need a fast tempo in order to find the gaps in the channels. Fun to watch for sure and nice to see some different styles. The RWC would be pretty bored if everyone played like Ireland...

[Rooster]

Japan had little option. They are a tiny team so no point slugging it out. They need a fast tempo in order to find the gaps in the channels. Fun to watch for sure and nice to see some different styles. The RWC would be pretty bored if everyone played like Ireland...

15 men with small person syndrome are a formidable force