During my early coaching days, I attended a conference at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) that focused on the emotive subject of defensive systems in rugby. Renowned coaches were in attendance, discussing their philosophies on strategically depriving the opposing side of time and space, all while in a room teeming with pocketed, eager attitudes, ready to either attack or defend the speaker’s point. The speaker, undoubtedly, fell into the category of proponents of either the rushing or sliding defensive systems.
Just to clarify, the rising defence strategy, as we know it today, isn’t a brand new concept. This approach was first introduced by Warren Ryan, a rugby league coach, who pioneered this defensive system when he steered the Canterbury-Bankstown rugby league club to victory in the Sydney Premiership during the years of 1984 and 1985. At that time, it was referred to as the “umbrella defence”.
Shaun Edwards, a highly regarded defensive coach from Wales who trained under Ryan at the esteemed Balmain Tigers rugby league club in 1989, took Ryan’s umbrella defence concept and implemented it during his time as a defensive coach at Wasps. Hence, the rushing defence system, now employed by South Africa and currently Leinster, is not an innovative concept.
At the aforementioned AIS seminar, a heated debate ensued about the pros and cons of each defensive system. Amidst this discourse was our mentor, Brian ‘boxhead’ O’Shea, also known as ‘Box’, the AIS head coach. He was also a significant contributor to the wealth of knowledge in Australian rugby during the 80s and 90s. Box quietly observed the unfoldings in the room from the rear, permitting the haughty, careless, and self-absorbed to vividly demonstrate their traits.
At the end of the discussions, ‘Box’ silently strolled to the front of the auditorium and wrote a basic multiplication equation on the whiteboard without even acknowledging the panting crowd.
100m x 70m = 7,000m²
Without turning to face the audience, he asked, “What’s that?”. After a considerable pause, someone broke the silence with the answer, “The area of a rugby field”.
Box emphasised that a rugby pitch does not possess fixed measurements due to variances in width and the extent of in-goal zones. For the purpose of our conversation, however, he proposed the field was 7000m². Following this, he presented a quick subtraction equation:
7000m² – 15m² = 6985m²
He did not invite any interpretations of his calculations. As a philosophy instructor guiding a group of students trapped in misguided beliefs and unable to grasp the blatant truth, Box was at his wits’ end.
He asserted each defending player occupies approximately a square meter. Therefore, every defensive system presents an open area of 6985 m² to attack. All defence mechanisms are flawed and susceptible. They’re not foolproof. The onus is on the coach to analyse these gaps and then devise strategies to exploit such failings. Box, once again, hit the nail on the head.
The enduring fact from this lecture is that proficient attacking coaches can understand and exploit the vulnerabilities of all defence systems if, prominently IF, their team has advanced attacking abilities.
The defence system of Leinster, drilled by Jacques Nienaber, is a mirror image of Warren Ryan’s strategy, aligning defenders side by side, condensing them to cover merely 40m of the pitch’s 70m width. Players then swiftly move off the line, confident that their tight formation will snatch enough time and space from attackers, preventing them from accessing the open 6985m².
Replicating the South African team’s tactics in the previous World Cup, Leinster leaves enormous open areas outside the reach of their last defender. Ireland’s precise and adept passing game bypassed the Springboks rush twice this season, demonstrating the applicability of Box O’Shea’s remark.
La Rochelle’s performance versus Leinster in the quarter-finals would have set off alarm bells in D4 as they generated multiple opportunities to score. Nonetheless, their passing abilities and choices on the day were subpar, failing to cash in on these chances.
Looking out across the grand breadth of Croke Park, Northampton – a squad of outstanding skill – will provide a unique test. Northampton’s victory over Munster at Franklin’s Gardens was a mastery of exploiting space, demonstrated through superbly executed passes and deftly controlled kicks. The crux of this exceptional offensive play was Northampton’s strategy; to bypass Munster’s line of defence, they had to plough through it first.
Despite the thrilling tries against Munster, the foundation for these successes was the relentless effort of Northampton’s forwards. Their brute strength and brute force birthed the opportunities for their swift-footed backline to slip around the red jerseys. Swift ruck possession, made possible by a forceful forwards performance and paired with dexterous backs play, is the Achilles heel of defensive lines in a hurry.
However, Northampton will be met with a Leinster outfit brimming with talent and poise. One key factor in Saturday’s match will be Leinster’s exhilaration to play in Ireland’s hallowed sporting ground, Croke Park. No other stadium in the world captures a nation’s essence and identity quite like Croke Park does for the Irish.
For me, it encapsulates the collective mindset born from the human spirit’s resilience to overcome colossal adversity and insurmountable odds, cultivating an unyielding resilience that not only remains steadfast but after enduring long suffering and resolute defiance, triumphs in due course.
Perhaps it is apt that Leinster, a team who season after season has tasted the bitter defeat – always by the slimmest and most demoralizing margins – continue to confound the pessimistic prognostications and repeatedly emerge beyond expectations. It is especially appropriate that this team, demonstrating unwavering belief in their own ability and their coaching staff, time and time again without reward, have been bequeathed with the motivation of playing at Croke Park.
If Leinster intend to defy the odds and emerge victorious this season, a simple whiteboard strategy of defensive Xs and Os will not suffice. They need to absorb into their hearts the inestimable endowment that fills the air of Ireland’s most esteemed sporting shrine.