Video Montage
Rhys Jones
IRB Game Analysis
What is IRB Game Analysis?
… is the vehicle through
which the IRB tracks, at any
moment in time, how the
game of rugby is being
played at the highest levels
and around the world
What do we analyse?
The Shape of the Game
Aim of the presentation
Summarise how the shape of the game has changed
in last 40 years
Modern day Patterns of play, Player sizes & Scrums
Link to coaching tactics and techniques
Warning!
Stat Attack
Any questions please let me know
Difference in 40 years – 2 classic matches
Activity
Scotland v Wales
1971
Wales v Scotland
2010
Difference
Ball in Play
24m 34s
40m 58s
16m more play
Game Stoppages
151
70
81 fewer stoppages
Lineouts
71
21
50 fewer lineouts
Scrums
39
13
26 fewer scrums
Ruck/Mauls
31
187
156 more r/ms
Kicks
85
57
28 fewer kicks
Passes
145
323
178 more passes
Activity cycles
over 30 secs
3
31
28 more cycles over
30 secs
Difference in 40 years – 2 classic matches
Activity
Scotland v Wales
1971
Wales v Scotland
2010
Set
Piece
15%
Ruck/
Mauls
22%
Set
Piece
78%
Ruck/
Mauls
85%
THE SHAPE OF THE GAME
HAS COMPLETELY
CHANGED
MOVED FROM SET PIECE
ORIENTATED TO OPEN
PLAY ORIENTATED
Difference in 40 years – 2 classic matches
Contest of possession
Scotland v Wales
1971
Wales v Scotland
2010
Difference
Lineout Success
43%
86%
Increased
Lineout contest
99%
62%
Decreased
Scrum Success
66%
85%
Increased
Ruck/Maul
Success
59%
96%
Increased
Less contest for possession
Higher retention at set piece and at breakdowns
Summary of Changes in 40 years
Contest
Teams win possession:
Scrum - 9 / 10
Lineout - 8 / 10
Breakdown - 14 / 15
Less of a lottery and sometimes even bad teams
obtain good retention
THE CONTEST HAS
COMPLETELY CHANGED
MOVED FROM
CONTEST TO CONTINUITY
Difference in 40 years – 2 classic matches
Ball in Hand
Scotland v Wales
1971
Wales v Scotland
2010
Forwards
75
156
Scrum Half
93
163
Outside Half
57
98
Back 5
96
165
Total
321
582
Ball in hand = more passes & more contact
Result = A different physical shape of player
PHIL BENNETT 72kg & GEORGE NORTH 104kg
Average Size of Players
COUNTRY
Average weight - kg
WALES
106kg
NEW ZEALAND
106kg
SOUTH AFRICA
106kg
SCOTLAND
104kg
IRELAND
103kg
ENGLAND
103kg
ARGENTINA
103kg
AUSTRALIA
103kg
FRANCE
102kg
ITALY
102kg
Size of Players – Changes
WALES
Backs
Forwards
1960
76kg
92kg
2013
99kg
113kg
Difference
Per
player
23k
21kg
Size of Players – Wales Backs
WALES
Average weight kg
no 11
104kg
no 12
110kg
no 13
103kg
no 14
104kg
Size of Players – Team comparison
WALES
AUSTRALIA
LEINSTER
no 11
104kg
95kg
92kg
no 12
110kg
87kg
93kg
no 13
103kg
98kg
95kg
no 14
104kg
88kg
88kg
THE SHAPE OF PLAYERS
HAS COMPLETELY
CHANGED
MOVED FROM GAME FOR
ALL SHAPES & SIZES TO
ALL PLAYERS NEED TO BE
PHYSICALLY STRONG
BACKS AND FORWARDS ALMOST INTERCHANGEABLE
Summary of Changes in 40 years
Less Set pieces = Less players tied together =
less space on the pitch
More open play events = Defensive players
outnumber attacking players = scoring
opportunities are fewer
Try Scoring
Less Space = Less Tries
The average number of tries in 6 Nations 2013 was
2.5
The lowest in the history of 6 Nations
Try Scoring
Total tries scored in 6 Nations
In 2013
50% fewer tries than 10 years ago
Try Scoring
In 2012 and 2013 – 82 tries scored
In 2002 and 2003 – 150 tries scored
38 more tries scored in 2003 than in 2013
Try Scoring
England
years
2001 and 2002
2012 and 2013
Matches
won
Matches
lost
TRIES SCORED
8
8
2
2
52
12
Most tries scored by any team
in last 2 years was 19
2012 6 Nations - Scrum
Scrum
Scrum
RWC 1987
RWC 1991
RWC 1995
RWC 1999
RWC 2003
RWC 2007
RWC 2011
33
31
25
20
23
18
14
12
18
16
20
23
43
45
18
30
33
32
26
37
27
4
8
7
11
13
13
27
BALL
OUT
Per game
32
29
23
18
20
16
10
6 N 2013
14
59
30
51
7
SCRUMS
Average Rate of
Rate of
Rate of
SCRUMS COLLAPSE RESET PENS/FKS
Scrum
6 NATIONS 2013
Average Scrums per Match
14
Average Collapses per Match
9
Average Resets per Match
4
Average Penalties/FKs per Match
7
Average Ball Out per Match
7
The ball came out of
only 49% of scrums
Scrum
Collapses per
100 scrums
Resets per
100 scrums
Pens/FKs per
100 scrums
2013 6 Nations
59
30
51
2012 6 Nations
49
33
39
2011 6 Nations
53
30
44
Scrum problems are greatest
RWC 2011 (T1 v T1)
50
31
when Tier 1 play Tier 1
41
RWC 2011
POOL MATCHES
Collapses per
100 scrums
Resets per
100 scrums
Pens/FKs per
100 scrums
Tier 1 v Tier 1
50
31
41
Tier 1 v Tier 2
34
17
29
Tier 2 v Tier 2
19
9
17
Scrum
Average No. of Times the Ball came out of Scrum
RWC 2011
POOL MATCHES
Tier 1 v Tier 1
Tier 1 v Tier 2
Tier 2 v Tier 2
6 Nations 2013
No of times ball back into play –
average no of times per game
8 times per game
12 times per game
18 times per game
7 times per game
Scrum
6 Nations 2013
WALES
ENGLAND
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
ITALY
FRANCE
TOTAL Scrums
70
69
69
68
79
79
Pen/fk
44
36
35
33
34
40
Ball out
26
33
34
35
45
39
Own ball out
13
13
15
18
21
26
IN 5 MATCHES!!!!!
Scrum
From Sept 2013, Crouch Bind Set
was introduced
During November window there were
clear signs of improvement
THIS MUST CONTINUE
Tier 1 v Tier 1 Scrums – Rate of Ball Out
Improvement
Increased rate of ball out
Avg.
Nov 2013
Avg.
6N 2013
November
Tier 1 v Tier 1 Scrums – Rate of Collapse
Improvement
Decreased rate of collapses
Avg.
6N 2013
Avg.
Nov 2013
November
Scrum
Summary – November Tests
Overall, the rate of scrum ball out was 58 every 100
scrums but rate increased to 65 in week 2/3
Overall, the rate of scrum collapses was 44 every 100
scrums but rate decreased to 38 in week 2
6 Nations 2014 Coaches Meeting
Scrum
Coaches, Players & Referees have a
HUGE CHALLENGE
to change the image of the scrum
for the Northern Hemisphere
6 Nations 2014 Coaches Meeting
Stat Attack over!
Some questions to consider
Questions
How much time is spent coaching
Open play skills?
Attack?
Defence?
Set Piece?
Set plays?
Individual skills?
Which are the most important?
Questions
Are forwards as comfortable in possession as backs?
Do you agree forwards and backs are interchangeable?
How important is size & strength in the modern day
player?
If yes, why is it important?
Questions
How important is the scrum?
Is it used as a way to restart the match or has it
become a method to obtain penalties?
How do have you found the new scrum sequence?