I know this is a full week after the game but it’s been a busy week and I’ve only just had a chance to watch the game without interruption so thought I’d put a few thoughts down. As usual, it’s quite long.
Chaos
Understandably there have been comments that this was like the Wasps of a couple of years ago. In some regards I’d agree but I think the Sarries game was marked by far more chaos that ‘2015-18’ side played with. True that team were the best in the league at playing in a broken field, especially off turnover ball but there was a lot more structure to their game and most importantly first phase set plays. Much of our good play then came from a backline move that had been considered and called, we have seen far less of that in the past two seasons. It wasn’t much in evidence last week either. What was in evidence was fantastic ‘heads-up’ rugby. Despite it looking like utter chaos, the way we played intelligently to exploit that was superb and a lot of that was down to Jacob.
I’ve seen people say that Blackett basically told them to not worry about what they’d done this week and just go out and play and by the looks of it that is exactly what happened. Not so much playing with the handbrake off as sticking a brick on the accelerator and everyone grabbing the wheel. It will be interesting to see what changes this weekend. The Rainbow Rhythms style of allowing players to express themselves will obviously have its limitations but I think considering the team we have (especially with more playmakers on the field – more on that later), it suits us. If we could add some first phase moves and set plays, I would be very happy to see this continue.
To offload, or not offload
Fans are generally a fickle bunch. We love to see good, attacking rugby with loads of offloads and miss passes but then get all grumpy about handling errors when they don’t come off. For a while I think Wasps have been a little too risky and that has caused a lot of lost ball and lost opportunities.
As a ball carrier, when you know the tackle is coming you have three options: pass, take the hit and offload or take the hit and recycle. Inevitably you get judged on the outcome – if it doesn’t work you either forced it when it wasn’t on or butchered the overlap etc. Wasps were guilty of this on a couple of occasions last week but far less than usual and we got the rub of the Green for Zach’s first try when Fekitoa probably shouldn’t have tried to offload to Umaga in traffic – thankfully some good tidy-up work and a great pass from Taylor saw us get the try of the week out of it. If we can continue to work on this decision making and cut out some handling errors that will be a huge improvement.
There were some examples of ‘better’ offloading decisions last week. Brad Shields second try is a good example here. Oghre makes the break, he’s got Gopperth and Kibirige supporting him but choses not to give the ball early but rather to dummy and draw the tackler. Alex Goode is forced to go high to prevent the offload to either Zach or Jimmy and Gabs is anticipating this and uses his strength to stay in his feet and ride the tackle, this means that Lewington is forced to come in and turns his shoulder inside, Gabs then gives it to Shields who has a clear run and just has to over power the cover defender close to the line. Here the ball was not shipped on until the player was in a good position to catch it and was clear – good percentage rugby. JTA’s lovely back hander to Zach for his disallowed try is another example of a low risk offload after drawing more than one defender.
Flooding the channel
If I did a word cloud of my musings on rugby, ‘support lines’ would be huge. Wasps always had some of the best in the business (Robson and Young), Tommy Taylor and Jimmy Gopperth are both good and Nizaan Carr is very good. Now Jack Willis has massively improved this part of his game, we have signed Minozzi who is extremely good too and Jacob Umaga looks like being one of the best 10s at running these lines. Everyone knows that the kick is only as good as the chase but a line break is only as good as the support play. If you can make a bust and flood the channel you have a great chance of scoring and we showed that last week.
The Saracens game had numerous examples but I’m going to look at Carr’s try to think about support. Jacob chips and gathers (great play against a hastily reorganising defence after his kick behind Crossdale), he puts Gopperth and Willis on side who support him either side. He could give to Gopperth but tries to round Goode instead and then can’t offload to Willis who has slightly over run him. Willis is disciplined enough not to clear out from the side and allows Taylor to do the clearing but it means scrappy ball and the chance has almost gone. Tibo get the dustpan and brush out and gives a good offload to Willis who makes a good charge and is supported by Umaga. Everyone now goes forward and floods the channel, Umaga has five players supporting him (Taylor, Willis, Gopperth, Robson and Carr) he choses Carr and he goes straight through the gap. It may not have been the prettiest but it shows how we are always thinking about how to support the carrier. It was also evident in both Zach’s tries, Umaga’s and Brad Shields’ second. More of this please.
Sopoaga
It’s been great to see the positivity about his performance off the bench. I thought he was superb. It’s led to some chat on here about using him at 15 and I think there is definite merit in that.
Firstly, it’s been said before he hasn’t been the right fit for us at 10. In some ways it has led to both him and Robson not playing as well as the can. Lima is not great at being the principle decision maker and playmaker. That might seem bizarre for a first-five but at the ‘Landers he had Aaron and Ben Smith at 9 and 15 who were very intelligent footie plays and able to call the plays and give Liam more room for expression. Dan Robson is not that kind of 9, he’s not really a playmaker; he’s at his best supplying quick ball, making snipping runs and running great lines. With Sopoaga outside him he seemed to be overthinking – possibly because he was having to take on extra playmaking responsibility. Stick Lima in a team with Jacob and Jimmy and he doesn’t have all that responsibility, he can play his game. Again, looking at the 2015-18 team it was best with Cips, Jimmy and Beale or le Roux – again, three playmakers.
I noticed that he and Umaga switch between who was first receiver and who would hang back which means the opposition are having to think a lot more and gives more variation. More playmakers also suit a more open style. They have the vision to see through the mess and the ability to make the passes and kicks. Having a playmaker in the 15 slot also allows them to join the line and add a creative element. What about Minozzi? Well, I wouldn’t start Lima, Jacob and Jimmy every game but I’d like to have the option and I’d like them all in the 23 plus Minozzi is a very good 11 too and could easily play a few games there for us.
Topic: Some thoughts from last weeks game (Read 1340 times)
Always a Wasp