Why the Wallabies won't be following the Springboks' rush defence under Schmidt
New Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has completed his coaching nucleus and with it comes a wealth of experience as well as some early indicators of how his Wallabies team will play.
The “Scrum Doctor” Mike Cron, lineout coach Geoff Parling, analyst Eoin Toolan and breakdown guru the “Lord” Laurie Fisher make up the vastly experienced team which is chalk and cheese compared to the team assembled by Eddie Jones at the start of 2023.
While an attack under Schmidt will be more intricate than seen in previous Wallabies teams the team’s defence and breakdown work will be crucial to improve their fortunes.
The adage goes ‘defence wins championships,’ and Fisher is likely to oversee defence and the contact zone as he did for Dave Rennie in 2022 as his defence coach.
Fisher will bring an attention to detail back to the Wallabies and his expectations will be clear.
His clarity also extends to how he sees the defensive side of the game, a view that has been endorsed by Schmidt.
“If you want narrow defence and balls-out line speed then I’m not your man,” Laurie Fisher told the 8-9 Podcast in early April about his conversations with Schmidt prior to signing with the Wallabies.
Fisher coaches a connected line speed defence, something which he introduced to the Brumbies and subsequently to Rennie’s Wallabies when he was parachuted in midway through their 2022 Rugby Championship.
Fisher knows system accounts for most of a defence’s success and he is forthright about his responsibility as the coach.
“The system belongs to the defence coach.”
“System looks after 80 per cent and your [the player’s] rugby nous, your talent, your work ethic, your ability to react looks after the other 20 per cent,” Fisher said on the 8-9 Podcast.
Fisher will enjoy a slightly better runway this time around than he did in 2022 but he won’t benefit from a Wallabies training camp before the Wales series in June.
The clarity of his communication will be vital to get the team on the same page heading into the July internationals.
By looking back at Fisher’s first four games as defence coach in 2022 one can get an idea of what a Wallabies defence could look like in 2024.
Fisher’s connected line speed system is on full display, with the Wallabies getting off the line quickly.
Once the Springboks play out the back of a forward pod the inner most Wallaby, who in this instance is Rob Valetini leads the line speed, readjusting for the new depth in attack accordingly.
Then Valetini, Hunter Paisami and Len Ikitau nominate and begin to backtrack, robbing the Springboks of space and their numbers advantage.
The key here is connection, the outside man never shoots and trusts the inside player will cover the distance, all the while shepherding the Boks closer to the sideline.
Here is another prime example of how line integrity and connection trumped the All Blacks’ overlap which then forced the All Blacks into making early contact.
Once again it is Valetini and Ikitau along with Marika Koroibete employing the connected line speed against Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane.
On paper that All Blacks backline with half a field of space carves up the three Wallabies, nine times out of ten, but the connection and their patience holds the attack at bay.
The drift and hold concedes almost 10 metres, but it’s a lot healthier than conceding a line break.
The Wallabies’ newly adopted system wasn’t implemented faultlessly, at times players were put in pressure situations which saw players break from the system, leading to grave consequences.
A series of errors here leads to the Springboks scoring in the righthand corner after just three phases in which they gained over 40m.
The first error occurs when Tom Wright jams in on Eben Etzebeth from his wing.
This creates a two-on-one overlap where a system hold-and-backpedal would have resulted in the Springboks running out of space as well as losing their overlap.
The second error comes when Jed Holloway sprints out of the line to push Makazole Mapimpi inside.
While initially it looks ok, the break in system means the Wallabies were unable to fold and hold the width which exposes them in the subsequent two phases.
Although the Wallabies concede points here, it is important to note that it was due to player error, and it highlights the success the system could have at the highest level.
This final clip on the defensive system illustrates its value.
The All Blacks win a turnover just outside the Wallabies 22m, the loss of possession leaves the Wallabies perilously low on defenders.
Only Lalakai Foketi and Valetini are left to defend six All Blacks with half a field to cover.
Brodie Retallick does the right thing by initially taking the space, but Foketi doesn’t take the bait and stays in system and backpedals.
This patience forces Retallick to pass giving other Wallaby players time to track across.
In the end Samisoni Takiaho scores but had just one of the three covering Wallabies made a chop tackle on him, the try would have been prevented.
The system is content to give up metres to allow for a secure tackle.
Should the runner take the outside shoulder then it allows for a dominant tackle away from the inside cleaner which in turn hampers ruck efficiency and thereby ruck speed giving the defence more time to set.
Fisher knows what he wants and has clear principles which he values within his structures, because for him defence is comprised of “many” things.
“Speed off the ground, speed to set, spacing and nomination, connected line speed, high hustle on the inside looks after the inside shoulder of the outside, double ups, get in front stay in front, next action,” Fisher told the 8-9 Podcast when speaking generically about his defensive systems.
Most of these principles are present in this next clip.
Most evident in this clip is the double ups, every tackle is a two-man tackle with the first man going low and arresting momentum.
The speed off the ground by the tacklers is also notable as is the hustle of the inside defender.
The Wallabies results in these first four games with Fisher as defence coach was mixed but it is clear to see that the defensive system served them well.
The system served them even better in the Autumn Internationals where they kept Ireland to just 13 points and almost beat France in Paris.
Fisher is comfortable with how he sees the game and won’t bow to the rush defence gods; he prefers his line to have integrity and trust instead of “balls out line speed” which requires impeccable scramble defence.
It’s unlikely a Wallabies squad will be announced before the end of the regular season of Super Rugby Pacific, but the coaching team alone has the Wallabies set for a higher ceiling than 2023.
Fisher is a key cog in this team and for the Wallabies to win the hearts and minds of Australians once again they’ll need a strong defence as well as a captivating attack.
Comments on RugbyPass
well the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
3 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
1 Go to commentsan impressive nail biting win for the Blues...but for mine the losing of the game sits with Isaia Walker-Leawere who fumbled balls from kick offs, broken play and then stripped of the ball by Sam Nock in the final minute…
3 Go to commentsAll of the Moderna law changes have been to slow the game down, playing into the hands of SA and the north. Incentivising boring, negative rugby. Brilliant changes. Speed up the game.
11 Go to commentsImagine you kick to the lineout, they give away a free kick, you have a great chance at a scrum, sorry sir you have to tap and go. Ridiculous
11 Go to commentsWhile I believe that the Crusaders do not deserve a spot in the playoffs, every single team would be worried to play them no matter where on the table they are. For example, they have the potential to knock out the Blues at Eden Park. They are the Springboks in Super Rugby in that they know exactly how to play knockout footy and have the pedigree and experience to do it. Something is just not quite right with that team this year. Fakatava is prone to to the odd brain explosion and can kick away good ball in bad positions. His work around the ruck and breakdown is a standout. Is he better than Finlay Christie? I’m not sure. TJ Perenara and Cortez Ratima should get two of the spots in the ABs squad. Aumua has so much potential but the midfield is quite well stocked with Jordie, ALB, Tupaea, and Ioane as well as Billy Proctor who is in top form. Aumua would be battling a spot with Tupaea and Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy do some Bok fans get so defensive when people have opinions on how the game should be played? Is it really necessary to take it as a personal attack on SA every time?
11 Go to commentsMost crazy rule is when attacking player has to release but defender does not. Stop the defender doing that by saying hands off. That way fender would not kill the ball. Madness and crazy
80 Go to commentsMinicamp rules include no-pads and no tackling.
1 Go to commentsToulouse has enough quality players so no headaches 😁 Choco is rarely a starting centre. Throughout this championship there have been far worse actions that were never called… too many rules, too many rule changes, too many inconsistencies, too many angry fans. I'm not surprised rugby does not attract new spectators, how could they understand 🤣
6 Go to commentsAh yes Andy with his “Goode” views. Oke might as well come out and say it, “I like seeing South African scrums depowered in order to give the rest of the world a chance”. Somehow he thinks World Rugby always knew about calling scrums from marks and it just so happened to coincide with Damien Willemse’s call that they decided to change the rules. Ah come on, if he can't see it then he needs prescription glasses. No ways, they are doing this for the betterment of Rugby. They want to clamp down on Rassie’s innovative skills than encouraging coaches to think outside of the box to try new things. What they can't count on is what Rassie will plan next. I almost get the impression that once Rassie retires World Rugby is going to be scrabbling around trying to find their identity. Currently set at ARP (Anti-Rassie Party). Although I don't really care in that regard because they always a RWC step behind.
11 Go to commentsWow ten years since they had a backing and more from the paying public I’d also mention that as a blues man and in walking distance to the garden I’d say that this team and Vern Cotter have got us dreaming beautiful thoughts and the merit is there from numbers 1 to 23 but we would like to think this is the new dna for the ABs and a pack weighing 940kg dry y not I hasten to add it seems patty has to stay fit cause he is the driver the main driver and they follow plus the pipe man H Plummer is conducting his own orchestra ….. Beethoven anybody
1 Go to commentsJuicy stuff well covered I’d go as far as to say that the referee was a key component in keeping it a tasty spectacle
3 Go to commentsCotter has added that steel that has been missing. Let's see if it will carry until the Finals… Come on the Blues ….
2 Go to commentsAndy Goode just loves to be controversial. Its boring. Let’s all stop reading.
11 Go to commentsYou have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
18 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to comments