I love how Squidge mixes both guys and girls game in his videos. Also i learned a lot with this one. I can also confim that Galthié first reason for selecting his 15 is the length and quality of the player's kick (Jaminet, Ramos...).
@@rek1827 it's a shame for Dullin, he's a wonderful counter attack player, like the stereotypical full back with (french) flair. But you're right his kicking must be too weak compared to what Galthié would like. Also Dullin takes risks from the 22 and nowadays it doesn't work with the team game plan.
A great explanation video! Here’s a relevant example from recently: In our tag rugby league I’m recognised as ‘the kicker’. There was this one game where we were on last play, and the ball gets passed to me. The defender shouts ‘He’s going to kick and chase it’ (which I had been planning on doing) except half their team drops back to cover the backfield, leaving their defensive line with more holes than swiss cheese! Easiest 50meter dash I ever made, simply because they knew we could kick!
@sumboi2321 And when you're saying Swiss cheese you're thinking Gruyère or Emmental (who have holes). But what is terrifying with Hogg, Capuozzo, or Dupont, is that they could make that run through Comté or Tome (who don't have holes) as long as the slice is thin enough. They run when your defense doesn't even have holes yet but just has become a bit thinner than it was.
That's a big part of Scotland's recent relative success - you have to decide how much to cover the back field for Finn's kicks, but take the risk of Hogg, wee Darcy and VDM running through you. Ireland have coped well with it but England have notably failed.
it takes a special kind of talent to combine this much insight into such a well edited package. not only is the info critical, but the rhythm of the cut used to deliver it. smashing.
Was fully expecting to see Ntamack's in goal bit of magic in this video. Started to worry I wouldn't see it. But Squidge is like Ntamack's hair, always reliable.
All right, here goes. I've enjoyed most of your videos, and this one was long overdue. As a casual but passionate rugby fan, I had not much of an idea of the importance and real impact of kicking, and now I think I'm beginning to get it. I actually found myself trying to analyze the kicking in the France - Ireland, Wales - Scotland and England - Italy games (can't wait for your input on that so I can compare it with my own xD). Thanks mate, you gave me a whole new appreciation for the game I love ! ^^
Great informative video! Would be nice to have a series on different areas of the game like this. This will be really helpful for introducing rugby to new people
Fab video. Love the old offloads and all, but a great kicking tussle is great too. But will definitely be keeping an eye out for some of the things you pointed out. Its going to enhance my watching for sure. Well done - your videos are great, but i thought this one was particularly so.
Well explained, far too much hate for kicking which has always been a part of the game, what I love about rugby and which sets it above football for me is that there is so much going on in rugby and so many important parts of the game, kicking being one of them!
Thank you for explaining this . I love rugby, have for 20 years, but you have blown my mind on how much more is going on. Hope I can appreciate the coming games more with your teachings Professor Squidge.
Good stuff as always. I can't say I'm entirely sold on "Kick Tennis Is Beautiful" but the main point stands repeating; kicking wins rugby matches. I have banged on for years about how the famous RWC99 NVvFRA semi-final is lauded as perhaps the ultimate example of "French flair", when in fact it was ENTIRELY built on kicking, with not a single try-scoring pass involved in France's barrage of 33 unanswered points. Creative, opportunistic tactical kicking rather than a strategic masterplan, but still, a victory for the boot. :-)
This was absolutely great. Really cool to see something you've mentioned a bunch in your other videos fleshed out a covered in details. Would love to see more like this! Keep up the good work Squidge
I don't get why people think kicking is boring because I personally find it very entertaining. Only time I don't like kicking is when it's constantly going back and forth for like 5 minutes but otherwise I'm pretty cool with it
Whats boring is storming down the field and being forced to stop all your momentum and have to kick the ball away because its the 6th tackle. Thats a reason why Rugby Union is superior. Storming down the field trying to get over the try line when youre oh so close is very exciting to watch. Being forced to chip kick it or kick it straight up and often resulting in a turnover and no points in League is equally as boring IMO.
@@Chaz4543 This would make sense if Union didn't have fewer average phases per possession than League does despite having no tackle count. The difference is we kick to attack, you kick because it's better to defend in their 40 than have the ball in your own 40.
@@Jamie-ye7fu If youre close to the tryline and you have to kick after the 6th tackle thats not kicking to attack, thats kicking because you are forced to kick. 9/10 times it fails so I dont see how its a attack move. Its literally a desperation move/kick. I hear so many people say NFL/American football fans would like League better but NFL/American football you get more downs and get to keep on going if you get enough yards. League isnt like that so I would think Americans would have trouble understanding why they cant get more than 6 possessions and are forced to kick it away.
@@Chaz4543 you kick to force a repeat set or to start your defensive set in a good position. same idea as behind union except there's actually variance in kicks. in the 2019 Union World Cup, the most expansive ever, it had the highest average number of phases per possession than all its predecessors and it was still only 3.0 on the dot so you can all moan at being "forced" to kick after the 5th play the ball in league when on average you don't even get through half of that in your game. not that every team does just kick, some might run it and prefer to handover the ball close to the try line than risk kicking it dead for an optional kick, and others might contest a bomb, a grubber, a lateral, etc. people talk about league as though the biggest difference is the tackle count when it's not, it's the tackle itself. the count came 50 years after the play-the-ball as a consequence of the tackle
@Chaz4542 As for NFL, they only have 11 minutes of action in a 3 hour slot so ye tbf I don't disagree, they would probably understand union a lot better.
Thank you for another well researched and brilliantly presented piece. At school (1970s) we were forbidden from kicking, I often wonder how much more we’d have had enjoyed the game with a few more options available to us. If memory serves, Michael Cheika followed a similar approach back when he was coaching Oz. One wonders if he’s applying a similar approach today. With him coaching Argentinian, with their often brilliant employment of accurate kicking.
Great video. Only Australia and NZ hates this kicking game. Cause of the league bias, which actually kick every 6th tackle, lol. Kicking was always at the heart of rugby.
Great video, love it when the videos are about tactics of the game and are more than a review of the latest international fixture. A lot of work goes into this. Its great to see your intellect for the game on show, reason I started watching this channel.
Please make a video about the late 2000s Bulls.. the way they implemented their kicking game was basically cheat code. The kicking ability of Fourie Du Preez and Morne Steyn, combined with the line out ability of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha was something special.
Having finally caught up on this video, I was struck by a few things: 1) People complain about kicking in rugby, despite the sport being rugby union *football* 2) Some of those complaints are because of the fruitless kicking that happened late in the amateur era -- the era of 10-man rugby (I'm looking at you, Rob Andrew -- but not exclusively). 3) Modern kicking helps create space, in some of the same ways that the midfield maul and 6-7 man ruck -- and lack of substitutions -- used to 4) There's a comparison between the balance of kicking and running in modern rugby and the balance of running and passing in the gridiron game. In gridiron, pass-heavy teams still need a ground game, or the defense will focus on the receivers; and run-heavy teams need to pass to keep running lanes open. Kicking in modern rugby helps keep the running lanes open for the attack.
Great explainer, thanks Squidge! Very useful for a casual rugby fan, and an excellent antidote to the shit-tier punditry on major broadcasters. I would be all for more of this kind of "video essay"- style content around a central theme rather than (or better: as well as!) the breakdowns of individual games/teams/players.
What we need to make the 'tennis' of the kicking game more exciting is a camera angle from above or behind the try line, like in tennis, or at least zoomed out enough to see the whole pitch. Even Djokovic v Nadal in a GrandSlam final would be considered dull to watch if the camera view was from the side constantly swinging left to right and just tracking the ball.
I've always preferred a bit of "kick tennis" to the endless running it and running into a brick wall you often get without kicking. Close range pushover tries, like the ones you mostly see in the Premiership these days have now become the staple of boring rugby, imv.
Well if ever there was a need for someone to pull back the curtains on the kicking game in rugby...Great job, Squidge. The videos are impeccably put together and are enriching our understanding of the game.
Excellent explanation of the reason for kicking and understanding of the aim of 'kick tennis' which so many commentators declare is boring and nothing is happening. Lets hope some watch this and these comments disappear replaced with knowledgeable commentary. Now to get rid of 'oh its a scrum no one understands' or 'the dark arts of the front row'.
Kicking video. I think a problem with enjoying the kicking game unless you are at the ground is the TV coverage. When the ball is kicked you see a close up of the player or maybe the back three but you never see how the overall field is set and so what they are aiming to do.
This should be required watching for all the commentators who lazily bemoan "kick tennis". Very happy to hear these exchanges referred to as kicking duels more and more often. That is a much more apt characterisation.
Great explainer - I think that the ones that complain about too much kicking are really those (like me) who were forwards in their playing days and had to relentlessly jog back and forth around the middle of the pitch that felt like an age! Plus I wonder if its because a team only has a few who are good kickers - bit of jealousy maybe?!
Thanks, brilliant ! I always have been annoyed by those pundits who apparently can't make any sense of the game they are supposed to comment, especially when it comes to kicking. I hope they'll watch this and learn a bit ! I am dreaming here, ain't I? But thank you anyway !
funny how there was this witch hunt on South Africa because we kicked so much after we won the RWC and now when other teams are applying it more now its fine. If memory serves me correct Squidge rugby even had digs at SA for kicking to much.
The kicking is the best part, there's huge amounts of strategy There's also a more boring, probability element in play as well. You're more likely to score, regardless of possession, if the ball is close to the opponent's try line. Kicking the ball puts it close to the try line. They either: 1) kick it back, so nothing is lost. 2) Try to hold onto it and lose possession - now you're in a scoring position 3) take possession and start pushing back, in which case they have possession on their end of the pitch and not yours, still better than losing the ball closer to your own try line. Basically, you kick it enough times and something will usually happen.
Always love your videos. This was a great insight for me (a filthy casual) I hope you do a review of the French/Italy game round 1. That was a great match. Keep up the good work
Thanks. So many people now say "kicking is boring" or "scrums are boring" or "mauls aren't part of rugby" and it's sad it's all part of this beautiful sport
Firstly, I appreciate you making analytic videos about rugby, and here explaining the tactics of kicking. In this case, I haven't been convinced. You are arguing that kicking in rugby is interesting. But when people say that it is boring, it's because they are comparing it to running rugby, not because they don't understand how it is tactical and effective. Compare to football. You could say that parking the bus or passing the ball around the back when your team has a lead is actually interesting because, tactically, it forces the other team to advance their players, which can open up an opportunity to attack. It is effective and strategic, sure. But is it interesting? No, because it rarely actually results in anything exciting, and when it does it's because they momentarily stopped doing that tactic. Also, every kick is not boring. Opportunistic chip-and-chases, grubbers, and 50/22s are great. But we are seeing teams that rely solely on their kicking game to win matches. When the first thought of an attacking team is 'kick', then it leads to a boring game. I should add that it's not Rugby's job to be interesting. If a kicking-heavy game plan is effective, then so be it. But with many countries' youth player counts dwindling, and a burgeoning interest in rugby from other countries, I worry that we will not attract players to the game if it revolves around kicking. In summary: 1. It's not that kicking is boring in itself, it's that it's boring compared to running rugby. 2. Yes it is tactical, but this alone does not make it interesting. 3. Every kick is not boring, but constant kicking is. 4. Players from new countries with the potential to elevate the sport such as the U.S. are interested in the game because every play is a running 'flea-flicker', not because every play is a punt.
I can hear Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies crying somewhere about how teams are kicking too much or kicking wrong lol. I love this video, thanks again SQUIDGE for a great video.
Great video. I'm convinced. Now if you can create one on why legalised obstruction, sorry I mean mauling, is not boring and a broken rule then you will have truly outdone yourself.
Would love a video on scrums - really don’t get them anymore - why does the ball get fed into the second row? - why do they always seem to end in penalties (is that the primary goal now if you’re putting in?) Conscious safety is a bigger factor than ever now but surely there is a better way of going about it that doesn’t take 10 minutes of resetting every-time??
So, I HATE kicking in rugby. But after watching this video, you have changed my mindset to try and embrace it. Like I see it I have two options. Embrace it or watch another sport. Its just how the game evolved.
It's the same with pretty much everything performance based in life. The most effective method isn't the most glamorous and doesnt aim to entertain. It just aims to win which is what pro sports is about. Look at Ireland. I personally don't find them entertaining at all but their base is so solid and consistent that it got them to number 1 in the world rankings.
Has anyone tried hire you as a strategist/analyist and if all the top 10-15 teams in the world asked you, hypothetically, what country/team would you hypothectically join?
As a winger I love kicking especially when it’s someone kicking to me it just involves me more especially since my teams forwards are very good so their very ball dominant
I think the issue with kicking (and I understand and largely enjoy it) is that unless you REALLY like rugby it's difficult to understand the nuance with it and how technical it is. It therefore can make the game look boring to the new/casual fan.
I think just watching for that net gain doesn't take much (any?) real rugby knowledge. If you pay attention to where the first kick was taken, you can then pay attention to where that team next have possession to see if they gained territory. Even if you don't fully understand how they managed it you can see whether they kicked well.
@@theodoreroberts8524 I suspect you might be overestimating the casual fan. I watch the games occasionally with friends who don't follow rugby and regularly have to explain the kicking game in particular and why it's important. I grant you some are obvious but many aren't.
Why do I love the game? The 3 S's ... different body Sizes, different positional Skills (and here I include place kickers who are now being devalued by time limits )and Strategy, all are accommodated .
@@SoLazy100 wouldn’t say body size really. Rugby is one of the only real sports where all sizes are useful. Because if you’re fat growing up you’re not getting into any other team sports lol
This is a video I never wanted to see. :-( Never enjoyed kicking (being a forward), but the evidence shows it's a necessity. Andy Goode was right all along!
I think the reason Ireland likes to focus on kicking is because the majority of players have a GAA background. The used to play gaelic football where kicking the ball out of your hands is a major part of the game. If we're in a park with a ball as kids we wouldn't pass the ball like footballers, we kick the ball out of our hands
Do you think the reason the tactical strategic side of kicking isn't appreciated as much is because the TV angle never shows the field as a whole? Seeing the thin slice of +-15m around the ball makes it hard to notice how much territory is being gained or lost, or how the defense and backfield is being manipulated and pulled out of shape. Like you'll see Ntamack has the ball and HE is looking at the whole backfield and deciding where to kick and how the defense response, but the TV is just showing him lightly jogging and then booting the ball back. The key elements of the opposition that are involved in the decision making at that moment are not on screen. While Carrying, running, passing and rucking on the other hand basically 90% of the relevant game info is onscreen (what isn't? Well its how the backs are rotating between the defensive line and the backfield, which informs the kicking tactics. So again we can't understand why they kick because the relevant info is not on screen). Only watching it back carefully can we recognize all the brilliance, which squidge does beautifully and presumably all the coaches and players are poring over it and thus they keep doing it.
As a front rower.... Nothing is more valuable to me than a 10 who can hoof the ball to the other end of the pitch putting the other team under huge pressure. If kicking was not a thing, front 5 forwards would struggle to get around the pitch for 80 minutes and would probably need oxygen on the sidelines like those NFL offensive linemen. Running rugby is great but it's not feasible to constantly attack without having a kicking strategy.
Well today's calcutta cup match had some ridiculous kicking from England, 4 times they kicked on attack in Scotlands red zone and lost possession. Like anything there is good and bad kicking
Wasn't the space made for Quins to score that try because Alex Cuthbert had pulled a ligament and was limping for the whole phase of play? It was pretty embarrassing for Exeter to keep the ball in play so long with a man hobbling around the field, even with multiple opportunities to kick out.
Very nice summary of tactics Squidge. This, to me, is one reason why Ritchie Moúnga will never be a world class international 10; his kicking game is instinctive rather than strategic, lacks for length or pinpoint accuracy, and his decision-making as regards when to kick leaves much to be desired. His off-the-cuff approach works okay for him at club level, where he can rely on the skill and cohesion of his Crusaders backline to exploit the (typically greater) space in Super Rugby backfields. However, the same loose tactics transferred to international competition are too unreliable to be an asset. When it works (as against SA in 2018) he looks like a hero, but too often his hit-and-hope strategy simply surrenders possession for little measurable gain, or worse just gifts the opposition valuable field position (as with his two misses to touch against England in 2022).
This video is silently sponsored by Faf De Klerk and Springbok management.
🤣😂🤣
As a Springbok fan this is still hilarious 🤣🤣
@Hamish Banish It wasn't mockery. I'll be a Bok fan until my casket drops.
@Hamish Banish don’t be so sensitive it was a joke lol - by a bok supporter.
@Hamish Banish it’s a joke you absolutely melt
I love how Squidge mixes both guys and girls game in his videos. Also i learned a lot with this one.
I can also confim that Galthié first reason for selecting his 15 is the length and quality of the player's kick (Jaminet, Ramos...).
and mixed in, it is hard to tell at first sight (at least from wide angle) which is which. 👍
@@nathjones77 from wide angles it must be tough i know ( almost same height and built ).😂
And maybe also why he didn't stick with Dulin, who's the most classy FB of the lot, but also the weakest kicker.
I too appreciate the mix of male and female players to demonstrate the importance of a good kicking game
@@rek1827 it's a shame for Dullin, he's a wonderful counter attack player, like the stereotypical full back with (french) flair. But you're right his kicking must be too weak compared to what Galthié would like. Also Dullin takes risks from the 22 and nowadays it doesn't work with the team game plan.
Since finding this channel, I have completely changed from some that doesn't like kicking to someone that now would kick at every opportunity
A great explanation video!
Here’s a relevant example from recently:
In our tag rugby league I’m recognised as ‘the kicker’.
There was this one game where we were on last play, and the ball gets passed to me.
The defender shouts ‘He’s going to kick and chase it’ (which I had been planning on doing) except half their team drops back to cover the backfield, leaving their defensive line with more holes than swiss cheese!
Easiest 50meter dash I ever made, simply because they knew we could kick!
@sumboi2321 And when you're saying Swiss cheese you're thinking Gruyère or Emmental (who have holes). But what is terrifying with Hogg, Capuozzo, or Dupont, is that they could make that run through Comté or Tome (who don't have holes) as long as the slice is thin enough. They run when your defense doesn't even have holes yet but just has become a bit thinner than it was.
@@Minimoimaximus delicious
That's a big part of Scotland's recent relative success - you have to decide how much to cover the back field for Finn's kicks, but take the risk of Hogg, wee Darcy and VDM running through you. Ireland have coped well with it but England have notably failed.
@@Minimoimaximus You're just making me hungry
What tag rugby if you dont mind me asking
it takes a special kind of talent to combine this much insight into such a well edited package. not only is the info critical, but the rhythm of the cut used to deliver it. smashing.
Was fully expecting to see Ntamack's in goal bit of magic in this video. Started to worry I wouldn't see it.
But Squidge is like Ntamack's hair, always reliable.
Superb video ! With the new 50-22 rule I always wondered why it wasn't so common in the game ?
Because your forwards would smash you in the sheds at half time for making them run around so much 🤣
All right, here goes. I've enjoyed most of your videos, and this one was long overdue. As a casual but passionate rugby fan, I had not much of an idea of the importance and real impact of kicking, and now I think I'm beginning to get it. I actually found myself trying to analyze the kicking in the France - Ireland, Wales - Scotland and England - Italy games (can't wait for your input on that so I can compare it with my own xD).
Thanks mate, you gave me a whole new appreciation for the game I love ! ^^
Great informative video! Would be nice to have a series on different areas of the game like this. This will be really helpful for introducing rugby to new people
Fab video. Love the old offloads and all, but a great kicking tussle is great too. But will definitely be keeping an eye out for some of the things you pointed out. Its going to enhance my watching for sure. Well done - your videos are great, but i thought this one was particularly so.
Well explained, far too much hate for kicking which has always been a part of the game, what I love about rugby and which sets it above football for me is that there is so much going on in rugby and so many important parts of the game, kicking being one of them!
Thank you for explaining this . I love rugby, have for 20 years, but you have blown my mind on how much more is going on. Hope I can appreciate the coming games more with your teachings Professor Squidge.
Thank you. I have always wondered why so much kicking.
A brilliant paradox, being that this is an example of a great breakdown about the kicking game.
Good stuff as always. I can't say I'm entirely sold on "Kick Tennis Is Beautiful" but the main point stands repeating; kicking wins rugby matches.
I have banged on for years about how the famous RWC99 NVvFRA semi-final is lauded as perhaps the ultimate example of "French flair", when in fact it was ENTIRELY built on kicking, with not a single try-scoring pass involved in France's barrage of 33 unanswered points. Creative, opportunistic tactical kicking rather than a strategic masterplan, but still, a victory for the boot. :-)
I was also thinking about this game and how Lamaison (10) destroyed the All Blacks with so many stars including the one and only Johan Lomu. 💔
This was absolutely great. Really cool to see something you've mentioned a bunch in your other videos fleshed out a covered in details. Would love to see more like this!
Keep up the good work Squidge
I don't get why people think kicking is boring because I personally find it very entertaining. Only time I don't like kicking is when it's constantly going back and forth for like 5 minutes but otherwise I'm pretty cool with it
Whats boring is storming down the field and being forced to stop all your momentum and have to kick the ball away because its the 6th tackle. Thats a reason why Rugby Union is superior. Storming down the field trying to get over the try line when youre oh so close is very exciting to watch. Being forced to chip kick it or kick it straight up and often resulting in a turnover and no points in League is equally as boring IMO.
@@Chaz4543 This would make sense if Union didn't have fewer average phases per possession than League does despite having no tackle count. The difference is we kick to attack, you kick because it's better to defend in their 40 than have the ball in your own 40.
@@Jamie-ye7fu If youre close to the tryline and you have to kick after the 6th tackle thats not kicking to attack, thats kicking because you are forced to kick. 9/10 times it fails so I dont see how its a attack move. Its literally a desperation move/kick.
I hear so many people say NFL/American football fans would like League better but NFL/American football you get more downs and get to keep on going if you get enough yards. League isnt like that so I would think Americans would have trouble understanding why they cant get more than 6 possessions and are forced to kick it away.
@@Chaz4543 you kick to force a repeat set or to start your defensive set in a good position. same idea as behind union except there's actually variance in kicks. in the 2019 Union World Cup, the most expansive ever, it had the highest average number of phases per possession than all its predecessors and it was still only 3.0 on the dot so you can all moan at being "forced" to kick after the 5th play the ball in league when on average you don't even get through half of that in your game. not that every team does just kick, some might run it and prefer to handover the ball close to the try line than risk kicking it dead for an optional kick, and others might contest a bomb, a grubber, a lateral, etc. people talk about league as though the biggest difference is the tackle count when it's not, it's the tackle itself. the count came 50 years after the play-the-ball as a consequence of the tackle
@Chaz4542 As for NFL, they only have 11 minutes of action in a 3 hour slot so ye tbf I don't disagree, they would probably understand union a lot better.
Great vid. As an avid rugby fan I think I knew this but the way you detail it obviously is better then how I could ever articulate it. Well done
Thank you for another well researched and brilliantly presented piece.
At school (1970s) we were forbidden from kicking, I often wonder how much more we’d have had enjoyed the game with a few more options available to us.
If memory serves, Michael Cheika followed a similar approach back when he was coaching Oz. One wonders if he’s applying a similar approach today. With him coaching Argentinian, with their often brilliant employment of accurate kicking.
Great video. Only Australia and NZ hates this kicking game. Cause of the league bias, which actually kick every 6th tackle, lol. Kicking was always at the heart of rugby.
Great video, love it when the videos are about tactics of the game and are more than a review of the latest international fixture. A lot of work goes into this. Its great to see your intellect for the game on show, reason I started watching this channel.
the hatred for kicking has always confused me
Please make a video about the late 2000s Bulls.. the way they implemented their kicking game was basically cheat code. The kicking ability of Fourie Du Preez and Morne Steyn, combined with the line out ability of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha was something special.
Having finally caught up on this video, I was struck by a few things:
1) People complain about kicking in rugby, despite the sport being rugby union *football*
2) Some of those complaints are because of the fruitless kicking that happened late in the amateur era -- the era of 10-man rugby (I'm looking at you, Rob Andrew -- but not exclusively).
3) Modern kicking helps create space, in some of the same ways that the midfield maul and 6-7 man ruck -- and lack of substitutions -- used to
4) There's a comparison between the balance of kicking and running in modern rugby and the balance of running and passing in the gridiron game. In gridiron, pass-heavy teams still need a ground game, or the defense will focus on the receivers; and run-heavy teams need to pass to keep running lanes open. Kicking in modern rugby helps keep the running lanes open for the attack.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
With you,
A fullback
This was great! I would love to watch more of these breakdowns. You explain it so well!!
Great explainer, thanks Squidge! Very useful for a casual rugby fan, and an excellent antidote to the shit-tier punditry on major broadcasters. I would be all for more of this kind of "video essay"- style content around a central theme rather than (or better: as well as!) the breakdowns of individual games/teams/players.
What we need to make the 'tennis' of the kicking game more exciting is a camera angle from above or behind the try line, like in tennis, or at least zoomed out enough to see the whole pitch.
Even Djokovic v Nadal in a GrandSlam final would be considered dull to watch if the camera view was from the side constantly swinging left to right and just tracking the ball.
I've always preferred a bit of "kick tennis" to the endless running it and running into a brick wall you often get without kicking. Close range pushover tries, like the ones you mostly see in the Premiership these days have now become the staple of boring rugby, imv.
Awesome video yet again. Thank u. Best rugby analysis around
My favourite part of this video? HAS to be the Squarespace advert. All the little puns and jokes in the footage is perfect.
Well if ever there was a need for someone to pull back the curtains on the kicking game in rugby...Great job, Squidge. The videos are impeccably put together and are enriching our understanding of the game.
Hugely, absolutely massively looking forward to Squidges video on Wales Ireland. Simply cannot wait for it
Love the content...so much to learn from videos like these. Thanx!
The integration of ads get me every time 🤣 "Do you know what else he could launch..." 🤣
Absolutely brilliant. Having watched this can you do a deep dive on Bath's kick game because I don't get it.
Excellent explanation of the reason for kicking and understanding of the aim of 'kick tennis' which so many commentators declare is boring and nothing is happening. Lets hope some watch this and these comments disappear replaced with knowledgeable commentary. Now to get rid of 'oh its a scrum no one understands' or 'the dark arts of the front row'.
Kicking video. I think a problem with enjoying the kicking game unless you are at the ground is the TV coverage. When the ball is kicked you see a close up of the player or maybe the back three but you never see how the overall field is set and so what they are aiming to do.
This should be required watching for all the commentators who lazily bemoan "kick tennis". Very happy to hear these exchanges referred to as kicking duels more and more often. That is a much more apt characterisation.
great video mate helps lot of people to understand how rugby plsurf
I think the William Webb Chicken joke deserves more appreciation, actuallt a really clever joke.
Great stuff as per usual Squidge!
Squidge, you are indeed the master of hindsight.
Great explainer - I think that the ones that complain about too much kicking are really those (like me) who were forwards in their playing days and had to relentlessly jog back and forth around the middle of the pitch that felt like an age! Plus I wonder if its because a team only has a few who are good kickers - bit of jealousy maybe?!
as a springbok fan I LOVED THIS, mayb its the wine talking but amazing analysis.
If there isn't 100's of amateur and (maybe professional) coaches watching your videos then there should be. Great work 👏👏👏
Thanks, brilliant ! I always have been annoyed by those pundits who apparently can't make any sense of the game they are supposed to comment, especially when it comes to kicking. I hope they'll watch this and learn a bit ! I am dreaming here, ain't I? But thank you anyway !
Great video you help a lot for understanding rugby in to a next level
As always fantastic analysis 👏🏽
The kicking primer we all needed. Also the video where we find out Squidge is also into tennis.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! An absolute masterclass in his to analyse the kicking game. You videos should be staple at grass root levels rugby.
Pretty elaborate way of saying that you were a back 😂 good video man
Love these tactical videos. So good, looking forward to the Six Nations even more now as I understand kicking a wee bit more!
Great one! and yes please, more depth on kicking and other tactics
just brilliant! Will this discuss with my 9, 10 and 15 immediately
funny how there was this witch hunt on South Africa because we kicked so much after we won the RWC and now when other teams are applying it more now its fine. If memory serves me correct Squidge rugby even had digs at SA for kicking to much.
The kicking is the best part, there's huge amounts of strategy
There's also a more boring, probability element in play as well. You're more likely to score, regardless of possession, if the ball is close to the opponent's try line. Kicking the ball puts it close to the try line. They either: 1) kick it back, so nothing is lost. 2) Try to hold onto it and lose possession - now you're in a scoring position 3) take possession and start pushing back, in which case they have possession on their end of the pitch and not yours, still better than losing the ball closer to your own try line.
Basically, you kick it enough times and something will usually happen.
Can we do a video on types of kicks please?
Also, tactical options in responses to types of kicks?
Always love your videos. This was a great insight for me (a filthy casual) I hope you do a review of the French/Italy game round 1. That was a great match.
Keep up the good work
Nice. Thanks for this, really well explained.
Thanks. So many people now say "kicking is boring" or "scrums are boring" or "mauls aren't part of rugby" and it's sad it's all part of this beautiful sport
The RWC 🏆 MUST be renamed: The William Web Chicken Cup! 🤣
Firstly, I appreciate you making analytic videos about rugby, and here explaining the tactics of kicking.
In this case, I haven't been convinced. You are arguing that kicking in rugby is interesting. But when people say that it is boring, it's because they are comparing it to running rugby, not because they don't understand how it is tactical and effective.
Compare to football. You could say that parking the bus or passing the ball around the back when your team has a lead is actually interesting because, tactically, it forces the other team to advance their players, which can open up an opportunity to attack. It is effective and strategic, sure. But is it interesting? No, because it rarely actually results in anything exciting, and when it does it's because they momentarily stopped doing that tactic.
Also, every kick is not boring. Opportunistic chip-and-chases, grubbers, and 50/22s are great. But we are seeing teams that rely solely on their kicking game to win matches. When the first thought of an attacking team is 'kick', then it leads to a boring game.
I should add that it's not Rugby's job to be interesting. If a kicking-heavy game plan is effective, then so be it. But with many countries' youth player counts dwindling, and a burgeoning interest in rugby from other countries, I worry that we will not attract players to the game if it revolves around kicking.
In summary:
1. It's not that kicking is boring in itself, it's that it's boring compared to running rugby.
2. Yes it is tactical, but this alone does not make it interesting.
3. Every kick is not boring, but constant kicking is.
4. Players from new countries with the potential to elevate the sport such as the U.S. are interested in the game because every play is a running 'flea-flicker', not because every play is a punt.
I can hear Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies crying somewhere about how teams are kicking too much or kicking wrong lol. I love this video, thanks again SQUIDGE for a great video.
Great video. I'm convinced. Now if you can create one on why legalised obstruction, sorry I mean mauling, is not boring and a broken rule then you will have truly outdone yourself.
9:32 nice pun but that's Ringrose not Henshaw 😉
Great video, mate!
Brilliant, I learned so much about a game I watch a lot. Thanks 🙏🙏
these are the videos i need to improve my game. thanks mate!
There is nothing like getting up from a scrum to see your scrum half kick the ball 60 yards upfield and into touch! Bliss!
Would love to see an analysis of how the stormers play
I think the recent ENG VS SCO game shows that kicking is very important and can make for a good game
Would love a video on scrums - really don’t get them anymore
- why does the ball get fed into the second row?
- why do they always seem to end in penalties (is that the primary goal now if you’re putting in?)
Conscious safety is a bigger factor than ever now but surely there is a better way of going about it that doesn’t take 10 minutes of resetting every-time??
Thank you for this fantastic video... Very informative ✨👌
So, I HATE kicking in rugby. But after watching this video, you have changed my mindset to try and embrace it. Like I see it I have two options. Embrace it or watch another sport. Its just how the game evolved.
It's the same with pretty much everything performance based in life. The most effective method isn't the most glamorous and doesnt aim to entertain. It just aims to win which is what pro sports is about.
Look at Ireland. I personally don't find them entertaining at all but their base is so solid and consistent that it got them to number 1 in the world rankings.
Excellent Squidge!
Has anyone tried hire you as a strategist/analyist and if all the top 10-15 teams in the world asked you, hypothetically, what country/team would you hypothectically join?
(if just reposted this as a headline question/comment - interesting)
As a winger I love kicking especially when it’s someone kicking to me it just involves me more especially since my teams forwards are very good so their very ball dominant
I think the issue with kicking (and I understand and largely enjoy it) is that unless you REALLY like rugby it's difficult to understand the nuance with it and how technical it is. It therefore can make the game look boring to the new/casual fan.
I think just watching for that net gain doesn't take much (any?) real rugby knowledge. If you pay attention to where the first kick was taken, you can then pay attention to where that team next have possession to see if they gained territory. Even if you don't fully understand how they managed it you can see whether they kicked well.
@@theodoreroberts8524 I suspect you might be overestimating the casual fan. I watch the games occasionally with friends who don't follow rugby and regularly have to explain the kicking game in particular and why it's important. I grant you some are obvious but many aren't.
This should be required viewing for every rugby commentator and pundit.
I see Joe Simmonds is now the new Johnny Sexton of these videos 😅😅😅😅
Why do I love the game? The 3 S's ... different body Sizes, different positional Skills (and here I include place kickers who are now being devalued by time limits )and Strategy, all are accommodated .
That's true for just about any team sport.
@@SoLazy100 wouldn’t say body size really. Rugby is one of the only real sports where all sizes are useful. Because if you’re fat growing up you’re not getting into any other team sports lol
This is a video I never wanted to see. :-(
Never enjoyed kicking (being a forward), but the evidence shows it's a necessity. Andy Goode was right all along!
I think the reason Ireland likes to focus on kicking is because the majority of players have a GAA background. The used to play gaelic football where kicking the ball out of your hands is a major part of the game.
If we're in a park with a ball as kids we wouldn't pass the ball like footballers, we kick the ball out of our hands
Round about three hours ago I went to Lidl and got a England rugby ball.iv got back in to the game 👍union or league
Union ofc, not even a question
I am sure this game use to be called Rugby Football 🙂 Pass back to move players around the field, kick forward to create, move into openings.
Do you think the reason the tactical strategic side of kicking isn't appreciated as much is because the TV angle never shows the field as a whole? Seeing the thin slice of +-15m around the ball makes it hard to notice how much territory is being gained or lost, or how the defense and backfield is being manipulated and pulled out of shape. Like you'll see Ntamack has the ball and HE is looking at the whole backfield and deciding where to kick and how the defense response, but the TV is just showing him lightly jogging and then booting the ball back. The key elements of the opposition that are involved in the decision making at that moment are not on screen. While Carrying, running, passing and rucking on the other hand basically 90% of the relevant game info is onscreen (what isn't? Well its how the backs are rotating between the defensive line and the backfield, which informs the kicking tactics. So again we can't understand why they kick because the relevant info is not on screen). Only watching it back carefully can we recognize all the brilliance, which squidge does beautifully and presumably all the coaches and players are poring over it and thus they keep doing it.
Lovely video as always
Nice, I enjoyed that one.
Fantastic video squidge.
As a front rower.... Nothing is more valuable to me than a 10 who can hoof the ball to the other end of the pitch putting the other team under huge pressure. If kicking was not a thing, front 5 forwards would struggle to get around the pitch for 80 minutes and would probably need oxygen on the sidelines like those NFL offensive linemen. Running rugby is great but it's not feasible to constantly attack without having a kicking strategy.
Well today's calcutta cup match had some ridiculous kicking from England, 4 times they kicked on attack in Scotlands red zone and lost possession. Like anything there is good and bad kicking
Brilliant!, just brilliant!
Can you make a video of the laws and rules?
Tactical explainers are great, always wanting to learn more about ruggggggggggggggggeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr
More tactical stuff would be great 👍
Wasn't the space made for Quins to score that try because Alex Cuthbert had pulled a ligament and was limping for the whole phase of play? It was pretty embarrassing for Exeter to keep the ball in play so long with a man hobbling around the field, even with multiple opportunities to kick out.
Very nice summary of tactics Squidge. This, to me, is one reason why Ritchie Moúnga will never be a world class international 10; his kicking game is instinctive rather than strategic, lacks for length or pinpoint accuracy, and his decision-making as regards when to kick leaves much to be desired. His off-the-cuff approach works okay for him at club level, where he can rely on the skill and cohesion of his Crusaders backline to exploit the (typically greater) space in Super Rugby backfields. However, the same loose tactics transferred to international competition are too unreliable to be an asset. When it works (as against SA in 2018) he looks like a hero, but too often his hit-and-hope strategy simply surrenders possession for little measurable gain, or worse just gifts the opposition valuable field position (as with his two misses to touch against England in 2022).
That's Ringrose, not Henshaw, at the 9 min mark
I have watched the first day of the VI Nations with a new eye.