The Anscombe Plan Starting to Unfold

[breakdown]

So four from four, only unbeaten team and 9 points from two games in Wales. Impressive.

Just have to say Anscombe has gone about everything very impressively and I hope it continues. The first game versus Glasgow set out the foundations on defense, that game was used as a 'go out there, do nothing spectacular but get the win' which essentially was what happened. Onto Ospreys, yet again not a spectacular result, we did what was needed and added a bit of excitement into attack, while keeping our shape in defense. Munster was impressive, attack varied a little bit more, there almost seemed an extra dimension in the play and real desire was shown to win, which is promising.

Last night, however, we really stepped up the gears. The past three games we have been guilty of being punished at the breakdown but last night we conceded few around that area, I don't know whether that was because Henry helped us or because work was down on the training ground, probably both. We showed a we can keep our shape in defense while played like men possessed in attack! Everyone seemed to want to get their hands on the ball, even Brady and Court made a few very nice run!

So I really do think Anscombe's work is coming together, and as someone has pointed out, we are starting to play almost like the All Blacks, scoring team tries, and keeping the ball under phases near the line and going from side to side, and offloading the ball very successfully in contact to build up to the try line. We have shown that we can win without our best players, (JM/RP) and under McGlocks I couldn't have seen us winning that game last night after seeing the teams, so the shouts of wanting to have the 'slotinability' of the Leinster squad seems to be a thing now. Call me over confident or cocky if you like, but if we get our big names back and a full team playing vs Castres in two weeks, and we play like that or even better, I cant see anyone but Ulster winning.

[browner]

Mark Anscombe said....


"Selection normally takes care of itself on the players' performances and you normally only have to make a decision about two or three," coach Mark Anscombe said. "The ideal world for a coach is to have to make 10 or 12. We're not quite there yet but there's some guys who are saying to the internationals, 'well we can play too'. And the internationals who came back today are saying, 'hey, you're not taking my position'. And that's what you want from a coaching point of view."


http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/u ... 44334.html

[againstthehead]

Mark Anscombe said....


"Selection normally takes care of itself on the players' performances and you normally only have to make a decision about two or three," coach Mark Anscombe said. "The ideal world for a coach is to have to make 10 or 12. We're not quite there yet but there's some guys who are saying to the internationals, 'well we can play too'. And the internationals who came back today are saying, 'hey, you're not taking my position'. And that's what you want from a coaching point of view."


http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/u ... 44334.html

nice quote!

[Lurgan Lad]

It'll be very interesting to see if we recruit players specifically to play this type of game i.e. players like Nick Williams. You would imagine this would be the case, and as a result if Williams is a more suitable player than Roger Wilson NW could get the majority of the starts. Will this extend to other positions, like in your 8 forwards how many need to be really good ball carriers or is MA happy that they aren't all great at this aspect. JM is clearly a really good player, but ball carrying and keeping the ball alive wouldn't be things he would be great at.

[Big-al]

Whilst Williams has been a stand out player this season, I still rate Wilson as better for a HEC match, purely because of his lower error count, better work rate in the tight and his ability to be near perfect at the back of the scrum.

[BuckRogers]

I think to say that Wilson is a technically a better 8 than Williams is a little disingenous tbh. Williams was certainly guilty of trying to force a few passes/offloads etc that weren't on but if you wished to play a tighter game simply instruct him not to try the 50/50's. I am a fan of Wilson and think he is a good player and will have a role to play but I think the destructive impact of Williams in both attack and defence cannot be overstated. He held 3/4 Cardiff defenders last night for a PJ wrap-around, Wilson will never do that IMO.

Williams is, again IMO, not doing what he is doing just because he is feeling like it. I noticed that all of the players 1-23 were all looking for the offloads in the act of being tackled, some worked some didn't. I think we have to remember that last season off-loading and continuity was not something Ulster focussed on in training, it was practically discouraged. This season we are seeing a new extreme. I don't think that we will necessarily do it in every game but it is important that players are comfortable with it and that is why we are seeing so much of it. If you make the fumbles in the league come the crunch games those passes will stick and we'll do serious damage to teams.

[Kofi Annan]

I think to say that Wilson is a technically a better 8 than Williams is a little disingenous tbh. Williams was certainly guilty of trying to force a few passes/offloads etc that weren't on but if you wished to play a tighter game simply instruct him not to try the 50/50's. I am a fan of Wilson and think he is a good player and will have a role to play but I think the destructive impact of Williams in both attack and defence cannot be overstated. He held 3/4 Cardiff defenders last night for a PJ wrap-around, Wilson will never do that IMO.

Williams is, again IMO, not doing what he is doing just because he is feeling like it. I noticed that all of the players 1-23 were all looking for the offloads in the act of being tackled, some worked some didn't. I think we have to remember that last season off-loading and continuity was not something Ulster focussed on in training, it was practically discouraged. This season we are seeing a new extreme. I don't think that we will necessarily do it in every game but it is important that players are comfortable with it and that is why we are seeing so much of it. If you make the fumbles in the league come the crunch games those passes will stick and we'll do serious damage to teams.

Could not have put it better myself

[BR]

I think to say that Wilson is a technically a better 8 than Williams is a little disingenous tbh. Williams was certainly guilty of trying to force a few passes/offloads etc that weren't on

He is also guilty of not being good control at the back of the scrum.

[ColinM]

Roger has been consistent for 6 years or so, no highs or lows but the same performance every week. Fat Nick hasnt got that consistency but he has something different to offer. My money is on Wilson racking up more starts over the course of a season, providing he gets back to fitness soon.

[kingofthehill]

Could FNW be a 6 with Wilson at 8?

Isn't Wilson a lineout option?

[darkside lightside]

excellent post Buck - and like I mentioned on the 'apology' thread, Williams is still settling in at Ulster, and trying to impress, over the course of the season there will be pretty stiff competition for places in the back row, and I'd say that even if the coaches don't have a word and tell him to ratchet down the low % offloads, he'll discipline himself - or get dropped.. That said, at the top of his game, he is capable of no. 8 play that not many players in Europe, never mind in Ulster's squad, can offer. I say this as a long-time fan of Wilson.

That said, he definitely does need to tighten up his control at the base, and also he is clearly not a lineout option (we'd have to use the entire pack, and maybe a back or two to get him a couple of feet into the air )

[darkside lightside]

More generally, great guns so far under Anscombe - I thought the first few results were good, but was a little disappointed by a lack of invention in the backs, but got the feeling that it was a matter of time before things clicked, which they very definitely did on Friday.. I re-watched the match over the weekend, and it was a very strong performance, we were the vastly superior team from about minute 10...

One thing I noticed was that we have started to what NZ sides quite often do, and Irish sides very rarely do, which is after a couple of phases retain a nice deep realignment, and the first receiver (usually PJ) passes behind a screen player or 2 in midfield to a second receiver (usually Payne) with a nice deep back alignmemt outside him. In contrast to the Irish bad habit of just churning through phases with the backs getting gradually more flat and lateral. The other thing I like is the flexibility at first receiver - at various stages of the game PJ, Payne and Paddy were all stepping in seemlessly.

The only downer for me was that Friday's match underlined the gulf between Henry and any other 7 in the squad - Doyle is a great link and support player, but he lacks Henry's physicality at the breakdown, and Birch simply hasn't been seen... And quick ball will be pretty key for us to keep up this kind of game - on the flip side, we have one of the best 9s in the world to slot back in..

[ruckover]

There's a clear plan (as highlighted by BBC Wales) involving Williams where he draws 2-3 tacklers leaving space for the other players outside him. Watched the ITM Cup on Sky on Saturday morning and saw the same thing happening, albeit to a lesser effect. Maybe all we needed to click was a NZ style after all?

[kingofthehill]

One thing I noticed was that we have started to what NZ sides quite often do, and Irish sides very rarely do, which is after a couple of phases retain a nice deep realignment, and the first receiver (usually PJ) passes behind a screen player or 2 in midfield to a second receiver (usually Payne) with a nice deep back alignmemt outside him. In contrast to the Irish bad habit of just churning through phases with the backs getting gradually more flat and lateral. The other thing I like is the flexibility at first receiver - at various stages of the game PJ, Payne and Paddy were all stepping in seemlessly.

Ireland tried to adopt this after seeing Western Force do it successfully.

Seems to be filtering through!

[browner]

For the record...Williams lost control at the base twice...one he recovered and resulted in a Marshall break down the short side, the other the Cardiff scrum-half sharply stole.
He lost the ball in contact three times...twice forwards and one back.