As a kicker, the only thing that you can always control, is how you place the ball on the tee and how you take your steps. After that, every other…
analysis
Analysis: How Ireland should play against South Africa
Alex Goode looks at Ireland's shape and how to take on the Springboks' blitzing challenge
What the England kicking game needs next
Former England fly-half Toby Flood takes a look England's overarching tactic
Carded? Here’s how to thrive with just 14 players
When it comes to team systems, I have a crib sheet for carte jaune (yellow card) or carte rouge (red card). And for each person that might be carded, I have…
How the Springboks lineout defence works
The Springboks lineout didn’t compete too much in the Rugby Championship or the warm-ups until they played against New Zealand. At Twickenham, their lineout defence showed a different picture leading…
Can the Pacific Nations stun the Rugby World Cup?
The Pacific Nations (Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Japan) attract a lot of attention when the World Cup comes along. However, they’ve generally struggled to upset the odds when the tournament…
Why Frans Malherbe is a world great
It goes without saying that South Africa have a very powerful scrum. It’s part of their DNA. And it’s a mindset thing from one to eight, not just the front…
Analysis: All Blacks bucking current attacking trends
In terms of attacking trends, what we’ve seen over the last few months – and in particular as we get closer to the start of the Rugby World Cup –…
Opinion: Dropping Henry Slade for World Cup could narrow English options
It’s a massive surprise, Steve Borthwick dropping Henry Slade from the England Rugby World Cup squad. Henry’s been a huge stalwart of English rugby and someone who’s been massively admired…
The unique Antoine Dupont kicking strategy unpacked
I was chatting with my Ulster team-mate Dave Shanahan when we stumbled upon how Antoine Dupont kicking from the ruck looks different. We generally talk about other scrum-halves, but in…