Bob Dwyer Rugby Workshops

Llanelli, Boxing Day. 2009.

The ‘Full House’ sign was up for the first time at the Parc y Scarlets for the vital local derby between the visiting Ospreys and the Scarlets. For the Scarlets, there was a growing need for competition points. For the Ospreys, there was a growing need for consistency of performance to match their promise. There was also Wales’ top referee, Nigel Owens, to match the big occasion.

The Scarlets began with intent and pace. They stole the first lineout, on an Ospreys’ throw, but poor catch & pass skills slowed the movement and the opportunity was lost. They continued with urgency and soon had the penalty as their reward. Stephen Jones missed the relatively simple, for him, chance but was able to make amends soon after and the Scarlets had three points for their effort.

However, despite their lack of possession and field position, the Ospreys were giving their large band of travelling supporters plenty of hope for a winning result. Their scrum was already showing clear superiority, their defence was quickly off the line and powerful at the tackle, and Marty Holah was consistently in and on the ball. By the end of the first quarter, he had already claimed three turnovers.

Scarlets were getting scant return for all of their effort and good field position and this is always a worry. Ospreys, on the other hand, profited from their first real opportunity, with a somewhat flukey try to loose-head prop, Paul James. Their lineout ball had come back from a wild tap, under good pressure from the Scarlets’ lineout, but when James gathered, the defence opened wide and he went straight through the middle without a hand laid on him.

Some simple mistakes by the Ospreys, including two dropped high balls by Ricky January, were keeping the Scarlets in touch and they had two more penalty scores, to lead at half-time by 9 to 7. The latter of these was given, incorrectly, by referee Nigel Evans, for a deliberate knock-on, when, in fact, the ball went forward, off the defender, in the force of the tackle. I had the feeling, however, that he Scarlets were on ‘borrowed time’ and needed a big lift in the accuracy of their play to breach the solid Ospreys’ defence.

The lift came certainly, but from the visiting Scarlets. They took possession and applied continuous pressure, and with pace. They won the space needed and Paul James took his second try, this time on the right wing - a position not normally associated with prop. A lead of 9-12 was soon to become 9-15 and then 9-18, with some distinct lack of discipline on the part of the Scarlets. The ‘defending’ team must give the kicker a clear shot at goal from a penalty, but this law seemed to have escaped the Scarlets. Not so the referee, however, and he allowed Dan Biggar a second kick, this time ten metres closer – a ‘give away’ three points.

Dan Biggar, throughout the second half, was able to keep the Scarlets under pressure in their own quarter, with numerous touch-finding kicks into the right-hand corner. This was great play by the visiting team and denied the Scarlets the opportunity to bring the support of their vocal crowd into the equation. It was difficult to understand that the Scarlets were unable to cover this tactic for the entire match.

The still dominant Ospreys’ scrum were able to win another scoring opportunity in the 74^th minute and Biggar extended the lead to 9-21, to put the match out of reach for the Scarlets. To their credit, the Scarlets were not about to be denied at least the losing bonus point and they lifted both the pace and the urgency of their game. They won three successive penalties and soon won also the space for the try, on the overlap, in the corner.

The Ospreys were deserved victors. Their attack was better than the Scarlets defence, and their defence was more than equal to the Scarlets attack. With all of their top-class players available they should fear no team. Unfortunately, we don’t always see them playing to their potential.

I was disappointed in, and for, the Scarlets. Their game lacked shape and, bar the first 20 and the last 5 minutes, it lacked urgency also.

For the winners; their scrum was a significant component of their victory, Holah was the dominant factor at the tackle contest and Biggar, at fly-half, had time and ability. For the losers;  Jonathan Davies, at centre, looked full of potential but their pack was outplayed and gave Stephen Jones no space at all.

I have a clear opinion on the elements required for quality attack. In just a few words, it is this: “Continuity and Realignment; Make space and Exploit it!” In order to allow backs the opportunity to realign quickly, the forwards must do the heavy work at the tackle contest and the scrum-half and fly-half must keep moving to be always in their selected positions. All things are now possible. The game played in this way is successful, and is fun for the players and the spectators. The Scarlets satisfied none of these elements.

Towards the end of the match, commentator Jonathan Davies, implored: “If we can just get the ball-players into their selected positions, they can then make the correct decisions with the ball!” He knows a bit about the game.