Will the Final day of the 6 Nations have an effect of style of play in the World Cup?

There is no doubt that if the 3 games played on Saturday were the opening games of the tournament we would not have see such big scores put up.

Instead of the tactical % territory and possession rugby we witnessed teams let loose on each other to really do for tries.

With the 3 teams that needed to win and win big all posting big score will we see this have a knock on effect in the World cup, as coaches and players see they can play this style of rugby and win.

Before the final day it may have been seen as high risk rugby, but with each team winning well, will it be viewed as high risk, or just risky rugby?

Personally I think Wales and England will have got the most of the final day, finishing first or second or third could all come down to points difference, and I believe when they play the smaller nations in the group they won't just be focused on the win, they will take the mindset from this weekend and try to build up big scores.

But in other groups and when 2 tier one nations meet will we see % territory and possession rugby, or the attacking rugby from this week end?

I think it will be a defence wins games attitude again.

And to be honest, if Italy had only lost by one score, I am not too sure Ireland would have gone all out for a big score (as much), and then likewise I think the English would have targeted the margin required (which would likely have been smaller) and they would have been less inclined to take risks.

It only works if both sides loosen up. Very unlikely in the world cup when a 1 point win is more important than a thrilling high scoring try fest.

England-France was the highest scoring game because both sides were chucking the ball about - running the ball from deep. This meant there was more space and gaps.

Playing that sort of style might have worked vs France but against Wales and Australia? Especially Australia are not the best team to do that with.

Plus Nigel Owens is known as a ref who allows a game like this to happen.

OP: I hope not...we would get thrashed by RSA or NZ.

gregortree wrote:OP: I hope not...we would get thrashed by RSA  or NZ.

Exactly.

No.

It was a one off day of sheer madness.  Gloriously dramatic and epic madness but madness nonetheless.  If International coaches coached their sides to play like that always, they wouldn't have careers.

Well England are drafting in Johnny as a kicking coach.

That would suggest we aren't expecting open all out attacking rugby.

Interesting, great to see him involved..

It was interesting on Scrum V they had Jarrad Hoeata as a special guest. He said Hansen had played a blinder making that comment because an open game would suit all three SH sides

Wales play Uruguay on the first day and England play them on the last day at the latest time, so if points difference is involved England have a massive advantage as they will know how much they will have to go out and beat Uruguay by.

Will Aus and Wales try to put as big a score against them as possible to push up points difference, early in the group stage?

Also England play Fiji first, do they just concentrate on the win or go out to win the game by a hugh margin to put pressure on the others?

I don't know if they will play the same way come rugby world cup. But why can they not like that all the time.

In the RWC the aim will be to win the game first. And then think about getting the points.

We should not take the like's of Fiji lightly, these are the type of teams that are likely to come back and bite you.

Shaun Edwards has come out and said not to expect to play like that against the SH sides. That mentality really does annoy me! Why Shaun, why can't we expect to play like that? You think SA/Aus/NZ go into any match thinking 'we can't expect to play running rugby'? no they just play what is in bloody front of them which is something the Wales side still fails to do despite our performance on the weekend

Gav............................ Italy are 15th! 15th.

Wales played wonderful stuff but Italy are 15th. Now beneath Georgia, Tonga, Fiji and Japan.

Edwards is simply being realistic. England too won't play that rugby against firmer sides.

When I say play like that I mean in terms of mentality - running things when they are on instead of kicking them. Having support runners run a support line expecting an off load rather than holding back waiting to clear the ruck for fear of being turned over...

I obviously dont expect us to be running in shed load of tries against the top teams

But that already happens when it's on against the right sides to do it against.  We all joke about Gatlandball or Warrenball but each one of us (NH and SH) knows there is more to Wales than that and that it could hit you at any moment in time if you let your guard down.  Last year Scotland got silly and lost a man to a red.  Now any other side might see that as good fortune and a comfortable win but not Wales.  They saw it as an excuse to open up the legs and get some air into their lungs.

We all know that's there but every coach that has some of it knows they need to control it and time it for best advantage from game to game or within games themselves.  That all out approach of Saturday is rare because it can prove fatal against top sides.

GavinDragon wrote:When I say play like that I mean in terms of mentality - running things when they are on instead of kicking them. Having support runners run a support line expecting an off load rather than holding back waiting to clear the ruck for fear of being turned over...

+1 to that.

Having the courage to have your own systems and trusting them. Make opponents change their tactics to deal with yours not the other way around.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

GavinDragon wrote:When I say play like that I mean in terms of mentality - running things when they are on instead of kicking them. Having support runners run a support line expecting an off load rather than holding back waiting to clear the ruck for fear of being turned over...

+1 to that.

Having the courage to have your own systems and trusting them.  Make opponents change their tactics to deal with yours not the other way around.

One of the things I was most looking forward to before the Wales v England game was the contrast in styles of the midfield - Ford and Joseph being primarily elusive players up against the more direct Welsh opponents. It looked on paper as though (for once) both coaches were picking combinations of players for what they can do in attack more than how well they would negate the opposition. And ultimately on the day the nimbleness and quick feet of Joseph were decisive rather than the brute power of Roberts.

Pity that other than for a 15 minute burst against Italy, it took England until the last game to start converting the majority of their chances. OK, we aren't going to be able to run through, round and over NZ and SA in the way we did against France, but I think there is something of a change in mindset amongst many of the coaches towards playing ball in hand rather than just kicking for position all the time - OK, Ireland do it well, but the other sides have struggled to pressurise the kick receiver and have found themselves frequently on the back foot after kicking possession away.

I doubt it very much, there may be some opportunity for running play in the games against the lower ranked nations as a way of building up points difference but the games between the top two seeds and also in probably their games against the third ranked side in the group will be all about grinding and getting the win.
In particular the spectre of the 1991 RWC final may loom large in the English coaches minds, play the way we know and not try to play the opposition game.

No - back to 'normal' me thinks. Exception may be in tight groups where points differential counts.