James Hook Re-Writing the book on defensive 10 play?

James Hook has ripped up the old book on how to defend the 10 channel like he rips the balls off of his opponents.

We need to give Hook credit for his understanding of the game, he knows where the breaks are going to come and which players he's gonna 'tackle'. He might even know which hand the guy is carrying the ball in and which side that player prefers to offload - this is the attention to detail Hook brings.

He understands the game, his team-mates and his opponents - and particularly his opponents' offensive weaknesses.

In the next few years, rugby union stand-off's will be emulating what Hook is doing. They will cotton on and start to copy him. And attacks will have to change their strategy to nullify it.

They will have to start paying attention to stand-off's who are chancing it up the middle in defence because if they don't, the opportunities are there for them to be man-handled. If attackh coaches do not address the things Hook is doing, he will continue to rip balls out.

Another thing about Hook is his conditioning, which enables him to put himself in these positions and then get back again to where he needs to be - he is a fit athlete and a quick athlete. He is a tremendously fit bloke.

He is rewriting the way things will be done in rugby union for years to come. It is a pretty big statement but I believe it to be true.






You can see ROG now..... "Why didnt I think of that in the last 10 years?"

There's a book on defensive 10 play?

I know what I'm getting Dan Parks for Christmas!!

The ripping of the ball has been done before, go look at last year, Quade cooper has done it and Frans Steyn has done it.

The problem with this technique is if there is no support tackler, and you don't get the ball it fails miserable.

James Hook can read and write?

The easiest way to nulify Hook's 'strip' tackling is a simple case of carrying the ball in the hand opposite him and lowering your upper body into him as he attempts to win the ball.

Or if the person passes to a support runner on his shoulder before being 'jackled', then Hook (or anyother player/Stand Off) is out of position and leaves a hole in the defence for the support runner to run through.

I have to say that I've been very impressed with hook over the last 3 games, and think his defence has improved hugely. But it's a bit much to say he's re-writing the book on defensive 10 displays or that he's the 1st player to do this.

Jaque Fourie's been doing it for a while now. I'd like to see Hook try against SBW, noone else can and I'd expect Hook to be sat on his @rse.

Sorry the number 10 who has re-written what it takes to defend as an outside half is Jonny Wilkinson. Prior to Jonny the outside half was not expected to be a prominant member of the defencive line. That all changed when Jonny started to tackle like a back row forward and became pound for pound the most destructive tackler in world rugby.

Actually Henry Honiball was smashing players back before Jonny started it, and I'm sure there were a few 10s before him that weer real defensive weapons.

I'd say Carter is probably the best defensive 10 around at present, his front on is brilliant, the guy doesn't miss tackles and is good enough to play 12, while his pace enables him to scythe down players in cover. Superb-just watch the last Bledisloe game for proof.

Disney, good to see you know a fair bit about our rugby players.


I feel like a proud father having taught his son well.

I cant agree, no-one does it with the panache that Hook does, imagine seeing it in slo-mo, beautiful, absolutely beautiful

Chris Ashton actually wrote it for him, even though hes never played 10 and couldnt do the Welsh translations.

Only because he had George North as his ghost writer.

yappysnap wrote:Only because he had George North as his ghost writer.

Billy Twelvetrees, George North in a wig?

Found some modelling photos of Mr Twelvetress and a Mr Ben Youngs a few weeks ago!
Was down in a very posh part of Suffolk called Aldeburgh and there was a shop called rampant sporting, selling overpriced rugby shirts, socks, rowing hoodys etc and these two looking very very camp.
Bless em

According to scrum.com's front page its Wilkinson who is setting the standard. No mention of Hook.

They arent even owned by Sky.

disneychilly wrote:Jaque Fourie's been doing it for a while now. I'd like to see Hook try against SBW, noone else can and I'd expect Hook to be sat on his @rse.

Apparently this re-written book on defending the 10 channel was in SBW's posession but he was looking to offload it anyway, James hook just got there first and ripped it off him. In a shock twist that pesky spider that Mealamu was trying to get off Bakkies head leapt onto Hook, but before Mealamu could get to that pesky spider once and for all it managed to jump onto Chris Ashton who was supporting Hook in midfield. It had looked forward, but Wayne Barnes waved Ashton and the spider on.

But natural equity was restored as McCaw managed to get around the other side of Ashton and legally took the spider back as Ashton inevitably splashed to the ground.

Quade Cooper is re-writing Outside half defence, he just hit delete.

I think this went over most peoples heads

re writing the book on 10 defence play . Give it a game or two and refs will start calling knockon's against wales. If he wants to re write the book he should start smashing players back in the tackle ala Wilko , Honiball

.................Naas , just kidding

Comfort wrote:I think this went over most peoples heads

I thought we were talking about his defending not his passing?

I though we were talking about James Hook, not Mike Phillips.

Tony Brown was a fearsome tackler at 10 when he played for the AB's and Dan Carter is the best tackling 10 by far - makes Wilkinson look like a girls blouse. Carter's tackling in the last Bledisloe was the reason Aus were tryless in the first half.

flankertye

Hipkiss also 'modelled' for them too, fairly clear that the company is run by Leicester supporters!

Having seen Hook's "defence" agaist France in last seasons 6N, I doubt this book will be a best seller!

Seriously though, his defence has improved since his shoulder operation.

Next best seller 'How to get turned over more than any other player in your team'