It’s time to look at the line-out drive

  1. Home
  2. Chris Hewett

COVENTRY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06: Steam rises from a maul as Saints keep Wasps out during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Wasps and Northampton Saints at Ricoh Arena on February 06, 2021 in Coventry, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

It was interesting to hear Graham Henry, the venerable New Zealand coach who ended almost a quarter of a century of silver-ferned hurt by guiding the All Blacks to a world title in 2011, tearing into modern-day Union’s obsession with the close-range line-out.
Lest we forget, Henry’s side beat France in a tourniquet-tight final in Auckland by scoring from a – wait for it – close-range line-out. Does that make him a hypocrite? Hardly. That New Zealand move, finished off by the prop Tony Woodcock, was down to analysis, speed of thought and clever execution rather than muscle tonnage and organi...

Continue reading...

Access all our premium content from as little as 14p per day!

Already a subscriber to our website? Login

Exit mobile version