Position Specific – Openside Flanker

A coach has much to do beyond a game plan if he is to provide guidance for each individual in his team. There is the physical development which as the player gets older needs to be specific to the position of the player, the technical knowledge, understanding and practical application of game aspects and the psychological skills that help develop confidence, concentration and attitudes beneficial to the game such as aggression and mental toughness.

In this article we will consider the technical and game understanding requirements for an openside flanker. This is done in isolation from each of the backrow positions and is based on the common assumptions of the requirements and roles of a No 7 as they are predominantly seen in today’s game.

Of course the backrow needs to meet certain requirements as a cohesive unit so that they blend together to achieve the overall team requirements. As an example in the All Blacks you could say that Jerome Kaino (6) is a physical ball carrier and tackler. Richie McCaw (7) is a breakdown and link specialist and Kieran Read (8) is a great decision maker and wide runner. At this level you could say that all three of these players can carry out all of the roles mentioned but they are the lucky ones.

When you are selecting and then coaching your No 7 in isolation he will need to be evaluated on certain aspects of play.

We will look at Ardie Savea from the Hurricanes and Sam Cane from the Chiefs in the openside flanker roles. When we compare them with the two blindside flankers we looked at in Brad Shields from the Hurricanes and Scott Fardy from the Brumbies it is noticeable that at 193cm and 111kg for Shields and 198cm and 114 kg for Fardy that they are considerably bigger specimens than Savea at 190cm and 100kg and Cane at 189cm and 103kg.

Openside flankers in general tend to be smaller, quicker and more explosive than either the blindside or No 8.

However, the personal stats of each player highlights their particular strengths, something which may not be obvious unless you set about actually looking for the strengths and weaknesses of your player.

Savea played 150 minutes less than Cane over the season (977 minutes as against 1138) yet carried the ball 133 times to Canes 121; made 614 metres to Canes 243; beat 35 defenders and made 17 clean breaks to Canes 17 defenders beaten and 4 clean breaks.

Cane on the other hand made 88 passes and 22 offloads as against Savea's 59 passes and 11 offloads.

As well Cane made 179 tackles at 96.8% and Savea made 141 at 92.2%. Both are good stats, tackling at over 90%, but Cane is slightly more accurate.

What you are looking at here are two young flankers who are near the top of the tree. Savea is just luckier that he is slightly quicker and more explosive on his feet and thus is a far more successful ball carrier.

What the stats have not told us is what happens after the initial contact. A crucial aspect for the openside is to measure how effective he is at being the second player at the tackle and turning the ball over or placing the opposition under pressure, how much pressure he exerts in the defensive line, and how many involvements he has during a game as far as a link player is concerned. These are really important aspects when it comes to measuring your man and assisting with his development.

A good way to measure these aspects is to get the game videoed and look at it with your player, discuss the effectiveness, and come up with some ideas on how to improve. Alternatively, you might use a person to make notes and list crosses and ticks for successful or non-successful involvements under headings such as: first up tackler; second arriving tackler; arriving at the ruck/tackle (what decision was made? Was it the best decision?); ball carries; offloads; players beaten; better options ….. Just choose a few that you really want to work on.

Starting at set piece you could use the following ideas for your check list.

SCRUMMAGING:

As with the whole pack the coach will be looking at pre-engagement, particularly with the binding, gripping and body position, and how he transfers that through to the hit, with timing and strength and then maintaining the pressure. The backrow certainly have a big part to play and need to be constantly reminded of this. Plenty of technical detail can be found in The Coaching Toolbox.

A really important aspect of scrummaging for the No 7 is understanding his roles on attack and defence depending on where the ball goes. Coaches will use different systems with the crucial aspect being in understanding the system and the communication on the field.

Defensively the No 7 (openside flanker) will tackle the first runner when he is defending left and the second runner when defending right, assuming the halfback has the first man.

If the play goes to the blindside of the field the openside flanker will have decisions to make depending on a number of factors – game plan; position on field; strengths and weaknesses of his team and the opposition.

If he is in an aggressive thinking side he may well head straight to the tackle area to put added pressure on the opposition by attacking the tackle zone.

Further up the field the coach may require him to take a covering role behind the backs initially or some coaches may want the player to pretty much hold his position and defend the area where the play has just left. There is much to discuss.

As an attacker from the scrum there is every likelihood the openside might be used to clean out at the first ruck or be the continuity player if a pass is made. Following this play the flanker needs to follow the team plan or decide for himself where the best opportunity is available to continue with the continuity and have a positive effect on the 'go forward'. He is often the ideal player to get the ball in his hands as often as possible, much along the Savea lines.

LINEOUT:

Most No 7's will take up a role at the back of the lineout, although this is not a 'must'. He may well be the best jumper in your team!

Defensively his first responsibility is to tackle the player who receives the ball from the halfback. This will be the first-five or a player inside the 10.(Depending on the team plan) He is most likely the first or second tackler and those are the roles he should practice.

Attacking from a lineout will be similar to the scrum which will require an effective clean out and arriving at the correct position in the tackle to clean out effectively or take a pop pass.

He will then most likely arrive at the third phase so once again he needs to understand his role in the continuity and the coach should be trying to set him up with running and passing opportunities. However, he must be scanning and choosing the best spot – at a thin line, at a slow forward, at a small back, there might even be a gap.

CONTACT:

The flanker must relish contact. He needs to be confrontational and tough with a 'big tank' that allows him to go hard out for 80 minutes. If your flankers are not out the front at training then your team is unlikely to win a close game.

As mentioned previously a crucial skill for the loose forward is being able to turn over opposition ball in the tackle either by being the tackler and getting quickly to his feet or being the first arriving player. The laws and skills need to be mastered and practiced at length.

Tackling in close and front on will be crucial as well as being able to fulfill the tackling role in a defensive line at phase play. This will entail being able to keep the structure in the defensive line, stay connected with his inside and outside man, and make the correct decision on whom he will tackle.More importantly he must understand his role if he has slower players on his inside and work with that player so that they are a little unit combining together.

Then of course there are the technical requirements of front on and side on tackles to stop the man and slow the ball. The tackle is not completed until the tackler is back on his feet and recovering the ball or taking up the space or taking up a defensive role. There is much to do.

Carrying the ball in to contact, beating a defender, keeping the ball, offloading in or through the tackle are all skills that need to be mastered for the team to maintain continuity. It is seldom sufficient anymore just to set up a ruck so he needs practice situations where he has to make a decision based on what the defence are doing, how many numbers there are and what his support players are anticipating.

If the No 7 is a key ball carrier he needs to be able to 'read' the situations and turn up in positions that will make him effective as the penetrating attacker. “Look – think – act “. (Pierre Villepreux)

As a support player in contact he must be able to clean out to clear the ball, or protect the ball from the opposition, pick the ball and drive or pass, or run on to the ball to receive an early pass or an offload. These decisions all require the player to be looking and thinking ahead so the coach needs to set up various scenarios in his practice sessions.

RUN & PASS:

No 7 needs to be skilled at running and passing and getting in to good support positions, so this player needs to practice the variety of passing techniques whether in close and popping or in the attack line at phase and passing to his left or right.

Plenty of game type activities will ensure he knows when to pass, whom to pass to, and when not to pass.

PERSONAL STRENGTHS:

The coach needs to discover what his player is really good at that if developed will give him a skill that places him in a different category than his opposite. In the case of Savea it is his exceptional ball carrying ability which the Hurricanes have developed by using him in wider phase play situations or bursting off shoulders of closer runners.

A check list could be drawn up by taking a topic and researching the requirements on The Coaching Toolbox. There is a season’s work here. Start simple and keep revisiting and developing the aspect of play not only over the season but in the following seasons.

This is just a summary of what an openside flanker needs to develop to improve. You must research each skill by viewing it on television, a video, reading and researching the detail, or talking to an appropriate person. Preferably doing all of these would be the ideal.

Good luck.