THE TRUE ESSENCE of rugby is the search for space on a congested field. As defences have become more intelligent and efficient, that belief and philosophy has become even more important.
We are seeing many tries materialise from turnover situations in professional rugby now, when defences have little time to react and rebuild their wall of would-be tacklers. Those broken-play scenarios provide space to run into, holes for the likes of Israel Folau, Ben Smith and Wesley Fofana to exploit.
However, there are times when space is at a premium and the attacking team must manufacture it through their own possession. Strong ball-carriers are important in any team that wants to get over the gain-line, in turn providing quick possession against a slightly unsettled defence. Whether we like it or not, rugby is a collision sport and sometimes battering your way over the advantage line is the best way to create try-scoring chances in different areas of the field.
Over the past number of years, Leinster and Clermont have led the way in European rugby in terms of consistently creating momentum in their attacking play. The quick-handling, defender-drawing skills of their back-lines are the memorable moments, but they would be non-existent if it were not for the platform their forwards provide.
Getting over the gain-line through forward runners if so often crucial to a back-line’s ability to run onto the ball at pace and exploit defenders. Men like Sean O’Brien, Cian Healy, Louis Picamoles and Billy Vunipola can break the gain-line regularly thanks to their explosive physiques and excellent one-on-one contact skills. However, other players can sometimes need a little nudge to get their team onto the front foot.
Brian O’Driscoll attempts to shunt Gordon D’Arcy through contact. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland.
In that regard, ‘leeching’ or ‘latching’ is a key skill for supporting players. Just to briefly touch upon terminology, some coaches refer to this action of driving the ball carrier into or through contact as a ‘leech’, while other will refer to the ‘latch’. I’m sure there are other terms for the same skill out there, so by all means feel free to contribute your own. For the purposes of this article, I will use the word ‘leech’ as the reference point.
This mini-skill can make a crucial difference to many contact situations, and we see the best teams in the world employing it quite frequently. A supporting player leeching onto the ball carrier can turn what would have been a 50/50 collision into more of an 80/20 chance of gain-line progress in favour of the attacking team.
The action itself is a simple one; the supporting player attaches themselves onto the ball carrier [or sometimes even the defender] before, during or after a contact situation and attempts to drive them forward into or through the defender. The act of attaching oneself to the carrier is where the ‘leech’ and ‘latch’ names have developed from, with the supporting player joining themselves onto the forward surge and increasing the power of the attacking momentum.
There are several variations on the skill. Many supporting players will look to leech directly onto the ball, and the carrier is obviously very important in that instance. They cannot allow the defending player to wrap the ball up in contact; we very often see ball carriers for the likes of Clermont driving into contact with a one-handed fend, while they present the ball with the other for a leeching player.
Other leeches will simply see the supporting player connect with the glutes of the carrier and pump their own legs in an effort to increase the carrying power. Others again will connect onto the carrier and then slide over them to focus on weakening the defending players’ control of the contact situation. Whatever the case may be, both supporting player[s] and ball carrier have important roles.
All of the above can happen in just a second of actual playing time and while it may often seem like an insignificant act, these minor details can make all the difference between being a good team and a great team. Coaches like Joe Schmidt and Vern Cotter are all about the ‘little details’ of every action their players can perform on the pitch.
Leeching may not be the most glamorous of skills, but it can be crucial. As we see in the video above, a strong leech [or two] can be enough to make an already strong ball carrier unstoppable from close range. Leeching is in a large part a natural action, but focused training of the technique can make a difference.
Cotter’s Clermont were heavily reliant on their leeching power to score the vital bonus point against Racing Métro in the Heineken Cup last weekend, meaning their intelligent work in that area paid off.
Does your team work on these skills? If so, how do you train the leech/latch? Have you found the supporting player can be the difference between a decent carry and an excellent one? All comments and thoughts are welcome.
By a country mile you are the best contributor on here Murray.
I’ll second that!!
Not just on here.. To my mind, the most knowledgeable and detailed rugby analyst in the country.
I’ll second that. Chapeau, Murray!!!!
I actually check who the author of a piece is before I read it now. The analysis of the Leinster match at Franklins Gardens was possibly the best I’ve ever read. Top notch. You know George Hook is retiring from TV next year right?
Follow him on twitter if you have it. He puts up links to all of his articles, some of which aren’t just for thescore. Never a wasted minute reading his breakdown of different situations & scenarios. Has a serious talent in performance analysis!
+1
Started reading stuff by Murray over summer, on his own blog. I found his Top 14 season previews really interesting, so I was very pleased when I first noticed him writing for the Score.ie! His analysis is very detailed, but still very interesting and easy to read! You’re a legend Murray :)
POC does it with an almost blatant disregard for his team mates. Absolutely f**ks em into the contact – before there even is contact. Hilarious to watch, particularly with tired bodies towards the end of games.
Can’t agree more. There’s no one who breaks it down like Murrary. The man is wasted writing and should be a coach
Shhh Chris, if he went into coaching we wouldn’t have him writing articles here? Keep up the good work Murray.
Keep em Coming Murray
I have noticed, watching the game, that a players teammate often gives his ball carrying teammate a shove just as he is about to be tackled, not quite leeching but it does give the ball carrier a little extra momentum against the tacklers, making it harder for the tackler to wrap up the tackled player and making for quicker ball at the ruck. What are your thoughts on this Murray?
Hi Elizabeth, yeah that’s certainly the case for many rugby teams. Michael pointed out here in the comments section that O’Connell does it for Munster quite regularly and as you say it just adds that little bit of extra momentum for the ball carrier. Quick ball is key.
Also, thanks to those who have left kind comments.
I reckon by adding that little push to the attacking team mate poc gives them enough momentum to carry forward while giving himself a chance to assess the tackle coming in so to best position himself and hit again to defend against the counter-ruck. Once the initial hit is made he comes again and hits the tackler to try ensure he retains the ball. It’s a matter of milliseconds but that’s what makes the difference between a gifted player like poc and everyone else!
Also quality work Murray. Do you have a blog?
http://touchlinerugby.com/
He’s a bit shy is Murray(IMO). I’ve been following him for a while, not surprised he’s getting paid for this stuff now.
In my team, we are coached to latch on to the ball carrier as he hits contact. Then the latch man drives the ball carrier through, until he hits the ground. Once the ball carrier is on the deck, the latch man’s job is to be the seal over the ball, remaining stationary over the ball carrier. Then the supporting players can slide over the top off the latch man, clearing out the opposition. The Latch man remains in his position until the scrum half has moved the ball, staying strong against opposition attempts to bump him off.
Years ago St Mary’s used to have a centre stand up in the tackle and another player would bind on. It was now a maul and could not be brought down without coinciding a penalty. They would gain yards by this tactic and many penalties.
At the moment mauls are formed from line outs and if brought down are penalised but if a maul forms during a choke tackle the ref waits for it to fall before a turn over is given, many times it’s the player with the ball dragging it down therefore should be a penalty.
Ps a piece is needed on why short running penalties are not used by sides anymore, for many years in Leinster club rugby the top try scorer was a very big second row forward who could not be stopped from ten when decoy runners had to be covered. Putting a ball into a scrum at a five meter penalty when you can have runners and feints all over the place is nuts because often a scrum can result in losing the ball.
The reason for the lack of short penalties routines is that at the top level, one on one tackles simply aren’t missed that close in, so once the defence can hold out the first one or two phases, their defensive line is better set than it would be off a scrum, and scrums can give the safety net of a penalty advantage beforehand
At contact time it’s a lot easier to hold on to the ball now days. Plus the defence are always a step behind and reacting. Plus it’s another option that a defence has to handle in stead of just a 8 running off the back of a scrum. Decoy runners work very well from set pieces down the pitch from ten/ five meters they would be lethal. We have not seen them for fifteen years defenders would not know who to pick up. The principles of rugby remain the same they have worked in the past there is no reason not to work now.
Sure Gatland still uses a thirteen man line out and that one goes back to 1889
Great article on ‘latching/leeching’. Effective but underused tactic mainly due to the inability of support players to keep pace with the ball carrier! Any comments on the demise of the handoff!