RWC19.1

Six weeks of international rugby are in process. Today's seminar is on what Rugby Pig has been calling the full court press, borrrowing from his basketball vernacular. This style of is much in vogue, not merely in rugby - look for example at what Liverpool do on the football field.

The press demands a vigorous pursuit of every opponent to the end of denying anyone time around the ball. South Africa applied that vigour for the first twenty minutes against New Zealand but then we saw the downside of the press coupled with the acuity of the All Blacks. New Zealand have elevated their skills so that their care of the ball (both in attack and defence - this latter aspect is oft overlooked) can be backed to outlast the ferocity of the press. Thus today New Zealand maintained control of both sides of the ball and crafted their victory. Don't bet against these two sides meeting again in the final.