Contact Skills Predicting Tackle-Breaks in Rugby Union

Abstract

Contact skills are fundamental attributes of performance in rugby union. This study explored how the qualities of contact intensity and fending strategies related to tackle outcome in rugby union. Seven Super 14 games were coded using numerous quantitative and qualitative variables that assessed team patterns and individual skill execution during attacking ball carries. A variety of contact skills were shown to contribute significantly to the prediction of tackle-breaks. It was shown that 92% of tackle-breaks occurred as a result of poor defensive positioning. In addition, strong contact intensity and active fending strategies predicted 86% of poor defensive positions. Notably, active fend strategies were associated with positive phase outcomes when running straight at the defence and when using evasive methods of attack. This study provided critical insight regarding how the qualities of contact intensity and fending strategies influence effective ball carries in rugby union.

Does ball carrier technique influence tackler head injury assessment risk in elite rugby union?

“…Previous studies have shown that fending has a positive effect on ball carrier tackle outcomes Tierney et al, 2018c;Wheeler & Sayers, 2009). One study found that a moderate fend increased the chance of offloading whilst another study reported that a strong fend compromised the quality of the tackler's positioning (Wheeler & Sayers, 2009). However, the same study (Wheeler & Sayers, 2009) also found that the type of fend (e.g.…”

The Velocity of Ball-Carriers and Tacklers during Shoulder Tackles

“…Top teams having a higher velocity before contact may be an indicator of successful teams contact intensity during matches. Indeed, Wheeler and Sayers have shown significantly more tackle breaks occur when the ball-carrier has a good contact intensity (Wheeler and Sayers, 2009). With that said, player's physical properties alone are not sufficient to predict tackle contact success .…”

A Step towards a Field Based Agility Test in Team Sports

“…We recommended the 1v1 agility test be included as part of physical profiling of team sports players. dent upon agility actions in both attacking and defensive scenarios, as has been demonstrated in rugby union [13].…”

“…Given the Y step test had a small non-significant association with defensive agility, we suggest the Y step test is not generalizable to overall agility performance. The importance of defensive agility in team sports has been shown by Wheeler and Sayers [13], whereby poor defensive positioning was shown in 90% of unsuccessful tackles in professional rugby union players. As such profiling agility performance in rugby should encompass the defense component of performance in addition to the commonly evaluated attacking actions.…”