Smashmouth Plan B
What to do when your opponents won't be "bullied" by your "Smashmouth" tactics.
Smashmouth - A recap
Borrowed from American football, Smashmouth is a crude "bullying" tactic to attack your opponent's weakest point in force. It was used by the Pittsburgh Steelers to help them win the 2006 Superbowl, but is nonetheless a simple offensive move you can use with your rugby team.
This is what you do:
- Run your strongest running ball carrier straight at their weakest defender (the player who struggles to make front-on tackles), making sure your player has support.
- If your player breaks through, he should keep going! If tackled, he should spin-off, offload, or stay on his feet and develop a rolling maul.
- Repeat the tactic until the defence has to "double up" and bring a player across to support their weakest defender.
- Then exploit the gaps created by the second defending moving across.
Let's say you've tried the Smashmouth tactic, but that it isn't working for you - maybe their weakest defender is up for the challenge after all!
In which case, you can adjust the tactic to what I call "run and shoot".
"Run and Shoot"
This uses your strongest runner's agility and speed, as identified by practising Smashmouth, to force the breakdown at distant points across the field. The objective now is to run your opponent's forwards off their feet.
To work, your players must focus on ball retention and continuity. They must keep the opposition on the move, initiate contact and provide support first and faster. Your scrum half is the key player. He needs to organise and move the ball away from their forwards quickly and as far as possible.
The tactic
- Push the ball to the widths of the field, so their second phase forwards (who have just got up from the previous breakdown) cannot stay in the middle of the pitch.
- Force the defensive forwards to criss-cross the field.
- Don't cause lineouts or scrums.
- Don't kick away possession because this gives your opponent's relief and rest.
The mistake many teams make when moving the ball out wide is that they forget the point of the tactic – to keep the opposition moving, tire them out and open up gaps through which you can score!
So, why don't more rugby teams use Smashmouth and Run and Shoot more often? Generally, it's because they don't have a proper offensive structure, rather a series of moves with no real aim.
Philip Copeman coaches rugby defence in South Africa. He is a former Gridiron player.