A running rugby spectacle

Courtesy of former Hawk and Scotland cap Tom Philip's Blog


On Sunday afternoon amateur Rugby Union club Glasgow Hawks played host to played host to an International Rugby League match between Scotland and Wales in Anniesland, Glasgow. The two teams competing in this year’s European Four nations Rugby League Championship boasted line ups containing several of the most recognised Rugby League players in Great Britain. However, the event failed to attract a crowd larger than would be seen for a top of the table clash in the Scotland amateur Rugby Union Hydro Premiership.

England’s Super League is arguably one of the toughest competitions in both codes of rugby, and is the pinnacle for many aspiring Rugby League players. While some Super League clubs don’t release players for International duty unless it’s England at times, both sides had a strong contingency from Super League sides. For Scotland 11 players had Super league experience, while Wales had 14. 

Included in the Welsh team was Rugby Union legend Gareth Thomas, who last year at the age of 35 swapped codes after a glittering Union career for Cardiff, Wales and the British Lions. Perhaps lesser known to Union followers was Lee Briers, the Warrington Wolves stand-off, and Great Britain Rugby League cap. The ‘Welsh Wizard’ is one of most respected and recognised talents in Super League and inspired his club to Challenge Cup victory in 2009 and 2010.

Huddersfield’s half back Danny Brough brought experience and leadership to the Scotland side. In 2008 Brough was awarded The Albert Goldthorpe Medal, an award that has been created by Rugby Leaguer and League Express to honour the leading players in Super League. In the same year he also topped the number of attacking kicks from any other Super League player. It is rumoured that the SRU have recently shown a great deal of interest in Brough, even attempting to lure him to swap codes and play for Scotland.

Sunday’s score-line alone, 60 points to 22 in favour of Wales, is evidence of the quality running Rugby that was on show. In all there were 15 tries scored in the game, with the only points from kicking coming from conversions. The amount of tries scored was almost four times that of the amount scored in Rugby Union’s professional Wales/Scotland clash in which Cardiff beat Edinburgh 18-17.

As goal kicking threatens to become the single most important component in Rugby Union, it seems like the strategy taken by teams playing in the other code is the complete opposite. Lee Briers and Danny Brough were the men in charge of taking the kicks for goal in Glasgow on Sunday, and they are both amongst the top kickers of a dead ball in Super League.

Both Brough and Briers would have significant success attempting goal attempts  from as far as the half way, but on every occasion a two point penalty kick was up for grabs both chose a restart from where they kicked the ball into touch. The fact that League teams are awarded only two points for a goal, instead of the three on offer in Union may be a factor in such decisions. However, after each awarded penalty on Sunday, both team seemed more intent on getting hold of the ball and continuing their attack quickly and aggressively putting yet more pressure on the opposing defence.

While Union teams are happy to take the breather and three points available from a penalty kick attempt, the attitude of League teams is different. The decision to continue pressurising for a try is a psychological tool used to break the opposing team down. A side willing to forfeit two points and go for a potential four or six points is a confident side, a relentless side. On the flip side, a mistake made by a tired defending side leading to a further six defensive efforts can be exhausting and demoralising.

Although goal kicking is an obvious talent, and one which requires both skill and persistent practice, more and more Rugby Union results are being decided by kicks, whether successful or missed attempts. Not only this, but the emphasis on gaining points from kicks may be detrimental to the amount of quality running rugby. One question is whether a rule change or a reduction in the points awarded for a penalty goal in Rugby Union would be a positive change for the game, or would it be seen as another move towards Rugby League.

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This article was originally posted on 12-Oct-2010, 06:48 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 12-Oct-2010, 07:20.