The Raainag stepping issue metric

So as usual I was accused of bs when I pointed out the problem Raainag has with the pass....far too many steps. Nope all we have to do is select a sprinter at scrummie and all will be well. Unfortunately it wont, because for every time Raainach runs in space he probably passes 50 times....badly.

The facts are neatly captured in this 365 piece:

"One of the ways for a scrumhalf to speed up his passing is by doing so immediately from the ground. When you see a scrumhalf running sideways before throwing the ball at his backs, you know he is destroying future possibilities for he has cannibalised the backs' space. Running sideways may be to bring pressure on himself but it also brings pressure onto those outside of him who now have to catch, deal with pressure and consider their further options.

There were two significant Tests - England vs Australia at Twickenham and Wales vs South Africa in Cardiff. We looked at passes and how many steps the scrumhalf made before passing. (We have not counted steps to avoid a hindrance.)

South Africa's pass-step rate was enormous. It was 43 passes which took 74 steps.
The other three teams' scrumhalves made 153 passes with 64 steps, despite the appearance of Nick White for Australia in the second half who is a stepper.

Despite White the scrumhalves for Wales, Australia and England made a smaller aggregate of steps in over three times as many passes.

It may just be that the South African backs problem is really a scrumhalf problem.

It's not that Cobus Reinach cannot pass straight off the ground. He did so in the match, but it is clearly not a priority, perhaps because it is not a priority for the coaches.

Look at November's scrumhalves and see where you would place Cobus Reinach and Francois Hougaard.

Argentina: Tomás Cubelli, Martín Landajo

Australia: Nick Phipps, Will Genia, Nic White

England: Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth

France: Sébastien Tillous-Borde, Rory Kockott

Ireland: Conor Murray, Eoin Reddan

Italy: Eduardo Gori

New Zealand: Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Augustine Pulu

Samoa: Kahn Fortuali'i

Scotland: Greig Laidlaw, Chris Cusiter

Wales: Rhys Webb, Mike Phillips

Then think of South African scrumhalves after World War II and see where you would fit Reinach and Hougaard into that tradition.

Fonnie du Toit, Hansie Oelofse, Popeye Strydom, Tommy Gentles, Dick Lockyear, Piet Uys, Dawie de Villiers, Nelie Smith, Joggie Viljoen, Paul Bayvel, Divan Serfontein, Garth Wright, Joost van der Westhuizen, Bolla Conradie, Enrico Januarie, Fourie du Preez. (This is not a complete list.)

Done thoughtfully, not vindictively or parochially, it could be an interesting exercise.

* When Danie Craven was 20 and had not yet played provincial rugby, he was chosen to as a Springbok to tour under the captaincy of the great flyhalf, Bennie Osler. Before the first time they played together, Craven waited for Osler to talk to him, to give him instructions. Eventually he mustered courage enough to talk to the great man.

Craven said to his captain: "Excuse me, Mr Osler, what are your calls."

Osler, puzzled, said: "What calls?"

Craven: "To tell me when you are going left and right and so on."

Osler: "You just pass the ball in front of me and never above my waist."

In a match if the scrumhalf passed the ball to him above his waist, Osler would shout 'Bliksem!' That is why Craven called his much-loved dog Bliksem."

By Paul Dobson
 

My son plays 10 and he hates it when the reserve 9 comes on as he takes steps before he passes. Not sure why some 9's do it.......its poor coaching really. Simply instruct the 9 not to take the steps......but obviously Meyer has no issue with Reinach taking steps

Its obvious that every step takes seconds away from the 10  

By hitting the deck, it takes the player out of play for seconds, all seconds count.

Its like in the old days players were coached to drop when in contact, that has long changed.  

Its a habit.....very often Raainach and Hougaard haven't decided what they are going to do and take a few steps to clear their minds. In the meantime your backs have 4+ less metres of space(the gap is being closed from both sides) before the defensive wall hits them. 

Stepping and passing to anybody except a forward is a crime

Raainach is way worse than any international scrummie out there....that's why OOM. Are you getting it old toppie?

Kevin Luiters doesn't step, Will Genia steps all the time, Aaron SMith does as well on occasion, Phipps steps.

Unless Mozart wants to suggest others drift and Reinach steps.