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Come in No 7: Joe El-Abd
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RCN Toulon |
Toulon flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd
this week takes us into the murky world of back-row play as
he investigates what makes a world-class number eight, or
why his own particular skills are best suited to number
seven.
Last week the TV
cameras came into the club to do a piece on our back row
here at Toulon. Over the years talk about who and what the
back row should consist of has taken up many column inches
and been given lots of airtime.
When at Bristol I
remember [coach] Richard Hill saying that the first thing he
thought about when selecting his team was his back row. As a
back row player myself I have played in many different
line-ups and have seen how different combinations have
worked first hand. For while the back row is often grouped
together each position has its own unique characteristics.
So what are the unique
characteristics of each of the back row positions?
Let's start with my
preferred position of number seven. Generally the number
seven's role is to enjoy the defensive side of the game and
provide a link between the forwards and the backs. Teams
usually don’t like opposing number sevens as they are a
general nuisance at the breakdown turning over and slowing
down attacking ball. As a consequence they are always living
right on the edge of the law trying their best not to fall
foul of the referee. In France a player who performs this
role is known as a ‘gratteur’. The direct translation for
this is a scraper – not that flattering really! In my eyes
the best in the business over the last few years has been
New Zealand's Richie McCaw. His ability to disrupt
opposition ball without getting penalised is immense.
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The traditional number
six can be characterised as a big ball carrier, a big
tackler and good option in the lineout. The number six at
Toulon is currently our captain Joe Van Niekerk. Joe is the
sort of player who really doesn’t fit into one category
because he actually has the ability to play in all three
back row positions. His speed and ball carrying in the wide
channels stands him out from the crowds and it is easy to
see why he has won over 50 caps for his native South Africa.
The number eight is one of the key decision makers in the
team along with number nine and 10, due to his role at the
back of the scrum. The number eight therefore has to have
good tactical awareness as well as being quick of the base.
The number eight also often drops back to support the back
three, meaning he has to be good under the high ball. At
Toulon Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe fills this role perfectly
where he excels under the high ball. He is due to leave us
in the next couple of weeks to play for Argentina where I
have no doubt he will one day be their official captain.
Probably the best
example of such a combination working to a tee was England’s
World Cup winning back row of Richard Hill, Lawrence
Dallaglio and Neil Back. More recently you only have to look
at the Lions series and the Tri Nations to see how a
balanced back row can win matches and even series. With
Schalk Burger suspended, Heinrich Brüssow - the ‘gratteur’ -
came into the South African team and showed how the
traditional back row combination can work in unison. So for
me a combination of a gratteur, a big ball carrier and
tackler, a line out option, a high ball specialist and an
intelligent number eight are all needed to make up a good
back row, but I am sure the debate will go on and on.
A bientot
Previous columns:
21.10.09 -
'My brothers think I'm mad when they see all my rugby scars'
07.10.09 -
'I keep telling them Rovigo is not Rome, but they're still excited'
28.09.09 -
'The three-part conundrum of winning
away in France'
22.09.09 -
'There's more to Jonny than just kicking'
14.09.09 -
Lesson number 1 - 'Pas de melée,
pas de victoire'
08.09.09 -
'The money's good, but so is the
weather, the rugby and the
crowds'
