What a journey it’s been. Been a privilege spending time with such a great crew.
And now we’ve got a trophy on top of the mix. Next level stuff yesterday and great to secure promotion with a superb performance.
@Champrugby
here we come
What a contest we were treated to yesterday as Ireland snuck past the Springboks.
But what changed this time around and how did they get over the line?
1/
Welsh rugby Facebook delivering like always.
Not sure which is a more ridiculous or funny assertion. That Basham is the best 7 in the world or that Sheedy is better than Dan Biggar under the high ball.
And it's live.
The
#Bajad8ta
Premiership Data Preview For 2021/22.
Giving you an in-depth look at last year, and examining who the crucial players will be this season.
Using data to get you ready for the season.
Enjoy :)
So who comes out on top? Who is rugby's best goal kicker?
@JCooney09
take a bow
The Ulster 9 has scored 87% of his kicks, from scenarios we'd expect an average kicker to make 77%
This adds up to Cooney has outperforming the average kicker by 35 points from 143 kicks
3/
Rugby continuing to shoot itself in the foot. Copyright striking down one of the best accounts on the platform.
Developing and sharing knowledge is a useful tool for growing the game. And they’ve now removed one of the best from the platform.
Munster overcame Leinster to make the URC final in Cape Town this weekend.
On the back of their exploits a question emerged.
Do Munster play like Leinster?
Using
@Oval_Insights
excellent data we can answer it.
1/
One of rugby's most common sights in recent years has become the “plus one” at lineout time
The plus one has been around a while but it was more a rarity than a rule in 2015 before the common feature of the rugby landscape it has become
1/
France 2023 lost another big name this morning with Malcolm Marx dropping out of the South Africa squad with an ACL injury
But what can
@Oval_Insights
data tell us, about what they’ve lost and where they go from here?
1/
Leicester Tigers v Leinster promises to be a fascinating fight at Welford road.
In preparation, I took a small look at the Leicester Tigers Lineout to see what Leinster may face on Saturday.
1/
This morning i live coded the first half of Scarlets v Edinburgh as a test of something i want to try during the 6 Nations
But what did we see on the field?
1/
The weird thing about people especially those with an interest in rugby
Is that if they find a reason to be overwhelmingly negative from just one game
They are more than likely a journalist paid to promote the sport
Yesterday Australia were downed by Argentina as Eddie Jones continues waiting for his first win
But what can
@Oval_Insights
data tell us about the match and where can each side improve
1/
Excuse the self indulgence. But this week has been fantastic.
✅ My first
@URCOfficial
Statsmaster article went live.
✅ Small mention in the
@cantrugby
match day program
✅ Canterbury Win
✅ Cambridge Win
✅ First match report in
@TheRugbyPaper
Not too bad at all 😃😃
Rugbys obsession with changing laws blows my mind. Not to mention the game is great because of its variety.
Simple fix is do a better job of explaining why mails are powerful and what makes them so good.
Don’t change laws to remove variety but embrace it
Suggested law change, came up in discussion chatting to a mate earlier.
If you kick a penalty into touch in the opposition 22 you don’t get the throw at the lineout.
Would mitigate the tedium of teams kicking for the corner all the time and the interminable stream of maul tries
Mission accomplished
Proud to say I have now graduated from
@UniKent
with a degree in economics with econometrics
Been great fun and looking forward to the next step what ever that might be
Thanks to all, including you guys on here who have helped keep me sane
🚨🐯And it’s live🐯🚨
My first blog deep diving into Leicester Tigers title winning season looks at their attack.
From their choice of play maker to their wide attack and a weakness opponents may look to expose this season.
#Bajad8ta
This week I thought I would produce a throwback to the Six Nations, using the
#Bajad8ta
player stats database to give a clear insight into some of the incredible performance, and the roles of different positions within the team.
1/
@jcorrigangolf
@thepaulwilliams
@MarkRing10
Why is being negative seen as a good thing.
Paul does fantastic word promoting the game, writes compelling pieces and helps to bring a lighter more jovial light to the game.
It’s a wonder anyone can criticise anyone for being positive.
Quick morning quiz question for you all:
Can you name the top 5 teams who win the best lineout ball - measured by Clean Catch % across Europes Top 3 Leagues?
This weekend the
@Springboks
put on a set piece show, en route to a record victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham
The main weapon was their lineout, in this video I lift the lid on their lineout in the
@AllBlacks
22 with a focus on the maul
Enjoy :)
(Belated) Personal Update
Happy to say I’ll be continuing my education at the Uni of Kent - Canterbury studying economics next year.
Looking forward to widening my data base and applying some of the learnings to Rugby as well as widening the horizon slightly
1/
A bit of Tuesday fun for you all
What stat is this showing, with Ulster, Leinster and Munster occupying the bottom three
While the Lions, Ospreys and Dragons sit top
Last Friday we were treated to an incredible performance in Marseille from
@IrishRugby
In this video I break down how they comprehensively shut down the French attack. Including a new stat using
@Oval_Insights
that showed Irelands intensity
A quick look at how the Springboks surrendering of the Front at lineout time influenced their maul defence and crucially how the Lions combatted this.
1/
I hope everyone enjoyed the festivities and are ready for the Christmas derbies. I have been looking a little further back at the player stats of the rugby championship.
Delving into the role of various positions and how stats can show a game plan and the story.
1/
#Bajad8ta
Using
@Oval_Insights
data it is clear to see the beenfits of playing wider in rugby
A phase that has 40m of width, average over 5m gained but a phase 20m or less from the ruck averages less than 2m.
But which teams are maximising the benefits of width and what can we learn?
1/
What a game we have in store this week in the Champions Cup final as Leinster take on Toulouse
It's time for the
@Oval_Insights
data preview, as we look at the stats underlying two of rugby's best club sides
1/
Italy shocked Wales on Saturday.
But how did the Azzurri pull of their famous victory?
From their pragmatic attack, to their suffocating defence. I look at the tactics behind a famous day for Italian rugby.
Enjoy
#SixNations
#WalvIta
#Bajad8ta
@thepaulwilliams
NFL are ridiculous athletes. To do their job there is no one better. Rugby has more all rounders - those capable of stepping in elsewhere.
NFL is about being brilliant at 5 things, rugby is about being as good as possible over 20 things.
So how can you add nearly 3 points a game to your performance from a single skill, using
@Oval_Insights
data lets find out.
In short, practice your kicks to touch
The ability to get the ball down the line as far as possible can help take your team to the next level
1/
A Thursday Thread coming for you all later
This time focussed on a single skill where being good is worth nearly 3 points a game
Can you guess the skill, and can you guess which player will come out on top
One of the most difficult things to measure in any sport is defence, in both its effectiveness and its style.
But today with help from
@Oval_Insights
data there’s a chance to lift the curtain on this aspect of our beautiful game.
1/
Paul hitting the nail on the head again
Rugby has multiple ways of playing, and while some games are sub par most of this World Cup has been good for those willing to look deeper than the social media’s ref baiting
Genuinely don't know why some people, on here, watch rugby at all.
If you don't like ANY teams, ANY competitions, ANY refs or ANYONE who runs the game.
You should probably find another hobby.
Rugby is fantastic.
Been working with
@Oval_Insights
goal kicking data this week as part of a wider project. But this initial phase can answer a cool question
Who is rugby's best goal kicker?
1/
Yesterday we looked at Munster but now it’s a chance to look at the reigning Champions and the host of the second
@URCOfficial
Final:
@THESTORMERS
Using the wonderful data from
@Oval_Insights
data we can again see the sort of threats Stormers bring to the field.
1/
Stats hot off the press from that historic Ireland victory.
- Outstanding attack completion of 90.2%. 6th Highest since 2021 of any international side
- NZ boosted their performance score with those tries.
Congrats to all
@IrishRugby
#NZvIRE
South Africa's World Cup preparations enter the final stages this Saturday.
Using
@Oval_Insights
data we can breakdown the reigning world cup Champions and how they will look to repeat their 2019 exploits.
Wane's Wales: Attack Under PIvac.
The first of four blogs which aim to breakdown how Wales played under Wayne Pivac. First up, their attack.
Enjoy. Comments and Feedback Appreciated.
#Bajad8ta
#Wales
#6Nations
A number of questions have arisen from this announcement
But avoiding the nuclear one
Why do people think offloading and constant linebreaks/missed tackles are key.
Not everyone wants to watch basketball
Rugby games produce a lot of data, some useful, some not.
One of the most frequently used stats is missed tackles.
Using
@Oval_insights
data we lift the curtain on a stat often mis-understood
1/
Over the weekend
@BenJames1796
revealed that Taine Plumtree, the new Scarlets signing, has begun training with the Wales squad.
But who is Taine Plumtree?
To answer this let's delve into the
@Oval_Insights
data and see what he will bring to Gatland’s squad.
1/
Just a quick note to say:
This is the first use of clustering to break down the team style within rugby that I know of and is still very much a work in progress.
Any feedback or improvements would be great to hear about
Thanks again for reading 😀
14/14
#URCFinal
The European Semi Finals are here, and what a weekend is in store.
We start in a packed-out Croke Park for what is sure to be one of the Rugby years best occasions as Leinster take on high flying Northampton
Powered by
@Oval_Insights
1/
Well since Youtube is out of the question you can view my analysis, powered by
@Oval_Insights
data, of Fiji versus Wales here.
A look at how Wales built their resilient defence and how Nick Tompkins was crucial to unpicking the Fijian's midfield
Part 2 is now up and running
Nothing quite propelled
@LeicesterTigers
to the title like their outstanding defence
In the blog this time we examine the chop and jackal system masterminded by Kevin Sinfield that saw Tigers claim the title
Enjoy :)
Welcome to Boxing Day, and welcome to the fifth thread breaking down how teams win in international rugby
While the past few days have focussed on what they need to achieve, today I will focus more on what they actually do
Hope you enjoy
T5 - 1/
An analysis of how Scotland used the double tackle to great effect, in their victory against France.
Feedback and comments, as always are very much welcomed. Aiming to provide live stats this weekend on Sco v Wal. So keep an eye out.
This weekend, we not only a Lions v Lions match up but we also get to see the Springboks return to action, cobwebs and all. But what can we expect from them. I’e delved into the player stats from their RWC winning run, to see what can be learnt. 1/
New Blog Live: Wales’ tweaked attack structure bears fruit in win over Ireland.
A look at how Wales have tweaked their 1-2-3-2 system, and the use of Halfpenny as a second receiver.
In the second blog of my series, I break down how Wales have developed their kicking game under Wayne Pivac.
From 2 man chase teams to kicking in the wide channel.
#Rugby
#Bajad8ta
#WalesRugby
Got asked by
@bendarwin
for some scrum analysis. It's not my strong point. But one way to learn is by unpicking one of the strongest Premiership Scrums - Gloucester
Today, using
@Oval_Insights
data we take a look at that how they created a scrum winning machine
1/
So what is this new metric and more importantly what can it teach us about the game
Welcome to the world of Expected Carry Metres!
Powered by
@Oval_Insights
data
1/
So this week I have another thread on how teams defend for you
This time we look at the styles of defence within
@URCOfficial
again assisted by
@Oval_Insights
Wonderful Data
In the hopes of explaining what this graph showed from earlier in the week.
1/
A bit of Tuesday fun for you all
What stat is this showing, with Ulster, Leinster and Munster occupying the bottom three
While the Lions, Ospreys and Dragons sit top
What responsibility do England have to play attractive rugby???
None. Absolutely none.
1) International rugby is about winning
2) worth remembering they are focussing on their defence and kicking game.
To top of a final evening of lineout coding. A small practice of visualisation using
@MetricaSports
looking at the Sam Johnson break for
@RugbySco
A good starter play which just opened the France defence. Love the use of the a back peel using a shift drive.
#Bajad8ta
The build up to the world cup always brings injuries and today we lost one of the poster boys of RWC 2023 - Romain Ntamack
Using at
@Oval_insights
data we take a look at where who might step in and what they bring to the table!
1/
The
@premrugby
has been highly competitive this season and this weekend we get treated to an East Midlands derby
But what does the data tell us about what we can expect?
Using
@Oval_Insights
it's time to dig into one of the games of the weekend
1/
Earlier this week I released a video breaking down the Oyonnax defence.
So today using the wonderful data from
@Oval_Insights
we can look deeper at the traits of a successful defence.
World rugby stripping down analysis videos that infringe its copyright.
Also world rugby, ripping off and stealing content from smaller content creators and producers.
🤦♂️🤦♂️
A bit of a personal update ahead of this season. As any of you will know I will be Analyst at Cambridge Rugby this season. I will also be the Coach for St Ives Under 13s.
As I am starting out in both roles, it will be a year of learning. One that I'm looking forward to 1/
This weeks deep dive powered by
@Oval_Insights
takes a look at Andy Farrells Ireland team
They’ve beaten New Zealand in New Zealand, won grand slams so today I look into the tactics behind these achievements
Does World Cup history beckon?
In case you missed it yesterday I released a deep dive into the Crusaders
Breaking down their expansive attack, pressure focussed kicking and aggressive defence
Why not your weekend off with some rugby analysis and give it a read
A New 6 Nations Blog.
Detailing - How France’s Innovative Lineout Is Leading To Try Scoring Opportunities.
Thoughts, Feedback, Comments and Shares gratefully received.
ENJOY!
#Bajad8ta
All good things must come to an end, and i will be moving on from Head Of Analysis at
@cantrugby
come the end of the season.
So they are looking for a new analyst - please send expressions of interest to headcoach
@cantrugby
.co.uk
Happy to answer any questions
The final key point to touch on is the use of drop goals, the renaissance of the drop goal is likely to be the defining feature of this World Cup cycle.
Its great to have it back!
7/7
@OyonnaxRugby
won the Pro D2 title to secure promotion to the Top 14
It was a dominant season from the French side sitting top of the table by 20 points.
Today's video details how Defence Drove Oyonnax to glory.
Enjoy :)
Dashboard breakdown of
@RugbyNZ_
v
@RugbyAUS
performances in
#BledisloeCup2020
@RugbyAU
passing 20 times for each kick compared to
@AllBlacks
The All Blacks had a completion rate of just over 80% compared to Aus just below 65%
NZ over 50% dominant contacts
Feedback welcome
The best team winning, what a farce that would be
Rugby really needs to get out of its own way sometimes.
It's a 23 man game, for all they want teams could go 8-0 or 3-5 if they wanted.
Sport is about the best team winning, remarkable this needs to be said really.
Does International rugby need to do something about the replacements? Many games are balanced until the bench is emptied and then the dominant nation prevails.
Limit them?
Restrict to a 4-4 split?
Leave it alone?
Wales play Fiji this Sunday.
What can we expect from the Flying Fijians beyond fantastic skills, some brutal physicality and a few very nice offloads?
I've taken a look at their game against Spain to find out.
1/
Coming your way later today, a look at how
@SaintsRugby
secured top spot in the Premiership
From their superb flat attack, to their defence which has improved by 7 points a game this season
Keep your eyes peeled 👀👀👀
#ChampionsSeries
Pulling together another video around one of the best teams in Europe
They sit in the Top 5 for Metres on Short Side, and Rewind Phases
While they sit second for strip in tackle turnovers
But who are they?