GAME ANALYSIS IN RUGBY UNION by Marcus SB Agnew (BSR) A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfillment of Masters of Health Science Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences February 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS Attestation of Authorship................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... ii List Of Figures............................................................................................................................... iii List Of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iii Preface............................................................................................................................................iv Background ............................................................................................................................... iv Organisation of the Thesis...........................................................................................................v Chapter 1 - Game Analysis in Rugby Union: A Review of the Literature ..................... 1 Abstract............................................................................................................................................1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1 What is game analysis? ...............................................................................................................2 Coding.........................................................................................................................................4 Volatility .................................................................................................................................4 Validity ...................................................................................................................................5 Stability...................................................................................................................................5 Variability ...............................................................................................................................7 Normalisation..........................................................................................................................7 Performance indicators................................................................................................................8 Performance profiles ...................................................................................................................9 What is Rugby Union? ..............................................................................................................10 Professional rugby analysis systems .........................................................................................11 IRB Analysis of Rugby Union ..................................................................................................12 Performance indicators .................................................................................................................14 Possession .................................................................................................................................14 Turnovers..............................................................................................................................16 Lineouts ................................................................................................................................16 Points scoring ............................................................................................................................17 Timing of tries ......................................................................................................................18 Possession platforms and tries ..............................................................................................19 Field position and tries..........................................................................................................20 Passes per try ........................................................................................................................21 Options: pass, kick, run.............................................................................................................21 Performance profiles .....................................................................................................................22 Time-motion analysis.....................................................................................................................23 Law changes and game structure ..................................................................................................24 Foul play........................................................................................................................................25 Historical comparisons..................................................................................................................26 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................26 Chapter 2 – A Synthesis of Game Structure in Rugby Union ....................................... 28 Abstract..........................................................................................................................................28 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................28 Methods .........................................................................................................................................31 Primary data ..............................................................................................................................31 Units of Play..............................................................................................................................31 Play .......................................................................................................................................31 Possession .............................................................................................................................32 Phase .....................................................................................................................................32 Move .....................................................................................................................................32 Sets of hands .........................................................................................................................33 Meters gained........................................................................................................................33 Move platforms .........................................................................................................................34 Lineout won ..........................................................................................................................34 Lineout stolen .......................................................................................................................34 Scrum won ............................................................................................................................34 Scrum stolen .........................................................................................................................35 Start half reception................................................................................................................35 Start half regather..................................................................................................................35 Start 22 reception and Start 22 regather................................................................................35 Tap penalty ...........................................................................................................................36 Penalty kick reception...........................................................................................................36 Penalty shot reception...........................................................................................................36 Kick reception.......................................................................................................................36 Kick regather.........................................................................................................................36 Fair catch...............................................................................................................................39 Ruck......................................................................................................................................39 Maul......................................................................................................................................39 Ruck turnover .......................................................................................................................39