Set Piece
How to use the attacking lineout drive to split the defence
The maul remains one of the most contentious issues in rugby. Nick Bishop looks at the latest contentious development...
Contributor
Nick Bishop
Here's what Nick thinks...
About Nick Bishop
Nick has worked as a rugby analyst and advisor to Graham Henry (1999-2002), Mike Ruddock (2004-2006) and latterly Stuart Lancaster (2011-2015). He also worked on the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and produced his first rugby book with Graham Henry at the end of the tour. Since then, three more rugby books have followed, all of which of have either been nominated for, or won national sports book awards. The latest is a biography of Phil Larder, the first top Rugby League coach to successfully transfer over to Union. It is entitled “The Iron Curtain”. Nick has also written or contributed to four other books on literature and psychology.
“He is currently writing articles for The Roar and The Rugby Site, and working as a strategy consultant to Stuart Lancaster and the Leinster coaching staff for their European matches.”
Nick Bishop's latest articles
Breakdown
How to double up at the defensive breakdown
Win more of the collisions between attacker and defender and go forward in the tackle, and you will probably win the ...
Conditioning
Why a scrum-half has to be the fittest man on the team
The modern scrum-half not only has to be the fittest man on the paddock in terms of aerobic endurance, he also has to...
Breakdown
How far can you clean out ahead of the ruck?
What is considered too far for support players clearing out? A ‘reasonable’ distance with ‘advantages’ as Nick Bishop...
Catch and Pass
How to use the reverse-pass to split the wood up the middle
Nick Bishop explores how a sussessful old move – the reverse pass, is gaining popularity to open new defences.
Set Piece
How to shave the odds by narrowing the gap at lineout time
Lineout defence is becoming ever more important in the modern game, as the lineout becomes the by far the major weapo...
Attack
How to run same-way attack with angled cleanouts
It is always nice when circumstances come together to make theory absolutely limpid, and crystal clear in practice. ...
Breakdown
How to find the right angle at cleanout time
Is the breakdown cleanout NFL blocking by another name? Nick Bishop provides some weight to Offensive Linemen techniq...
Defence
Why defence begins behind the goal-line, not in front of it
The new trial laws brought in on 1st August 2021 not only increased the effective attacking width of the field with t...
Attack
How to find scenarios to make the 50/22 work
The 50/22 kick is beginning to grow in value as the different scenarios in which it can be an Attack option are recog...
