Articles
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
How to make the pick-and-go really ‘go’The pick-and-go is often neglected, at least in field positions outside the opposition 22. Analyst Nick Bishop takes a look at some of the features that make the pick-and-go game tick over as smoothly as clockwork.
Is it better to play Rugby without the ball?The early evidence is that Test rugby is proving to be stubbornly resistant to the 2020 law changes, which were designed to promote quicker ruck delivery and more ball-in-hand attack. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at why this is the case
How to chop down the attack – the Shaun Edwards wayDefence coach Shaun Edwards has been around the game of Rugby Union for a long time. He has a history of teaching a low tackline technique known as the ‘chop’ tackle, and an equally well-documented dislike of high tackling technique (‘the choke’). Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how Edwards has safely amended and developed his low tackling, ‘chop’ philosophy with the times.
Why have the top teams stopped kicking for goal?It may just be the end of an era. The days of the penalty goal as the primary means of scoring in Rugby may be coming to end – at least if the English Premiership final is a true measure of judgement as Nick Bishop reports in this week’s analysis.
Decisions favouring the TacklerFollowing on from last week’s article, Nick takes a look at the different set of refereeing priorities which emerged during the Trans-Tasman Super competition.
Why the English Premiership is ahead of the gameIt is not often that you can say, with confidence, that the UK is leading the world in rugby innovation. It is happening again now as Analyst Nick Bishop explains – not with developments in coaching, but in refereeing.
How to use late movement on attack close to the ruckWhile a great deal of time is spent, and rightly so, on improving the speed of ball delivery from a ruck, it is just as important to focus on the movement around it. As Analyst Nick Bishop explains most rucks create their own geography, and two sides for the attack to explore.
What is the best defence at lineouts?There are always plenty of ongoing debates on lineout defence. Analyst Nick Bishop considers the rationale for each defence pattern option.
Is there a Renaissance in French rugbyOn and off the field, French rugby appears to be in a Renaissance with 2 teams contesting the 2021 Champions cup final and close to winning the last 2 6 nations titles. As Analyst Nick Bishop writes, some of those uniquely French attack characteristics are beginning to work their way back into the mindset of both club and country.
Why the cross-kick is a quick fix for attacking widthThe cross-kick (or kick-pass) is a low-risk way of moving the ball from one side of the field to the other in one movement, without the need for top-drawer handling and passing skills. Nick Bishop looks at the types of kick-passes and their effectiveness.
