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 cover the attacking breakdownThe premium on excellent skills at the breakdown is becoming more important, especially for a club with a positive ball-in-hand mindset.
As Nick Bishop illustrates using the resurgent Queensland Reds as an example.
How England upset Ireland’s Grand Slam plans at TwickenhamNick Bishop details the key ingredient that led to England’s upset 6N win over 6 to 1 favourite and Grand Slam-elect Ireland.
Why Super Rugby Pacific was right to drop ‘Dupont’s Law’ from SRP 2024Super Rugby Pacific have dumped World Rugby’s “Dupont’s Law” for their 2024 competition. As Nick Bishop details using the recent Scotland v France 6N’s match they have good reason to.
Why the driving lineout is here to stay as a prime attacking platformThe driving lineout is fast becoming the most creative source of offensive thinking in the professional game. Using the recent Ireland vs France 6N game for some seminal illustrations, Nick Bishop explains how the attacking potential has come about.
How to attack wide – the Toulouse way!The best attacking teams in the current era never take the apparent space they are offered on the edge without checking, or switching inside first.
Why defences need to adjust quickly to early-phase strikesWhatever the pattern of defence, every player needs to be on the same page in terms of their attitudes and adjustments. Or as Nick Bishop, using the recent Leicester vs Saracens Premiership, highlights teams can get repeatedly ‘stung’ from the same play.
How to create early attacking options from the “21”If your charges can learn to run one play exceptionally well, you will force opponents to adjust to it – and that will create opportunities elsewhere.
As Nick Bishop evidences in Racing 92’s match against fellow Top 14 side Toulon.
How to run a two-phase switchback attack with optionsNick Bishop looks at how leading teams are creating multiple threats early in the phase-count, and sustaining those threats for longer on attack than the defence can successfully manage them.
How to strike the balance between tackling and ‘jackling’ on DAs a result of the WR 2020 Breakdown Guidelines, the role of the jackler has changed, so it has attracted quicker, more dynamic physical types to the role.
Using examples for the English premiership, Nick Bishop latest analysis show the responsibility for jackling extends well into the backline.
What the raw statistics from the RWC say about the attack-defence balance in the global game [part 2]Nick Bishop looks in more detail at what happened when teams of the same general type played one another, or two sides of opposite approach clashed.
