Over recent years, these tactics have been viewed as an occupational eye-sore to the professional game
The waiting is almost over. Next Saturday in Cardiff, England and Wales stage an intriguing World Cup warm-up as both sides bid to build momentum, settle combinations and finalise selection. After weeks of fitness training and strategising, balls will be kicked in anger. And the method behind those strikes will be interesting to monitor.
Over recent years, caterpillar ruck routines and box-kicks have been viewed as an occupational eye-sore unique to the professional game. Joe Simpson, the former England scrum-half, recently suggested that the practice would rank narrowly below scrum re-sets as the most tedious on-pitch action. Well, this World Cup could finally endanger the caterpillar.
Kicking variety has been a prominent theme of England’s camp. Jack van Poortvliet followed George Ford, his former Leicester Tigers team-mate, in praising the All Blacks’ early burst against South Africa on July 15.
“Sometimes certain teams can get caught kicking just off nine [from scrum-half] and not posing a threat kicking in other parts of the field,” Van Poortvliet said. “New Zealand went through that game kicking off 10 [from fly-half]. They would maybe do a two-shift pass and kick off [Beauden] Barrett.