Each game week Paul Williams ‘Black & White’ column will take a look around the world of the Guinness PRO14 and beyond. Known for his contributions to Rugby World, his obsession for the game and his notorious tennis elbow, as an independent columnist Paul will bring his unique takes on rugby to pro14rugby.org. With no grey areas, entertainment and enlightenment are assured. A must follow on Twitter @thepaulwilliams Japan Have Elevated to the Top Tier All this talk of ‘tier one’ and ‘tier two’ nations seems a bit old fashioned. It reeks of the days of empire where nations were put in little socio-demographic boxes with little chance of ever getting out. If we must use antiquated terms, then it’s time for Japan to be let out of their impoverished tier and given the keys to tier one – where you get access to the executive marble bathroom, the chauffeur and the lunch menu which includes Snow Tiger Carpaccio and Panda Tartare. Japan securing big wins is no longer shocking. They are now mild surprises. To top your pool at a Rugby World Cup is no fluke, especially with the pressure of being the home nation – just ask England. And to beat both Ireland and Scotland, whilst the world is watching, requires more than luck. To reach the Quarter-finals of the RWC means that you have a pack and a set of backs that can compete with the best. You have a set of defensive and attacking systems, combined with elite fitness levels, that can cope with 80 minutes of test rugby. But Japan are about more than the basics. They, like the All Blacks, make the basics look beautiful. Something that many teams try to achieve but fail. Japan have already impressed at the RWC, now they must be allowed to do the same in The Rugby Championship. Real Deal Cheetahs Shred Munster If you’ve taken your eye off domestic rugby over the past few weeks to focus on the Rugby World Cup, you could be forgiven for thinking that Japan are the only form team in the game. But that would do a huge disservice to the Toyota Cheetahs, who are shredding everything before them in the Guinness PRO14. Yes, there are squads depleted due to Test rugby, but that is not the Cheetahs’ fault or problem. After beating Glasgow Warriors and Ulster, the men in orange posted their best win over Munster, who have a fantastic academy structure and an enviable supply chain delivering quality players. What was most surprising about the victory over Munster, was that it didn’t just come from 50m miracle tries – the damage was done in the tight five. Dominant packs of forwards are often described as having ‘bullied’ the opposition, but this wasn’t merely bullying from the Cheetahs pack, this was more akin to mafia style intimidation. Few Munster supporters will ever have seen their scrum look as unstable as Donald Trump’s hairline. Of course, there was the usual selection of 50m ‘Super’ tries, but the plaudits must be reserved for the Cheetahs front row – in particular Joseph Dweba and Ox Nche. Well played the Cheetahs. Rise of the Headline Grabbing Hookers Hat-tricks used to be the domain of wings and fullbacks or selfish 13 – we all know one of those. The positioning of the back three players in the wide channels means that they are often given at the end of the overlap. But that is changing. As Sam Parry’s hat-trick against Benetton proved, playing hooker is now where it’s at. Such is the accuracy and dominance of the modern lineout catch-and-drive, that the role of the hooker has become a key scoring possession. Having thrown the ball into the line-out, it is the hooker’s role to connect with the back of the maul and receive the ball from the jumper. From there, the hooker conceals the ball like an experienced drugs mule and delivers it to the try line. Of course, this is not merely a phenomenon at club level. Three of the top 12 try scorers at the RWC are hookers, namely Julian Montoya, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Mbongeni Mbonambi. If you like a flutter (in responsible fashion), it’s worth bearing in mind. The man, the myth, the legend: @SamParry2 🦸♂️2017 – 🎩 Hat-trick 🆚 Zebre2019 – 🎩 Hat-trick 🆚 BenettonThe @ospreys hooker becomes the first forward to bag two trebles in the #GuinnessPRO14 👏 pic.twitter.com/JgDCIJ6LHm— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) October 13, 2019 Have the High-Tackle Protocols Limited Samoa’s Approach? The high-tackle protocols have dominated the debate over the past few weeks. But whilst they have affected all the teams in the Rugby World Cup, it seems to have impacted Samoa’s game the most. It would be unfair to interpret Samoa’s recent poor form as being purely the result of new tackling protocols, as their results over the past 24 months have been way short of what we have come to expect. However, Samoa’s game is built on big hits in a way that no other nations is. It is how they change in-game momentum. It is how they smack the confidence out of ball carriers. It is why opposition players often opt for the high-risk flick-pass instead of taking 16st of Samoan to the chest. Their performance against Ireland highlighted that without the ability to change the game via aggressive defence, their options are very limited. Even with a one-man advantage, for 52 minutes, Samoa scored just one try and conceded 47 points. The defensive game has changed for everyone, but Samoa may need to adapt more than most. Hold Your Depth – And Your Fire! In the same way that many people in the USA would rather go to the grave than give up their right to bear arms, this column will do the same with regards to defending Hadleigh Parkes. Parkes took an absolute pasting on social media after the Wales v Uruguay game, with much of the criticism focused on his passing. Okay, his passing against Uruguay many not have been his finest. But we should take into account that he has playing with a fractured hand, and an injury to Jon Davies meant that he had to play. But whilst Parkes was being blamed for throwing multiple forward passes, possibly as a result of his injured hand forcing him to pass end-on-end, little attention was given to the fact that the receiving players were over-running the pass. In the same way that hookers are always blamed for losing a lineout when often the lifting pods are to blame, the receiving player needs to take some responsibility for a forward pass. If a wing is standing almost flat when receiving the ball, they’re placing the passer in an unnecessarily difficult scenario. Yes, blame Parkes if you must, but others must take responsibility also.
