Where Have The Side Stepping Stand Offs Gone   

Readers of my generation will no doubt recall the words of a once popular song,”Where have all the flowers gone….?” Could we not sing the same for rugby union and, to a certain extent, rugby league, if we substituted the words, ”sidestepping stand offs” for “flowers”? I think we could.

Throughout the Fifties to the Nineties we could watch the likes of internationals David Watkins, Jonathan Davies,J ohn Horton, Bev Risman, Tom Brophy, Barry John, Phil Bennett and company weaving their way past and around all manner of opponents big or small. The sidestep or swerve was instinctive to them whether attacking directly from the scrum or running in broken play. Such skills were exciting, often dramatic, and raised the anticipation and passions of the spectators. Their running and attacking style was why Messrs Watkins, Davies,Risman, and Brophy were sought by and finally signed by rugby league clubs and why Horton and Bennett were offered significant sums of cash to switch codes.

Sadly in Union the dominance of size – allied to higher levels of fitness and pace among the forwards - in recent years has robbed such sidestepping practitioners of the space and opportunity to perform their skills to full effect. With fifteen defenders lined almost flat across a pitch and moving in at considerable pace themselves the stand off has changed his repertoire of attacking skills. Even with two players less in a defending rugby league team the stand off in the 13 a side code is still confronted by more muscular, stronger, faster, and fitter defenders than of yesteryear. And the back three forwards, now in an uncompetitive scrum, are no longer tied to the scrum. Just leaning and ready for a quick break away.

England RU half back Owen Farrell has served his country well and, if called upon, will no doubt display his full array of talents in the forthcoming World Cup, whether initiating passing movements, kicking, tackling, or running at the opposition. Bath’s George Ford, his rival for the stand off jersey, can offer a sidestep, a swerve, or the neatest of defence splitting passes. It will be interesting to see which one England coach, Stuart Lancaster, selects for his team? That selection could well be down to the size and style of defence employed by the opposition. Here’s hoping though that the once effective and exciting style of the sidestepping stand off is resurrected by someone in a World Cup jersey. Whatever the nation!  

Ray French (June 2015)