Munster and Ireland wing Andrew Conway’s work-rate off the ball is exemplary.
Andrew Conway was speaking before the final round of 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup pool games this weekend. Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Andrew Conway was speaking before the final round of 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup pool games this weekend. Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Updated 27 minutes ago
Take this example from Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup win over Castres last weekend, where Conway starts on the right-hand side of the scrum. A better connection from Jack Crowley on his cross-kick and Munster might have had a score here, with Castres loosehead prop Antoine Tichit looking uncomfortable as the last defender out wide.“It’s something I’ve been working on and something that coaches both nationally and provincially had been eager for me to work on, that off-the-ball work, the reading of a game,” explains Conway.
“I was chatting to Mike Haley about it this week and asking if he saw me. I know from being in his position carrying the ball at full pace that it’s really hard to look almost 40 yards to his right to see someone there. Conway gets on his bike with urgency, making up lots of ground as Healy’s long kick bounces into the Connacht 22.Conway’s work-rate means that as Healy then blocks down Mack Hansen’s attempted clearance and Shane Daly gets a foot onto the ball…“That’s just making the extra effort to be there,” says Conway of the score.
It has been pleasing for Conway to focus on this aspect of his game and see some reward, while his kicking game has also improved notably in recent years thanks to positive work on this important skillset. “I suppose it’s just from practice. I peeled it right back and I actually do less practice of the traditional me and you standing 40 yards away from each other and kicking the ball to each other.
“The same with chipping. I have found that with opportunities to chip over the years, I have actually gone a bit too long with it so that the trajectory kind of ends up being a half-chip, half-kick-ahead. You want that Teddy Thomas-style kick where you literally just lift it over someone – that doesn’t give the defender coming across the pitch a chance to catch me while I’m waiting for the bobbling ball to hop up.
While being effective in attack is a huge part of any wing’s role, the defensive side of the game is every bit as important.
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