Hawkes Bay v Counties
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I have been impressed by Enari this afternoon - a lot quicker and more accurate service than I remember
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Cooper Flanders > Sam Smith
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@Stockcar86 Hey I will not have an ex Wainui boy spoken about like that..nah good he’s been given a chance
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Magpies have been ruthless when opportunities have been on offer
Godfrey putting on a clinic -
@Steven-Harris said in Hawkes Bay v Counties:
Magpies have been ruthless when opportunities have been on offer
Godfrey putting on a clinicMissed the game but good to hear. He was excellent for the Canes at 10 before injury. Seems to be getting better and better.
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@Canes4life said in Hawkes Bay v Counties:
@Steven-Harris said in Hawkes Bay v Counties:
Magpies have been ruthless when opportunities have been on offer
Godfrey putting on a clinicMissed the game but good to hear. He was excellent for the Canes at 10 before injury. Seems to be getting better and better.
You would of enjoyed his game mate, he looked real good.
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With all the talk of young first fives, it’s good to keep an eye on some of the talent running around in the NPC. One of these talented young 10s is Harry Godfrey. Godfrey, like so many of his peers in NZ, is a hybrid, a player who shifts between 10 and 15.
It looks like Godfrey might want to focus on being a first five. But if he’s going to do that, he’ll have to remember that the protocols for first fives and fullbacks are different. Whereas fullbacks like to attack and break the line, the first five’s first priority is to play the ball into space, through (1) the pass, (2) kick, or (3) carry. As a general rule, the 10 should want the ball often in his hands but for as short as possible a time, using his positioning and depth instead as a way to manipulate the defenders in front of him.
A good example of Godfrey’s fullback-instincts were on display in this game against Counties Manukau, early in the second half. From the 2nd half restart, Godfrey does well to create a contestable, with Hawke’s Bay able to retain possession. From there, the Magpies go through the phases, a line break eventually coming from a post-contact Kienan Higgins offload to Grigg. With Hawke’s Bay on attack inside the Counties’ 22, this is an excellent opportunity for a strike.
From a midfield ruck and with the Counties defence condensed, Godfrey calls for the ball out the back, the Magpies having a 3-on-2 out wide, with Zarn Sullivan looping around Godfrey and Devan Flanders holding the width on the edge.
Godfrey receives the ball, with Sullivan and Flanders to his leftRealizing there’s an overlap, the Counties’ final defender in the line, Josh Gray (14), rushes Godfrey to pressure his pass. While Godfrey does well to fake the pass and step, he doesn’t then pass to an unmarked Sullivan (who has a 2-on-1) but rather crabs back inside, until he’s eventually tackled close to the 22 metre-line.
After side-stepping Gray, Godfrey needed to still find a way to connect with Sullivan, as the try is still onWhile Hawke’s Bay eventually recover and score a few phases later, this was still a win for the Counties defence, the available space not efficiently exploited by Godfrey, the latter forced back inside by the defensive shooter.
And this is where the main lesson for Godfrey, as a first five, lies. Opportunities become more and more sparse as you go up the levels. At Super, the defence could’ve held for longer after the failed execution, with the risk of an attacking mistake increasing. At Test level, defenders are so switched on that, when Godfrey starts crabbing, you’d have hunters immediately over the ball looking for the turnover. And then, you’d have gone from a scoring opportunity to a defensive lineout around the halfway line.
If Godfrey, in other words, wants to make a case as a first 5/8 for the Hurricanes (and beyond), he’ll have to showcase real attacking efficiency at NPC-level. Otherwise, he might have to settle for an extended stint at fullback, where his tendencies to hold the ball in search of the line break are likely to be more welcomed and encouraged.
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@Dan54 said in Hawkes Bay v Counties:
@Mauss I will be interested to see if Coles gets a bit of time for Hawke Eyes too, he another kid who doesn't look bad.
I think Will Cole is an excellent young 10, and I agree, I'd like to see him get an opportunity. But game time will be hard to come by at the Magpies, with Godfrey and McClutchie ahead of him.
But he's a genuine first five, so it would be good to see him being developed.
