Another View from Afar - The Art of The Fullback

from afar
By Abbers
November 25 2005

In my time watching and supporting the Saints (and it’s my 10 year anniversary this season for those at the back that were asking), I’ve been privileged to see many internationally renowned players don the gold, black and green.

 

View from Afar – The Art of the Full Back

Tim Rodber, Matt Dawson, Paul Grayson, Freddie Mendez, Martin Bayfield, Pat Lam, Allan Bateman, Ben Cohen, Gary Pagel, Corne Krige, Andy Blowers, Carlos Spencer… the list goes on and adds up to a veritable who’s who of recent internationals from all over the globe. But it occurred to me that at one position in particular, we’ve been witness to a string of consistently brilliant performers; full back. The number 15 shirt has been held, almost exclusively, by Ian Hunter, Nick Beal and Bruce Reihana over the last decade, all players with international pedigree who are part of Saints folklore (yes, yes, I know Larry was at 15 when we won the Heineken, and Joe Shaw and John Clarke have also seen game time there, but I’m talking about year in, year out).

At this point, I must confess to a certain bias in my opinions as I tend to spend my playing career roaming the wide-open spaces afforded by the full back position, so excuse my indulgences. At the same time, it does make me appreciate the talents of those who play at 15, in much the same way that Broonie, Ajack, OSB and others are better placed to understand the intricacies of the forward exchanges. I don’t confess to be the world’s greatest authority on full back play, so think of these ramblings as more of a general guideline.

The roll of the full back is multi-faceted. The 15 needs to be secure under the high ball, and be equally able to hammer clearances to touch as far down field as possible, something Bealer was particularly adept at. He (or she) needs to be a sure tackler to either collar opponents breaking through the middle of the defensive line or cover across when a threat is posed in the corners. Believe me, it’s easy to be made to look a fool when an attacker is running at you at full speed with a choice of which way to step!

Full backs need to be able to counter attack when they have the opportunity, either through turnover ball or loose kicking, with the ability to evade the first chaser to give themselves time to either run, pass or kick. All three Saints full backs in question are (or were) excellent in this regard, and Bruce is probably the best counter attacking full back in the GP at the moment. They also need to run lines and have good hands and pace, joining attacks at important times to add an extra threat and present different questions to defences.

But above all, the full back must be able to read the game. Without a clear understanding of what is developing in front of him, it is far too easy to be caught out of position, either by a carefully placed kick or an attacker breaking the line with the full back AWOL. It is simultaneously the most exposed yet potentially most exciting position on the pitch, affording the opportunity to be a hero or villain several times in each game.

Obviously there are different ways to approach playing at 15. The conservative option is to have a sure tackler with a big boot who is infallible under the high ball. Matt Perry is one of the finest exponents of this style of full back play and, IMHO, deserves his current accolade of being England’s most capped 15 for his consistency and bravery. Then there’s the more cavalier approach, as adopted by Christian Cullen, Iain Balshaw and others who counter attack first and kick second. More thrills for the crowd, but also more complaints from the forwards! Most full backs fall somewhere between the two, and the way they play also has to be a fit with the overall game plan and style of the team.

It’s rare to find players who balance solid defence, astute tactical awareness and who have an instinctive knowledge of when to clear and when to counter. It’s here that I feel Saints have had three diamonds in the modern era, Hunter, Beal and Reihana all being true masters of their art. Obviously they’ve occasionally had bad games and, as I said earlier, when a full back makes a mistake, it tends to be highly visible to everyone, but I for one am grateful for the memories these fine players have given me. I hope there are players in the Academy learning as much as they can from Bruce during the remaining years of his contract, so that the succession continues for many seasons to come and we see more excellent exponents of the full back art.