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Contributors

Ben Smith

A former financial analyst & auditor in retail banking, Ben is a columnist at RugbyPass specialising in opinion-based analysis, breaking down rugby as he sees it, to uncover what professional teams are trying to do around the world.

Analysis: The tactic Japan used at the World Cup that showed how to unlock Rush Defence

It wasn’t just South Africa that has become an amazing defensive side in recent years. The top teams have all gone through perio…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
21 Nov 2019, 0:51

Analysis: The one area of Rieko Ioane's game that needs fixing before he can become an international centre

Everyone is aware of what Rieko Ioane can do in attack when firing, but he needs to fully develop his game to not only become a ce…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
18 Nov 2019, 22:38

The growing value drain on Super Rugby is teetering on starting a death spiral

The flush of private money into the club game will no doubt exacerbate the growing value disparity between the domestic game in th…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
18 Nov 2019, 0:54

What the Springboks' World Cup win means for full-scale centralised contracting

South Africa are a groundbreaking team for many reasons – the first side to win the World Cup after losing a pool match, the fir…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
11 Nov 2019, 23:48

Why New Zealand Rugby is up against it to produce a World Cup-winning All Black side in 2023

Based on what is bubbling below the surface at under-20 level, it will be one of the greatest ever achievements for New Zealand Ru…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
09 Nov 2019, 21:53

Analysis: What the Springboks did to dismantle England's attack

If you are going to win games by kicking three’s, then you better have a special defence. And the Springboks certainly did, one …

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
06 Nov 2019, 22:07

Where the All Blacks got it absolutely wrong and played right into Eddie's hands

This recipe would be repeated over and over as the All Blacks failed to adopt a kicking strategy around contested kicking, which l…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
28 Oct 2019, 2:28

Analysis: Irish con-job complete? The All Blacks' top-draw performance makes compelling evidence for shelved tactics last year

In the post-mortem of the 16-9 loss to Ireland in Dublin last November, a review of the All Blacks tactics showed some very peculi…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
22 Oct 2019, 22:54

Cheika era needs to be buried nine feet deep and the mistakes never repeated

Early coaching credentials aside, the results have proven that Cheika is becoming as outdated as a dinosaur as the game evolves fo…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
21 Oct 2019, 22:06

When Ireland get smacked in the mouth by this new All Blacks team, how will they react?

But this is what the All Blacks have been doing even when the stakes are as high as a Rugby World Cup, as far back as nearly a dec…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
15 Oct 2019, 1:13

The stunning ploy to use an 'undercover' rugby team to prepare Japan for the World Cup

When you look deeper below the surface at how they pulled this off, it becomes even more astounding. Joseph and his staff took a m…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
13 Oct 2019, 22:00

Is it time to expand The Rugby Championship to include Fiji and Japan?

The question is how much of their own power would SANZAAR nations be willing to forgo to expand The Rugby Championship to include …

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
09 Oct 2019, 21:44

What went wrong with Argentina at the Rugby World Cup?

In a year in which the Jaguares made the Super Rugby final, Argentina are now destined to unceremoniously crash out of the pool st…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
08 Oct 2019, 2:17

Analysis: How Gareth Davies and Finn Russell are deliberately targeting robotic 9s and 10s

Systems will only go as far as the ability of the decision-makers put in it and can be undone by instinctual players taking risks …

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
02 Oct 2019, 1:17

Analysis: The super set that broke down Ireland and delivered Japan's 'Shizuoka Sensation'

After four penalties to stay within touching distance, Japan delivered a high-energy set of phases to cross in the corner through …

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
29 Sep 2019, 1:46

'I'd have no ambition to go back to South Africa to play rugby'

The South Africa-born lock has been selected ahead of Devin Toner for the World Cup. Kleyn qualified on residency just two days be…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
18 Sep 2019, 20:39

Why Handre Pollard isn't in the conversation as the world's best flyhalf

He is not the finished product nor reached his fullpotential. The ace goal-kicker is just that, a sniper off the tee but not an a…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
17 Sep 2019, 22:34

Analysis: How the Wallabies set-piece attack works with a direct 10 and interchangeable midfielders James O'Connor and Samu Kerevi

Following the Springboks loss, the Wallabies promoted Christian Lealiifano to the starting flyhalf role, and for both Bledisloe te…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
15 Sep 2019, 5:44

Analysis: New kings of counter? The re-boot of England's transition game

Where the All Blacks use catch-pass to kill teams on counter-attack, England uses kick-chase off it and in 2019 have found plenty …

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
10 Sep 2019, 2:33

Why it doesn't really matter if Beauden Barrett wears the 10 or 15 jersey for the All Blacks

Since all-time legend Dan Carter vacated the 10 jersey for the All Blacks following the 2015 Rugby World Cup, basically one man ha…

Ben Smith
Ben Smith
03 Sep 2019, 0:33
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