Watch: Has Will Greenwood revolutionised rugby with 'unmissable' drop kick?
Former World Cup-winning England and British and Irish Lions midfielder Will Greenwood may have just set a new drop kicking trend.
The 46-year-old has developed a new technique to execute the drop kick, a technique of which he described as “unmissable” on Twitter.
In similar fashion to an American football-style field goal, Greenwood’s adaptation of the kick sees a teammate drop the ball onto the ground in a backward motion as the kicker lines up the ball from a metre or two behind before launching it towards the posts.
Greenwood claims the drop goal is legal as long as the player dropping the ball ensures that the ball is being dropped backwards, meaning a knock on cannot be called.
My unmissable drop goal – no rehearsal..
The person who drops it does not have to kick it.
No Knock-on.
Kicker just has to swing through to the posts.
Removes poor drop/placement as dropped from low height.@canterburyNZ #beatthegame pic.twitter.com/Z77YwkTigL— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) February 26, 2019
Greenwood was part of the England side that claimed the 2003 World Cup title via a last-minute Jonny Wilkinson drop goal during extra time in the final against hosts Australia.
The scoring mechanism has traditionally been used as a vital way of securing victory in the knockout stages of previous World Cups.
Six drop goals have been scored in the previous eight World Cup finals, with Dan Carter the most recent to successfully convert one during the All Blacks‘ 34-17 win over Australia in 2015.
Many expect this year’s World Cup in Japan to be one of the most competitive tournaments ever given the recent success of the likes of New Zealand, Ireland, England, South Africa and Wales.
With that in mind, the next world champion could again be determined by a drop goal, and Greenwood might have just invented the way in which the next title-winning drop goal could be slotted in Yokohama on November 2.
Rugby World Cup Japan City Guide – Oita: