The French Rugby team is 2 from 2 now using the 7-1 split and I cannot see them deviating from this system in the future especially when playing the bigger teams.
Over the weekend we saw France use the 7 forward 1 back substitute system moving away from their normal 5-3 or 6-2 system they have used in the past. The match result was in the balance until these players were introduced and the French overpowered the Irish and ran away with the victory. The energy the new players bought to the game was evident immediately and you could see the game turning.
Some of you may be wondering what this is about and this is about how you use your substitutions. Teams can substitute up to 8 players during a match which is normally a 5-3 split with 5 being forwards and 3 being backs. You will always have more forwards than backs when substituting players due to the physical aspects of the game with the forwards doing the grunt and hard work.
In recent times coaches generally replace the entire forward front row being the numbers 1-3 along with 2 other forwards. This is to provide new energy and to help freshen the team up for the closing stages of the match. These substitutes are known as impact players and can change the end result quite significantly.
The problem is most international teams do not have the same like for like replacements when it comes to the various skill levels and why these players are not in the starting line up. South Africa as built a squad of around 50 players all offering similar skills to some degree and why they can afford to use a 7 forward and 1 back replacement system for matches.
If one looks at he statistics for last weekends match the Irish were leading 13-8 before he 7 forwards were introduced. Within 25 minutes the French had scored 35 unanswered points leading 43-13. The Irish scored two consolation tries in the end, but the game was already won by the French. Final score 43-27 with the Irish being hammered at home.
The difference fresh legs made to the French team was like night and day and I cannot see the coach Fabien Galthié moving far way from this system in the future. When you have the players like they have at their disposal then they have to use them.
South Africa and France now have the squads that other countries are trying to replicate and only New Zealand may have the players to do this. When the S A coach Rassie Erasmus used a 7-1 split there were many critics saying he was crazy and gambling. The gamble is if more than one back line player becomes injured then you have players playing out of position. So far in the last 4 years the gamble has paid off and now teams like France are copying his methods and it is working.
Critics whose teams do not have the players have called for a banning of the 7-1 split, but there is nothing in the rule books that says it cannot be used. Teams need tp develop players beyond the playing 15 and be like SA who has more than 3 players for every position. If one player is out for a lengthy period of time due to injury SA still has the same game plan.
This may seem like nothing, but the weekends result was a turning point in world rugby as from where I am sitting there is only 3 teams who could challenge for the next world cup. The other teams are trying to develop their squads, but no one as the same standard of replacements matching the skill levels of the payers they are substituting.
In the last World Cup Ireland did very well ad could have won the tournament if they had a bigger squad rotating the players by not using them for every match. You have to win 6 big games in a row which is a big ask on any player.