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Thu 26 Apr 2012 | 08:42
Shaun Treeby scores for the Highlanders from Mike Delaney class

11
Comments

Capped once for the All Blacks, Mike Delaney returned to the Highlanders recently and made a big impact during their 30-27 win over the Blues. He created this great try, which will no doubt remind you of one that Leinster scored a few weeks back.

Brian O'Driscoll scored a fantastic try for Leinster in the Heineken Cup quarter finals recently, one that was made by a brilliant no look pass from Jonathan Sexton.

The inside ball on this occasion was from Mike Delaney and off a scrum, not a lineout, but it was beautiful to watch either way, as was the precise finishing pass from Hosea Gear to Shaun Treeby.

Delaney converted the kick from the touchline too, just one of his seven successful kicks on the night. He's been playing rugby in Japan and came back to help out the Highlanders following the loss of All Black backup number ten Colin Slade to injury.

The try is lovely to watch and while it may not be right up there in terms of tries of the season, the fact that it was so similar to that Leinster effort makes it worth sharing on here with you all.

Remember that highlights of this game, and all the others from Round 9, are archived here on the site. Follow the links below to find them.

Highlanders vs Blues full highlights | All Super Rugby Highlights

Posted By: Grant Constable

11 Comments

  • guy
    7:55 PM 27/04/2012

    Sextons pass looks more backwards because he is running sideways. I thought Sextons pass could have been judged to be forward. Well: so many people, so many opinions. Both tries are pure class though.

  • stroudos
    11:14 AM 27/04/2012

    @donkeyballs4000 - best comment I've read on here in a long time. Nice one!

    @jwall - you seem a little tense. Maybe time to cut back on the coffee and cigarettes!?

  • moddeur
    10:10 AM 27/04/2012

    Very nice try!
    But how the hell do they all run so fast? Is there less gravity pull in the Southern Hemisphere?
    Disclaimer: I run 100 meters in slightly less than 7 minutes, seeing as how I'm a front rower

  • jwall
    7:38 AM 27/04/2012

    It's not. You're right I probly took it too seriously. Shit, I probly take rugby too seriously. But it's a passion, so what are ya gonna do.

    But this kind of play, yes it was much more common in the SH (still is). Attacking rugby, tactically, much of it comes from SH innovation.

    But it's not the point. The point is that this is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

  • jwall
    7:36 AM 27/04/2012

    First of all I'm not from NZ, and don't support NZ teams.
    But as anyone who follows rugby knows, they are probably the best of all time, yes.
    That's very hard to debate. South Africa is the only country that could really debate that (and I'm not a Saffer either).

    They are pretty much always at the cutting edge of rugby tactics and strategy. They are responsible for many of the games' innovations, and still produce many, probably most, of the best coaches in the game. They have the best development pathway of any country, and overall, the most successful rugby.

    There's alot to learn from them.

  • donkeyballs4000
    5:43 AM 27/04/2012

    This is hilarious. Everybody knows what a no look pass is. I can't believe that someone thinks this is a NH vs SH debate.

    His comment seems pretty tongue in cheek. Get down off your high horse you silly goose.

    And anyway, you're all wrong. The no look pass was developed in Hungary where it was first used around the year 1750 in a no holds barred tiddlywinks game.

  • jwall
    2:59 AM 27/04/2012

    Your idea that the no look inside pass (a move that has been used in NZ for decades, literally decades) was invented or even popularized by Leinster is a sad indictment on both your knowledge of rugby and your understanding of Leinster's rugby tactics.

    The first thing that you need to be made aware of, is that this is a move that goes back generations. People have been doing this since the 70s at least, in NZ and Aus (and elsewhere too). This is one of many basic moves that were developed long ago, so long ago that their origins are lost in time. The inside pass, the no look pass, or both combined are as old as the wrap around, dummy runners or the cut out pass. These aren't new ideas.

    The second thing you need to be made aware of, is that this kind of play is more common in the SH (or historically was, though there were exceptions, like the Welsh teams of the 70s).

    The third thing you are no doubt aware of is that Leinster's coach is a NZer. He was raised being taught how to play this way, suing moves like the inside no look pass. He is the guy who drilled that into Sexton and the other Leinster backs. He learned it in NZ.

  • johndoe
    12:37 AM 27/04/2012

    It looks fairly flat to me. Sexton's may have been the slightest bit more backwards, but a legal pass is a legal pass. Both look fine to me.

    Anyway, it's still a very impressive piece of play from both hemispheres. Great pre-planned move.

  • fettsack
    11:51 PM 26/04/2012

    This one was clearly backwards.
    Every pass at speed is actually going forward with respect to the pitch because the ball has the player's initial speed. So the pass is considered backwards if the speed of the ball is lower or equal than the speed of the player when he does the pass. Basic physics.
    There was a good video explaining this on RD earlier this year.

  • reality
    11:49 PM 26/04/2012

    I think it is a little bit forward here (not taking the player's momentum etc. into account), but not so much that it's blatantly obvious and that the ref should have called it. I think Sexton's though was spot-on. Very flat, but not forward.

  • tex15
    11:04 PM 26/04/2012

    Great scrum great pass great line great run great pass great try great conversion. All in all I would say this clip is gr...and!

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