Quote ="rollin thunder"I think the idea of passive defence has some sound logic to it, going back to my national conference playing days, the defence is only as fast/strong as the weakest unfittest player. A good set line but giving up some territory whilst preserving energy is better than rushing up with gaps in the line leading to penalties missed tackles line breaks. '"
I'm not sure it's preserving energy though, if every player has to run an extra 5 metres at each play, or approx 30 metres a set as they're starting further back that's an extra Km for each player in 30 sets. That doesn't seem top be energy saving. They also have to retreat quicker due to the added punch that teams make and are often on the back foot for the next play the ball.
I can understand that in the national conference but this is elite level football.