The Six Nations championship is fast approaching but, ahead of rugby union’s beloved annual fiesta, two recent away club victories are worth contemplating. The first was Northampton’s stunning win at Bath last month with a supposedly weakened team: the sharp attacking angles, deft handling and speed of thought were supremely good. Then there was Bristol’s 60-point altitude-defying romp in Pretoria at the weekend against a Bulls side containing 10 Springboks.
Both merit closer examination. Northampton, in particular, lost the overall territory battle to Bath and kicked out of hand only 15 times in 80 minutes. For every kick they attempted they threw a dozen passes, the aim being to shift the point of attack and chase space rather than follow the orthodox template of routine kicking, set-piece dominance, lineout drives and close-quarters power.
