Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett says it is too early to judge if New Zealand’s teams are heading down a losing path with their pass-heavy approach to Super Rugby this year.
New Zealand teams have lost six of their seven matches against Australian opposition this season, prompting former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to opine that the Kiwi sides are passing the ball too much.
Jones says more running and less passing had been a crucial tactical decision by the competition-leading ACT Brumbies and second-placed Queensland Reds, who have placed emphasis on ball security and accuracy.
After nine rounds, there are just two New Zealand teams in the top seven while the winless Highlanders, who are persisting with ball-in-hand tactics, trail the field.
The Crusaders are runaway leaders in terms of passes per game with 230, followed by the Highlanders (172). The Hurricanes (156) are fourth, behind Australia’s NSW Waratahs (166).
Hammett says Jones’ theory has some merit and suggests worsening weather may prompt a change of tack over coming rounds.
New Zealand teams have scored comfortably the most tries this season with 96, compared to 82 from Australia and 73 from South Africa.
“It will be interesting as the season changes and we get into colder months, around the kick versus pass percentages,” Hammett told AAP.
“I think New Zealand teams probably have a lot more passes between their kicking.
“At the end of the day, you often win this competition with what you do on attack.”
The seven-time champion Crusaders are sure to be reviewing their methods over the second half of the season.
They have slipped to ninth place following an upset loss to the Western Force last weekend in which they threw a massive 296 passes, whipping the ball from side to side while struggling for forward progress.
Australian teams are finding the more conservative South African style harder to combat, having won just three of their 11 inter-conference matches.
Two South African teams boast fewer passes per game than the 118 average of the Australian-low Reds.
The Bulls (101) are maintaining their traditional kick-first approach while newcomers the Southern Kings (87) have struggled for possession.