Notational Analysis of Evasive Agility Skills Executed By Attacking Ball Carriers Among Elite Rugby Players of The 2015 Rugby World Cup

Abstract

The role of skill in task execution among elite rugby players has become the focus of numerous researchers. Thus, this study aimed to explore the frequency, the most highly utilized and successful as well as unsuccessful attempts of evasive agility skills executed by attacking ball carriers among elite rugby players and their relationship to selected phase outcomes. The study undertaken was a structured non-participant observational descriptive study, conducted through notational analysis of the recorded 2015 Rugby World Cup matches with the sample being attacking ball carriers among the top three and bottom three elite rugby teams which participated in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The descriptive analyses of the current study undertaken revealed that attacking ball carriers among the top three displayed a 59% (straight), 39% (side-step) and 2% (crossover-step) while the bottom three exhibited a 45% (straight), 52% (side-step) and 3% (crossover-step) of these movement patterns. Alternatively, the inferential statistical analyses indicated that for both the teams there was no significant difference in the frequency of the execution of the side-step and crossover-step (p>0.05) while a significant difference was observed for these teams for the straight evasive agility skill (p<0.05). The straight evasive agility skill was the most frequently executed and highly utilized and though portraying a high rate of being unsuccessful yet depicted a greater occurrence of positive phase outcomes in terms of breakdown wins (top three) and offloads as well as line breaks for both teams. Conversely, the side-step evasive movement pattern was the most frequently executed and highly utilized by the bottom three and though depicting unsuccessful attempts, was found to be associated with the high occurrence of tackle breaks for both the teams. On the other hand, the very minimal frequency of execution and utilization by both the teams indicated that there was generally a very weak association with the selected phase outcomes. Thus this study advocates the paramount importance of analyses of match play performances prior to the development of training programs for any selected skill that would have distinct implications in the context of sport specific performance.