Who knew the science of kicking the ball over the bar could be so simple?
The task of kicking conversions and penalties from an angle to the right of the posts has long proved troublesome for some of the best right-footed kickers in the game of rugby and Brian O’Driscoll sought to help out two Irish out-halves, both of whom kick with their right peg, by passing on some sage advice he received in the post earlier this week.
The great man will, of course, hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign, but although it’s been a long time since he kicked at goal himself, he could have a future as a kicking coach if he continues to dispense, or at least pass on, the advice he posted to Paddy (Joe?) Jackson on Twitter this morning.
Hey Joe @paddyjackson10 here’s an interesting tip sheet I got in a letter in the post today. pic.twitter.com/6bHXCUyCtc
— Brian O’Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) April 10, 2014
Ah just saw the return address on the envelope. I’ll pass on your thoughts @RonanOGara10 pic.twitter.com/9Z5af8eCKW
— Brian O’Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) April 10, 2014
As you’ll see from the illustrations above, the anonymous (or maybe not so anonymous – see second tweet) correspondent was trying to advocate a method whereby a right-footed kicker should deliberately aim wide of the right-hand post side when kicking from the right side and allow the kick to drift in naturally rather than tailing wide of the left post.
To be fair to right-footed kickers everywhere, we would imagine that this is something they take into account before every kick, but we’ve rarely seen the method explained as simply as it is here and, to be fair to the author of the letter, there were times during the past season when both Sexton and Jackson could have done with heeding the advice.
Now get back to your day job ROG, you do have a Top 14 team to coach, after all.
