The drop goal

Yesterday afternoon Francois Steyn drop kicked a monster of a drop kick (some 55m) that I believe changed the entire tempo and momentum of the Sharks vs. Free State game yesterday. This kick proved what a vital weapon a good drop kicker can be in your side.

Both sides were pretty evenly matched and each had a try to their credit.

In fact I thought Free State were playing like men on a mission. But there is nothing you can do when you kick the ball to a guy sitting in the other half of the field and he looks up and kicks it straight between the posts with nobody around to do anything about it.

It knocks the wind out of the sails of the opposition simply because they can't find a way to defend against it and you find yourself behind on the back of a sheer piece of brilliance.

Johnny Wilkinson, Jannie De Beer and Joel Stransky are just a couple of names of players who have drop kicked their side through tough games.

Defensive strategies
Every defensive strategy in the world is designed to help you counter a running game from the 1st or 2nd receiver.

"Chip and chase" from set pieces you can also defend against with any half decent back 3 reading the game well.

But the drop kick (especially if it can be kicked from anywhere on the park) is a killer blow. Not just because it lands 3 points, but because it also gives the opposition side - "Go forward" momentum and makes the opposition feel like it doesn't matter how their defensive structures lineup, you are going to be taking a crack at them.

That psychological advantage is something that you can carry with you toward a win....