Central Role

A vital element for any rugby union side is a midfield combination that works. Even with a dominant pack, silky half-backs and a genuine try-scoring back three, a midfield unable to combine and play well with each other can be the difference between a good team and the complete package. As physiques in rugby have changed due to more physical confrontation, centres of all different sizes and attributes have been seen at international and professional levels.

From the skill and vision of Wales’ James Hook, to the sheer power and size of England’s Matt Banahan (recently fielded in this position at International level), centres rely on varying qualities for their individual success. Of course high level centres will be able to do every basic requirement of a midfield player, but there is always one trait that stands out as their bread and butter.

Defence is a massive part of both an inside and outside centre's game, but even this needs to be broken down. There is a difference between a good tackler and a good defender. Following in rugby League's footsteps, big hits and upper body collisions are more prominent than ever in rugby.

Often a player with a strong, sizeable physique is at an advantage here, but there are exceptions. Former New Zealand International and current Sale player Sam Tuitupou stands 1.75m and weighs just over 85kg, yet is known as a king of the collision. Using technique, timing and the momentum of the attacket and himself Tuitupou is been able to turn men of over 30kg heavier than him horizontal in the air. A big hit can not just turnover ball or take the wind out of an opponent, but creates a wave of buzz and inspiration throughout a team.

Although being a good tackler is of course necessary, the less glamorous role of a technical defender is in fact even more important. Organizing a defensive line, and recognizing potential holes and correcting them on instinct is something that not every player is capable of doing. Deciding when to rush, drift or hold off in defence is difficult when watching on tape in slow motion, but when done in milliseconds, it is no mean task. To the average viewer this quality may not be recognizable, but it certainly is amongst fellow players especially midfielders. A handy all round player to say the least, Australia's Stirling Mortlock is an example of a player who holds a defensive line that even a Jonah Lomu and Jason Robinson clone would struggle to break.

Strength is an element that is not only useful in defence, but a strong upper-body also gives a centre an advantage in attack. Former Springbok Trevor Halstead was renowned for his “fend” and he had the ability to palm off opponents as if he was swatting off flies. Now we have the phenomenon Sonny-Bill Williams. As well as fending off and holding opponents he has the ability to grip the ball in his other giant hand and offload the ball from seemingly impossible positions.

As we know strength isn’t everything, and as well as pretty much every other position in the backline, James Hook has been played in the centre many times. What he lacks in size and perhaps even pace he makes up in vision and footballing ability, and he is an example of how important these skills are. The skills Hook possesses of reading of the game and vision enable him to create gaps and opportunities for himself, but for his team-mates also.

While different centres have different qualities, physiques and styles of play, they are more often than not more suited to the inside or outside birth. Each centre has a certain strength, but what are the most useful and create the best combination for their postion?

Let’s start with the inside centre. An inside centre who is equally comfortable at fly-half (a second-five-eighth) is sometimes used by teams. This will offer more vision and opportunities for players further out in the back line, but if the fly-half is good enough to do this alone, can it be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth? A full-back and even outside centre can offer this vision too, so it may not be completely necessary that an inside centre can play fly-half.

Certainly the modern day inside centre needs vision and handling skills, he will need to be able to release his outside backs with long passes and a kicking game is also a useful skill in this position. However, a physical presence is also needed. Size and strength will come in extremely handy if the correct technique is applied to create dominant collisions in defence. Also when the opposition has closed down an attack there is no time for slight of hand or fancy footwork, so a powerful hit-up becomes a vital skill.

There will be less space for an inside centre compared to an outside centre, so quick footwork rather than a gliding outside break is perhaps more useful. Leg drive and a strong base will also allow a platform, and if a player can keep his feel and the skill level is high enough the option of an offload can be very effective.

An inside centre will also need to be “noisy” especially in  defence. To take pressure off the fly-half, the inside centre is a good position to lead the defensive line. Both tackle technique and defensive alignment are vital skills here, so it is no use rushing out of line trying to make a big hit if it creates a hole for the opposition to run through.

These are the fundamentals for an inside centre, and I am sure there are arguments that are many more that have been missed out. Using this guideline, a current player that fits the bill the best is Sonny-Bill Williams. His strength, offloading, defense and running skills are obvious, and his passing game is ever improving. He doesn’t miss many tackles, and run straight into him and you’ll be lucky to stay on the field. Try to tackle him, it’s likely you’ll be moved around and fended off, or you'll dive for his legs only for him to get an offload away to someone running off him at pace.

The outside centre may have some similar attributes to an inside centre, but there are some very different elements to the game one position further out. With good ball, on the front foot, an outside centre will have a lot more space. As much as a sliding defence is the works, there is no substitute for speed, so an electric outside break from outside centre can cause an opposition defence problems all day.

There are also more chances to make a clean break, so a greater pick-up in pace is useful for an outside centre, with the option of using his winger or full-back or simply finishing himself. Decision making comes into play here, as chances to score at the highest level can be hard to come by, so squandering them can cost a game. The basic skills of attack, 2 on 1’s, 3 on 2’s, are essential for an outside centre, as he is there to convert opportunities into tries.

Rather than fast footwork, the ability to change direction without losing pace is devastating in an outside centre. Fainting an outside break as a miss pass is thrown to cut an angle back against the drift defence is an example of this and although it looks simple, it is a very skillful act and extremely difficult.   

Like an inside centre a good “fend” and offload game is important. Controlling your opposite man with one hand and setting your winger free with the other again is extremely difficult to deal with. This is one part of an integral part of this position, being a link for the inside and outside backs.

 

Defending at outside centre is different to inside centre, and in fact a lot more important and difficult. With a drift defence an outside centre cannot push out until he hears the call from his inside centre, but at the same time getting stuck on his heels and being beaten on the outside is one of the most visibly obvious mistakes that can be seen in defence.

The outside centre needs to weigh up the options for every attack sent at him, and he must make the right choice, or the consequences will often be 5 or 7 points. Almost like an open-side flanker an outside centre must be able to read the game. If a backtracking defender makes a try saving tackle a world-class outside centre will most often be the man doing this cleaning up.

Again there are many more important skills and tasks an outside centre must perform, and one man who does all of these pretty much every game is Brian O’Driscoll.

Initially O’Driscoll burst onto the scene with his scintillating pace, but over the years we have seen so much more. From one off memorizing pieces of skill to heavy colliding tackles, he has proven he is the best outside centre in the modern day era. He is a leader and often an inspiration for the team he is playing for, and he has also scored an incredible amount of tries, not to mention the ones he’s created.

There are many quality centres right now, all with different attributes, but if it’s hard to think of a more exiting and devastating centre partnership than Sonny-bill Williams and Brian O’Driscoll.