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You can spend hours breaking down match footage, reading GPS outputs, or analysing kick-chase data. When breaking down performance, tactics, or results, we tend to overcomplicate things with layers of stats, strategies, and theoretical scenarios.
Enter Ockham’s Razor—a 14th-century philosophical principle by William of Ockham, a Franciscan friar, philosopher, and theologian from England that might be one of the sharpest tools in the modern rugby coach’s kit. At its core, Ockham’s Razor tells us “the best solution is the simplest one.” Ockham’s Razor suggests we strip away the noise and focus on the simplest explanation.
It’s a tool used by scientists, philosophers, and now, maybe, your assistant coach. It doesn’t mean “never dig deeper”—but it does mean don’t overcomplicate what might be obvious.
In rugby, that’s a game-changer. With so much data, jargon, and whiteboard wizardry flying around, we often miss the forest for the trees. Ockham’s Razor helps cut through the clutter. Today’s coaching environments are flooded with analysis tools, detailed playbooks, and data dashboards. While all of these have their place, they can easily become distractions when the core issue is fundamental.
In rugby terms? Stop trying to reverse-engineer a 15-phase collapse when the answer might be right in front of you. Let’s put the principle into real-world rugby contexts.
Why did we lose the match?
Complex take: “Our back three struggled to adjust to micro wind shifts, and the defensive fatigue metrics peaked post-phase 8.”
Ockham’s Razor: “We missed 24 tackles. That’s the game.”
Take Round 4 of the 2024 Super Rugby season—Rebels versus Chiefs. Pundits pointed to misfiring attack and aerial misreads. But the real stat? Twenty-eight missed tackles. No amount of set-piece planning survives that. You can dive into all the variables you want, but if your team’s tackle completion is under 80 per cent, start there.
Scrum falling apart? Over analysis: “Our loosehead’s foot angle is destabilising the bind engagement by a few degrees.”
Ockham’s Razor: “Front row isn’t low or tight enough. Fix their set-up.”
Just ask England’s coaching staff after the 2023 Six Nations. They brought in a scrum whisperer and kept trying to solve the problem with biomechanical fine-tuning. Meanwhile, Joe Marler’s return (and his rock-solid basics) restored order instantly.
Joe Marler of England gets past Pieter-Steph Du Toit of South Africa (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Confused by execution errors?
Tactical jargon: they failed to recognise the timing cue for a phase-four decoy pod shift.
Ockham’s Razor: they didn’t stick to the basics—retain possession and go forward.
Complex systems fall apart when rucks aren’t secured. As Scott Robertson said during the Crusaders’ 2022 campaign: “We can’t play what’s on if we’re not holding onto it.” It’s not about removing strategy, but about remembering strategy only works when the core skills are sound.
Fans and pundits love a good theory. And sure, wind patterns, decoy pods, and phase stats make for great analysis. But sometimes the most truthful take isn’t sexy: “They just didn’t want it as much at the breakdown.” Simple? Yes. Lazy? No. Clarity is not the enemy of insight.
Let’s not lie—complicated theories sound good on air. They sound insightful. But more often than not, they cloud the real issue.
“They just didn’t win the contact zone.”
“They weren’t urgent enough in defence.”
“They got bullied at the breakdown.”
Those might not sell books—but they often win games.
And they should be said more.
Ockham’s Razor is not about ignoring depth or discarding insight—it’s about starting with clarity. Rugby is a beautiful, brutal game. But it’s also simple when played well. And that’s the secret: if your set piece is clean, your breakdowns are won, and your defence is aggressive—you’ll beat most teams on most days.
No wind diagrams required. Whether you’re in the coach’s box, the commentary booth, or the back row of a pub, the principle holds: son’t overthink what’s already obvious. Great rugby isn’t always about genius—it’s about getting the basics right and doing them at pace, under pressure, over and over again.
Maybe that’s the sharpest edge of all.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.