Great kicking in rugby can make the difference in close matches. In 1995 Joel Stransky kicked South Africa to the Rugby Union World Championships and in 2003 Jonny Wilkinson used his kicking boot to drive England to its first Rugby Union World Championships.In Rugby Union in the past, penalty kicks of more than 50 meters were seldom, if ever attempted, but now the likes of Dan Carter and Francois Steyn are regularly scoring points with penalty kicks from as far out as 60 meters. The players may be be fitter and stronger now than ever before, but they also kick better and further because they study and improve their technique using video.Lets take a look at some video of Dan Carter practising his kicks and break it down a bit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A62G24E87g&feature=player_embedded
In the video we can also see that Carter rolls over his support ankle (right foot) during the follow through. This happens because of his angle of approach toward the ball, which I have suggested allows him to get a bigger swing at the ball. Although this looks dangerous , the roll is forced by his follow through when most of his weight has been lifted from the support leg. You will see that some kickers look like their support leg is lifting into the air, rather than rolling, with the force of the follow through and as their weight is lifted from this leg.This weekend South Africa takes on New Zealand in a match that could be crucial in deciding the 2009 Tri-Nations champions. We will see Dan Carter and Francois Steyn in action and most likely kicking some big goals. I am originally from South Africa so I will just say it. Go Bokke!