# Episode 159: What Really Wins Rugby Matches? | Lekker Rugby Pod with Sam Larner

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-lekker-rugby-pod-6941520/episode-159-what-really-wins-rugby-matches-lekker-rugby-pod-with-sam-larner
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-lekker-rugby-pod-6941520/episode-159-what-really-wins-rugby-matches-lekker-rugby-pod-with-sam-larner.md
Podcast: [The Lekker Rugby Pod!](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-lekker-rugby-pod-6941520)
Published: 2026-03-18T19:30:32+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mw-welman8/episodes/Episode-159-What-Really-Wins-Rugby-Matches---Lekker-Rugby-Pod-with-Sam-Larner-e3gku87
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f721ca94/podcast/play/117126855/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-18%2F420291641-44100-2-12b1b8e24546.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3264

## Resource

Modern rugby looks different. More kicks, more broken play, more tries. Yet kicking is still treated as a mistake. In Episode 159, Harry Jones speaks to analyst and author Sam Larner ( Attacking the Space ) about how the modern game actually works, and why so many people misread it. The common view is simple: keep the ball, build pressure, avoid kicking. The reality is more complicated. The best teams kick more, not less, and they do it for a reason. This conversation breaks down how kicking controls territory, reduces risk and creates pressure, and why possession often matters less than how a possession ends. France, Ireland and England approach this differently, but the pattern is consistent once you know what to look for. This is not a match recap. It is a clearer way of seeing rugby.

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## Transcript

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