England are back in action against France in the Guinness Six Nations at Twickenham tomorrow.
Eddie Jones’ team are in serious need of a victory after losing two of their first three matches in this year’s tournament. The success of England’s risk strategy underpinned the title triumph in 2020 – but they have failed to rediscover the right approach so far this year, with defeats by Scotland and against Wales two weeks ago.
Independent Sport has teamed up with QBE Business Insurance to provide a unique look at a new data tool which shows how rugby teams trade off risk taking and risk mitigation in order to win the tournament.
Developed by QBE and rugby performance analysts, the QBE Risk & Reward Index goes deeper than conventional rugby analysis by considering the role that defensive and attack risk taking has through a number of key performance indicators.
The Index provides unrivalled insight into how the Six Nations is expected to be played – and which team is most likely to emerge victorious.
An expert in analysing, assessing and managing risks for businesses, QBE Insurance has adapted its techniques to work with analysts in the world of rugby, forming a unique insight into the way each team plans and plays to win, and then manages the uncertainty of how reality plays out in a game.
The Index also brings to life the tactical nous of each team’s coach and play makers, ranking their systems and style into a digestible format which demonstrates how managing risk can lead to the reward of winning games.
Turnovers continue to be England’s Achilles heel, with 12 conceded to 10 by Wales.
The Risk & Reward Index showed in 2020 that turnovers lost usually have a high risk in that the outcome is often penalties conceded. This was highlighted in Cardiff, where England gave up 14 penalties to Wales’ nine in their 40-24 defeat.
QBE Insurance helps businesses build resilience through risk management and insurance. For more information, go to QBEeurope.com
