Is Prem rugby union turning into basketball? Nailbiters supply case for defence

Gerard Meagher examines whether English Premiership rugby union is shifting toward high-scoring "basketball" style games or retaining its defensive foundation. After a record-breaking 52 tries were scored across round one, the second round produced 41 tries alongside gritty defensive performances, such as Sale's victory over Saracens despite a red card for Jacques Vermeulen.

Figures across the league, including Exeter's Rob Baxter, Northampton's Phil Dowson, and Sale's Courtney Lawes, note that rugby's balance between attack and defence ebbs and flows cyclically. Meanwhile, law interpretations encouraged by England coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the World Cup have placed a sharper focus on offside and breakdown penalties.