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CAMPO: Referees and negative play destroying rugby

28th February, 2012
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NSW Waratahs Tom Carter is tackled by the Queensland Reds Rob Simmons. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
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28th February, 2012
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What a disappointing round of Super Rugby it was: the teams were locked into defensive rugby; the coaches let their structures hinder flair; and the referees were so inconsistent they ensured that games were boring to watch.

It seemed like the referees thought the start of the Super Rugby season was all about them. I was getting SMSs all weekend about the matches and how they were being ruined by poor decision-making.

One former Springbok player noted that you can’t change the way rugby is played until the referees no longer have such an outsized influence over the outcome of the match. And I agree. The referee should never win or lose a game for a team.

Yet they invariably do.

But the players and coaches are equally to blame.

Players these days are so robotic. There are spaces galore out wide, but teams don’t break away from structures they get drilled in at training.

A good example was in the Reds game. At one point during the first half, Will Genia had a clear 5-3 overlap. It was there right in front of him. But he played it safe, and the opportunity was lost.

It’s a result of poor field vision.

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The game of rugby is all about the ball. Yet Super Rugby players spend most of their energy kicking the ball away. They’re scared to make mistakes.

We saw that, again, in the Waratahs performance. How on earth did Dom Shipperley score at the end? Why, with 20 seconds or so to go, did Brendan McKibbin kick the ball away? It makes absolutely no sense.

But it’s symbolic of the Waratahs’ mindset.

Some of the NSW players have no flair in attack. Someone in the commentary box was going on and on about Rob Horne and what an asset he was. But Rob Horne offers little in attack as he can’t pass the ball to the wingers in space. If the team continues to play like that, they will struggle.

They need guys to go out there and create space for their team-mates. But no one has the guts to go for it.

There are too many coaches in modern rugby and too many structures in place. The rugby league influence (and I’m not sure it’s good for our game) has brought a greater emphasis on defence, but this has come at the expense of attack.

In days gone by, we played rugby because we loved it. We enjoyed it. There wasn’t any money in the game, so we played for pleasure. And everything was about attack. We spent around two minutes at training on defence because we all knew what we were doing and defence is easy to understand. Even for me.

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These days players play because it’s a job. The enjoyment factor has been stripped away, and it shows on the field.

I’d love to know what players are taught at training. Basic skills would be great. Some of the players have talent, but you wouldn’t know it: they don’t pass, they don’t create, they just tackle. And then kick the ball away.

You can’t win the game without the ball.

I’d like to see a return to rucking. And I’d also like to see what would happen if a team attacked with a flat line rather than standing so deep. This would help create more room out wide and get the backs one on one.

Then there’s the referees to contend with. They think the game is about them, and it’s not. It’s about entertainment. And, sadly, what we saw over the weekend was anything but entertaining.

We need people to come to the game. Not scare them away.

This is the second of a new exclusive weekly column by David Campese for The Roar.

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