- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Crusaders' Andy Ellisleft, bottom left, tackles the Waratahs' Dean Mumm as his captain Phil Waugh jumps to make room for a pass during their Super 14 rugby union game at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, March 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
The ELVs continue to be contentious. It seems rugby fans can cope with most things. We can live with the different styles of rugby for example; they make life and rugby so much more interesting.
But the breakdown continues to be a bugbear.
Most complaints centre around the referee having far too much arbitrary say in what happens at the breakdown.
Quite often, a penalty is awarded or conceded that has little bearing on one or anothers team’s effectiveness. The maul has virtually disappeared, and this is scandalous.
Should the ref have the power to determine if a player came off his feet, or another player came in from the side, or yet another player used his hands on the ball?
Why not go back to the past, but with a difference – the ref only blows up play when it’s obvious the ball isn’t going to come out of the ruck/maul.
The team deemed to be going forward gets possession, but it’s a tap and run instead of a scrum, thus allowing play to quickly pick up again.
Only when the ref determines neither side is moving forward (that is, static), will a scrum be called, with the attacking team getting the feed.
This way, effective rucking and mauling will return to the game, but unlike the old days, if there’s a breakdown – such as the ball not coming out, or an obvious knock-on – the tap and run allows a quick restart of proceedings.
Defending and attacking players can come in from the side, as long as it’s not obvious – ie 90 degrees. Hands on ball is also allowed, as is ‘truck ‘n trailer’ and pulling the maul down.
Players on ground can be rucked out, as long as it’s not deemed deliberately foul. That is, use your boot to push a player away, not rake over his face!
Eventually defending players will quickly realise that unless they’re quick to regain possession at the breakdown, there’s no point holding up proceedings unnecessarily. The attacking team will quickly get another tap and run.
So make the tackle, try to get possession, otherwise ensure the defensive alignment is sound.
Most importantly, my suggestion is designed to allow for some better continuity, while bringing back some of the “good ol’ days” of rucking and mauling, without the ref incessantly blowing his whistle.
In other words, let’s have some good old-fashioned “organised mayhem”.
A quick word on scrums and lineouts. If, during a scrum, the ball comes out before the front-rows collapse, why reset the scrum? If the defending team hasn’t been disadvantaged in any way, why reset it?
Play should only be pulled up in this instance if the ref notices an injury.
With lineouts, if there was no way the defending team could win the ball, even with a slightly crooked throw, why reset the lineout? For example, the throw is crooked, but the defending team chooses not to jump.
It should only be reset if it’s obvious to the ref that the defending team had no chance at all to win possession, fair or foul.
What do other Roarers think?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.