All Black coach Steve Hansen has claimed that rugby is heading down the path towards boredom in a revealing interview with website Wales Online.
Hansen made the claims during a World Cup scouting mission to the Northern Hemisphere last weekend.
Hansen watched Ireland beat England in Dublin and Wales against France in Paris. He viewed both games as dull, saying too much emphasis was placed by coaches on defences disrupting attacking play. “I think there’s a responsibility on the coaches and the players. We are trying to get defensive lines up really quickly, but I think we’ve probably gone too far with it.”
Hansen lamented “No-one is prepared to take the risk (to run the ball), because they are going to get belted behind the advantage line if they move the ball.”
Hansen’s biggest issue centred on the lack of attacking, scoring rugby, claiming that “there are not enough tries being scored, which is turning the fans away,”
The All Black coach certainly wasn’t treated to many tries at the weekend, with only three scored across the two matches.
The Kiwi’s claims took on something of an urgent tone in relation to the upcoming World Cup, where Hansen said “There are going to be millions and millions of people watching it and then all you’re going to see is people kick goals. If we want to encourage people to watch the game, then scoring tries is what does that.”
I did not see the Six Nations matches last weekend. England, I was informed, were simply unable to cope with the ferocity of the Irish pack at the breakdown and did anything they could to keep themselves from being overrun. That basically included conceding penalties, 13 of them in fact.
I was also told that both games were cagey affairs where neither team wanted to risk making a mistake that could cost them the match.
But isn’t this understandable? For France or Wales, defeat meant their title challenge would have been over for another year. And the pressure of an early Grand Slam decider is unlikely to make players desperate to take a risk and run the ball when a goal will keep the scoreboard ticking over.
In matches of a high level of importance, it’s hardly surprising that the fear of failing to record any points overrides the desire to take risks to produce free-flowing, running rugby.
For me, the bigger question is not whether there isn’t enough running rugby being played, but are forward-dominated kicking battles even boring?
I was bought up on a steady diet of watching Rob Andrew, and later Jonny Wilkinson, kick England to victory for years. So personally, I think there is excitement in seeing two forward packs try to out-muscle each other on a sodden field in order to manoeuvre their kickers into a position to win a vital penalty.
The ARU attempted to address the “problem” of too many penalties being taken at the expense of running rugby during the NRC. The changes were focused around the scoring system, where conversions were increased from two points to three and penalty goals decreased from three points to two.
Brett Mackay’s brilliant statistical article detailing the NRC’s statistics showed that more tries were scored under this scoring format, and that there were less shots at goal than during the previous Super Rugby season.
The major result of these law changes was an increase in set pieces and yellow cards however. This is not the running rugby Hansen craves, but it did result in an increase in tries.
Perhaps this is the solution Hanson is after? After all, as teams get more and more evenly matched and the stakes get higher (like during the knockout stages of a World Cup for example), players will be less inclined to take risks and turn into a pariah. When a try is worth five points, and a penalty is worth three.
In a tight game, a sensible captain is likely to take the three every time.
Those who do not appreciate the rough, attritional side of the game are not wrong, that’s just the element of the game they least prefer. One of the great joys of rugby to many people is that the game is so varied, with a multitude of scoring methods to suit different conditions and styles of play.
So I have to disagree with Hansen and suggest his statement is part of a long-range attempt at mind games.
But that’s just my opinion. What do you think? Do you lust after running rugby, or would a World Cup final decided by the boot be just what the doctor ordered?
Derm
Roar Guru
All Hansen wants, from what I can infer from this interview is for the existing Laws to be observed and enforced more rigidly and consistently than they currently are. And his biggest beef is the offside line at the breakdown being constantly transgressed and officials not policing it sufficiently nor imposing enough sanctions for transgressions. As Hansen observes: "We need to find more space, particularly around the rucks and the breakdown, as everybody is defending from an offside position." The interviewer may have been too polite to say "including the All Blacks presumably?"
Derm
Roar Guru
OP writes: "Hansen’s biggest issue centred on the lack of attacking, scoring rugby, claiming that “there are not enough tries being scored, which is turning the fans away,” I don't think this is his biggest issue per se. That may be the biggest consequence - one that he sees as occurring in games in both hemispheres. In the course of the interview, he also identifies possible solutions as the following extracts illustrate: Hansen: "...Rugby at the moment is all geared to defences doing stuff that inhibits the attacking game, regardless of who it is. There are so many people going off their feet at the breakdown and everybody has got their hands on the ground and they are allowing that to happen. It’s slowing the ball down and if you slow the ball down people can get their defensive lines in place. And when they are two feet in front of where they should be, then there’s just no space." Q: "Is that more of a problem in the north or is it a worldwide issue? A: I don’t think you can isolate it and say it’s a northern hemisphere problem, it’s a problem in the game. And if we don’t address it, then we are going to get very boring rugby matches." Q: In the sense they don’t often look to go wider than Jamie Roberts carrying up the middle? A: "Well, that’s what you are seeing, isn’t it? You saw that in the Ireland-England game as well. The 12 or the 13 just carried it up. When was the last time you saw a try being scored off a set-piece or a counter-attack? It’s becoming harder and harder to do those things in the game, whether you are a northern hemisphere side or a southern hemisphere side." Q: "Is it as simple as saying more emphasis needs to be given to the attacking side at the breakdown? A: "The emphasis needs to be put on people being onside. In my humble opinion, that’s the job of the refereeing assistants. The line is set by those people. That one or two metres where people are allowed to step up at the ruck will certainly mean something in the middle of the park. And it needs to be addressed. Referees are under the spotlight more than ever before Look, I’m not bagging any of the teams or how they play up here. Please don’t think that’s what I am saying. But there are some things as a sport we have to address, otherwise our game will become a negative sport rather than a positive one."
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Ye that's not a bad call Realist - I think the overwhelming majority of fans get more upset when matches are stop-start with frequent whistles than anything else. Letting the game flow is the best way, problem is that teams need the rest due the sheer size of the players - so infringements allow the teams to rest their lines etc...
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Funnily enough, I do see your point Daniel. Tight games decided by 1 try is much more exciting than a 10-0 try-fest. So I definitely get what you are saying.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
I must have missed that article - brilliant ode to the scrum, excellent reading. I see your points and you're 100% right. And does need a lot of thought as to how to present it right. It's an increasingly complicated game to quantify into nice little bite sized morsels for the media... It's a complex game after all...
Realist
Guest
There is not much wrong with the rules, if the referee lets the game flow, say more like a traffic cop than a parking officer looking for infringer's. Perhaps look at making scrums form up in the same time frame as line outs, so it would be set, touch and then engage. If it collapses, and no one is in any danger, let the ball out, only reset when absolutely necessary.
Daniel Eyre
Guest
I know what I will say will get scoffed-at. But I'm so sure I'm right that I'm going to say it. What would make rugby less boring is tighter scorelines. And they can achieve that by doing-away with 5 point tries. Go back to 4 point or even three point tries and you'll see much more intense games. The sort that has bottoms on seat edges and are talked about years later. I know that will be heresy to many and will set people's ears on fire; because they delude themselves that they are enjoying watching the act of some bloke running along and dotting a ball down. But they don't enjoy that really. When you look at games with lopsided scorelines like when minnows play at the world cup: they're the most dull games of all and they've got running rugby and tries galore. People like watching games that are close and competitive and have intensity. And they enjoy those games whether they feature a high component of running rugby with tries or whether they're mostly rucks and mauls with penalties. Hansen and the others getting smug over the supposed "more running-rugby of the SH" are barking up the wrong tree and will see Rugby continue to stagnate as a world sport.
Mike
Guest
No its up to 15 years ago, and there seems to be b*gger all difference in 5 years And now I'm getting more confused - first Waratahs were getting big crowds because they were playing attractive rugby, now its because of "a winning (and usually entertaining) Wallabies team and a home world cup." I don't necessarily disagree that any of these things are factors, but I think you are well illustrating why its difficult to provide any clear indication that "quality of the on field product" (which is a highly subjective concept anyway) has much to do with it.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Interesting points BeastieBoy, Do you or does anyone know if there is any planned expansion of the NRC rule changes? I know rule changes in the past have been trailed in Soth Africa... Or are the ARU flying solo with this without World Rugby involvement?
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Very true In Brief. Particularly your last sentence.... I watched one of the NRC matches last year at Ballymore and it was so refreshing seeing the scrum used like that to physically and mentally gain superiority over an opponent to eventually secure a penalty try and 8 points... Plenty of real rugby being played and broken up with quality set pieces that by and large were rewarded by points and yellow cards.
In Brief
Guest
One of rugby's most important facets is competing for possession. Most of the penalties awarded revolve around this facet of play, not cheating. Removing the penalties for a lot of these offences is the logical way forward.
In Brief
Guest
The problem isn't running rugby vs forward battles. Great games have a combination of both. The issue is the ugly play - the constant penalties for minor infringements, the 50/50 calls, the poor skills, the dropped ball and bad option taking, the lack of appreciation of space. Watch a typical top 14 match and you don't get running rugby or great forward play, you get a pantomine of over officiated dribble. I would also question the idea that it is acceptable for teams to be totally risk averse. When people say this I always think of Roger Federer's backhand winner down the line on matchpoint against Nadal at Wimbledon. How many rugby players would have taken such an all or nothing risk?
In Brief
Guest
The increase in set pieces in the ARC was extremely positive. Firstly it debunked the myth that when you remove the technical penalties, you lose the 'real' rugby and get touch football. Far from it. The ARC demonstrated the technical penalties do not make rugby, they get in the way of rugby. The scrum in particular become very powerful in the ARC. Rather than using scrums as an opportunity to win a dodgy penalty, teams used the scrum as an attacking weapon. That is what the scrum should be. At the moment we have been conditioned to watch a form of rugby which is inconsistent, unfair and turgid. Referees don't enforce 'the laws' they enforce a moveable feast of 'interpretations'.
RobC
Roar Guru
Simon re scrums: http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/02/26/welcome-inaugural-scrumma-mogram/ re presentation: - Rugby is like NFL except it happens much faster. - The commentators can only comment what they see real time. - There is a lack of analysis both real time and post match Most comments, research and stats used by media and the SANZAR is not different to how league is presented. As you're aware, league is much more simple to analyse and present to the market. The more I think about it, the more i think its a shameful lack of care of such a great sport. And I think about it a lot
BeastieBoy
Guest
Simon it sure is. The crowd downturn is a testament to that. Thats the reason we have different NRC rules. Many rusted ons have left as spectators. Its too easy under the rules to not play running rugby. it needs 2 to tango.. All Blacks being the exception. The Sydney and Brisbane competition should adopt the NRC rules immediately. We are a Professional Game. The kids want to play in a code that is recognised as a professional game that can attract crowds. That is part of their dream. i say a article the other day about Burgess being praised for making a total of 15m in a game. He said he used to do that with every carry in league. Rugby needs stars. Difficult to have stars with the rules we have.
Johnno
Guest
Maybe Weight restricitons. Only 5 players per team on the field can be 100kg.
hog
Guest
And yes Eddard Soccer is the biggest code in the world it has been for 100 years, yet it has been behind rugby for 100 years in Australia and only recently overtaken the code here in popularity. But obviously that has nothing to do with the structural change that soccer undertook since 2005.
hog
Guest
Well we have a difference of opinions Eddard, However i fundamentally dis agree that the structure of the code here doesn't affect its support, we have had 20 years of Super rugby and i would have thought that is obvious. And i find it interesting how you constantly promote global expansion of the code, yet happily use every excuse under the sun to excuse the growth of the code here
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Ye that's a valid point. I thinks whave seen plenty of examples when the "better" team has come unstuck against a kicking team due to the weather etc. I'm pretty sure France would have offered a bigger threat against England in the 2003 RWC semi-final had it not been raining. I'm sure there will be plenty more mind games in the near future concerning refereeing styles amd breakdown governance etc.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
I think the overall consensus Midfielder is that sometimes the rolling mauls are entertaining for some people (me included). And the last time I went to a rugby game I was entertained (despite all the scrum resets - although I'll grant you at times my attention wandered during the numerous resets), and I anticipate being entertained tomorrow when I watch the Queensland Premier Comp. I'm not sure whether your suggestion would gain much traction, but I'm almost certain it would have the desired effect of removing kicking at goal!