South Africa rugby is trialling a bunch of new laws in the Currie Cup this year to speed up and simplify the breakdown.
One that I particularly like is Law 15.4(c), where there is no 360-degree ‘gate’.
The tackler must get up before playing the ball and then can only play from their own side of the tackle ‘gate’ to make the ruck simpler for players and referees and more consistent with the rest of that law.
The others are:
Law 20.5 and 20.5 (d) Throwing the ball into the scrum
No signal from referee. The scrum-half must throw the ball in straight, but is allowed to align their shoulder on the middle line of the scrum, therefore allowing them to stand a shoulder width towards their own side of the middle line.
Rationale: to promote scrum stability, a fair contest for possession, while also giving the advantage to the team throwing in (non-offending team).
Law 20.9 (b) Handling in the scrum – exception
The number eight shall be allowed to pick the ball from the feet of the second-rows.
Rationale: to promote continuity.
Law 20 Striking after the throw-in
Once the ball touches the ground in the tunnel, any front-row player may use either foot to try to win possession of the ball. One player from the team who put the ball in must strike for the ball.
Sanction: free kick
Rationale: to promote a fair contest for possession.
Law 16 Ruck
A ruck commences when at least one player is on their feet and over the ball which is on the ground (tackled player, tackler). At this point the offside lines are created. Players on their feet may use their hands to pick up the ball as long as this is immediate. As soon as an opposition player arrives, no hands can be used.
Rationale: to make the ruck simpler for players and referees.
Law 16.4: Other ruck offences
A player must not kick the ball out of a ruck. The player can only hook it in a backwards motion.
Sanction: penalty
Rationale: to promote player welfare and to make it consistent with scrum law.
The six new aspects of law were part of the original 2015 laws review process, and were recommended to move to closed trial to provide a further analysis opportunity before a global trial could be considered.
These closed trials were operational at the 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship, World Rugby Nations Cup, World Rugby Pacific Challenge, Americas Rugby Championship and Oceania Rugby U20 Championship, with positive outcomes.
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Law 15 (4) (c) means the tackler no longer has rights from where he finishes up in the tackle. He will now have to release the tackled player and get back behind and through the advantage line, and come in on his team’s side of the ruck. It’s meant to clean up rucks, eliminate the tackler from obstructing the tackled player getting at the ball and giving the halfback some clearance, and presumably assist the referee.
Anything that speeds up the flow of continuity is a good initiative. Time and experience will tell.
If you are rugby purist, standing on the sidelines close to the play, you can pretty much analyse what is going on in the rucks and mauls – in the early days of development of USA rugby they used to call them ‘dog piles’. Pretty apt.
Recently, I was at Suncorp for the Brumbies vs Reds game. When the fog came down it was near impossible to appreciate anything other than when players were running with the ball (which wasn’t very often). Even the ground announcer gave up describing what the ref blew the whistle for, and let’s face it, a lot of rugby watchers wouldn’t know what the infringement was unless the ground announcer or the TV commentator tells them.
I grew up watching the ‘dumbing down’ of rugby league, from the four-tackle rule to the six-tackle rule (designed for the sole intention of teams being able to beat the mighty Dragons), to imitating grid iron with their line-marking, to getting rid of most contests, except for the tackle. Then there was introducing shoulder charges and wrestling, and finally, the ultimate insult, de-powering the scrum.
Leaguies think that the only worthwhile contest is smashing into each other. Seriously, it doesn’t take much imagination, does it?
Don’t get me wrong. I love league and am a Broncos supporter. There are some brilliant athletes in that game, and highly professional people, and rugby can still learn a lot, but one of the reasons rugby league is so popular is that it is designed to be understood from the heights of the grandstand. To achieve that you need to make it simpler.
So should rugby, but never to the extent of dumbing the game down.
Our keepers of the flame do a pretty good job of that, and the old north-south divide of what people think is entertaining is slowly disappearing.
Yes, the Northern Hemisphere still love their grinding style of footy, of which a lot might be to do with the weather. The Saffas do as, well, but I suspect that is more to do with their vision of manliness.
Aussies love running rugby, such as we saw in the halcyon days of the late 1970s to the mid ’90s. I remember the ‘Greatest Test of All’ in Sydney 2000, when the All Blacks went into halftime four or five tries up and the Wallabies were shot ducks. Yet in the second half, the Wallabies blew the All Blacks off the park, or so it seemed, until Jonah Lomu crossed right at the death.
The mood outside of the stadium that night was just electric. What a night and a true celebration of running rugby. That was the first game of rugby my new wife ever saw and she was hooked from that day on.
But I digress.
The South African experiment with the ruck, tackle and breakdown is thoughtful and innovative. In theory, they should make the breakdown and the contests that much easier for the ref to adjudicate and for the punters to understand what is happening – even from the highest heights of the grandstand.
It is a great example of how to innovate without dumbing down.
DavSA
Guest
Also allows the scrumhalf the option to fan out and become first receiver as opposed to primarily a link . This logically creates a potential overlap .
In brief
Guest
Rule changes in league are made at the behest of channel 9 or the daily Tele. The sport has been bastardised into oblivion and is now unwatchable for anyone who is/ was a long term fan (pre late 80s). Rugby is doing the law variations the right way, not via knee jerk reactions.
Rob
Guest
The game already has been 'dumbed down'. Count how many times a phase is simply scrum half to a forward who crashes straight into contact. That's 80% of rugby these days within many teams. At least with League, there's a limit imposed.
Harry Jones
Expert
SA innovates, OZ pilfers, NZ perfects So sad
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Haha! ... I can understand that sheek ... but the huge crowd was treated to a feast of running rugby. To me though (and being a little bias, staying with the AB) the game that I felt the most excitement in was in fact a game I could only watch on TV. That was the game between the Boks and AB's in 2013 at Ellis Park with the Boks chasing a bonus point victory to take the RC for that year but had to stop the AB's from taking any bonus point. It was an exhilarating game with 9 tries scored in the high veld. The game was won eventually by the AB's 38-27
Cadfael
Roar Guru
As I remember it Sheek, it was a request from the English Rugby league. Their local support was dropping and the four tackle rule was seen as a way ti improve the game in England. We just accepted what the poms wanted, a mistake but that's history.
Onside
Guest
At the well ventilated 'grass roots' level. I live on the Sunshine Coast. Both League and Union struggle for players to put together teams . But, like many places in Australia, identical facilities are duplicated. I know both codes are two very different games, but, both codes are struggling financially at most levels . Imagine the cost saving if there was one code played in one facility, to say nothing of the money that could be made at the senior level. AFL in our area is BOOMING, because they have money to invest. My wife works in a local school where rugby runs through it veins, Well not any more. Gun AFL players from the Brisbane Lions run clinics .The AFL provide goal posts and jumpers for free. .............and so it goes
DavSA
Guest
I particularly like the idea of the 8th man being able to pick up the ball from the locks feet . It brings an added attacking option from the base of the scrum and will force the defending flanks to stick around just that little longer thereby opening up a bit of space for the backline to attack . This is not a new concept and is simply revisiting an old law which should never have been changed in the first place.
AndyS
Guest
But in that instance, it is still not clear where the defensive (Italian) offside line would be. There are no defensive feet, so is it the same as the attacking line? If so, still worth not engaging. It is annoying only being able to see what they think they've done, but not being able to see how they've actually re-written the law. Makes it more of an interpretation trial than a law trial...what you want to know is how the teams will actually twist it to advantage.
Jacko
Guest
Geez what a game it was...My Brother decided he wouldnt travel over from NZ for that game as he had come over for the past few years and had seen more losses than wins but 4 days before the game he was given tickets from someone at his Hamilton Rugby club so he flew over and off we went....Estatic after 10 mins...sad after 40 and it went down to the last few plays of the game.....Lots of frendly banter on the train back to our Accom
Machooka
Roar Guru
Thanks gatesy... interesting read. I suppose all changes of law have certain merit but it's whether they work, or not, when implemented that's the real test. Talking of 'tests' the 2000 one in Sydney that you mentioned was a ripper... but I think it's because it holds the greatest attendance record that it is also well remembered. ;)
carnivean
Roar Rookie
Read it again. Hands are allowed until an opposition player arrives. This mirrors the situation we have now. It logically must be changing only to prevent the Italian (vs England) tactic of not forming a ruck so as not to create an offside line.
Onside
Guest
One area Gatesy I would like to see improved is consistentcy in refereeing. Maybe these changes help, I have no idea. To perhaps oversimplify things, not only do Northern Hemisphere refs interpret rules differently to SH refs, but at the elite level, NH refs often seem to differ between each other. And then of course there are the individual quirks of European refs. Refs can influence a game as individually as the conductor of an orchestra is capable of interpreting a classical piece of music. I have read about National coaches changing teams and tactics because of the entrenched whims of one referee or another. It would be benificial if they all thought the same way. Nothing to do with not making mistakes, hell no. Thats sport. Rugby Union is a complex beast, but the laws of other international sports like say cricket or football ,are not beholden to the individual whim of a ref.
Fionn
Guest
But 2004 Super 12 final was obviously the best match of all.
Stu
Roar Rookie
The modern homogenising of both codes continues. It seems at this rate, they'll both end up very vanilla indeed. Really, they may as well just figure out a framework for merging both codes and get on with it. It could be a panacea for both - I'd be well up for it - a super-code!
piru
Roar Rookie
I can't see the law for the tackler having to go back around surviving the trial, personally. Also think there will have to be a bit of poetic licence allowed for refs around any kind of pilfering - as they form a ruck all by themselves.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I think the Ruck gate is going to remove the tackler from pilfering all together. If the release, The player on the ground will just stand up. pick up the ball and run on. It will be in the tacklers best interest to hand on until the next player arrives. But I am just guessing.
Red Menace
Guest
I disagree about that game in Sydney. It was a test match with such abysmal defence. I don't rate it. My favourite game was at Dublin in '91 against the World Champions at that time. Great defence and two glorious tries, real test rugby. I was also fortunate to be there the week before. After that game against the Irish, the Irish supporters were shaking my hand, patting me on the back, telling me to enjoy the Guinness tonight.....like I had anything to do with the Wallabies win! As for the Law changes, Law 20 intrigues me. If the ball goes into a scrum and there is such pressure that no team can strike for the ball, is that a free kick to the defencive team?
Johnny J-Dog
Guest
Rugby outside of NZ is already boring for anyone who grew up on a diet of watching the Ellas, Hawker, O'Connor, Papworth, Campese, Gould, etc toss it around. If you're under 40 you will have no idea how exhilarating it was like watching those guys play live. They stood so close and their moves were so intricate that only halfbacks did a spiral passes back then.
Fionn
Guest
That Test, and the second British and Irish Lions vs South Africa Test in 2009 were my two favourites.