Once rugby went professional, it was ‘dollars to doughnuts’ that the price of Test tickets would rise.
Unfortunately the quality of the product being presented has not increased by the same margin.
Rugby was not ready for the conversion and a few cancers have developed since 1995/6.
The one to which I must refer is the ‘professional wasting of time’.
As a retired A-Grade referee, I look at what is being presented from a different perspective. My hobby is trying to analyse whether or not referees – and thereby the public – are being conned.
They certainly are.
Like many. I have timed matches and discovered that the ball has been ‘in play’ for less than 40 minutes in an 80-minute match.
That is not value for money under any circumstance. Various ‘practices’ have contributed.
Let me remind my readers of some of the scandals that peppered the Rugby World Cup in Japan last year.
How in the last ten minutes of some of those games – especially where the scores were close – did the refs let the clock keep running while they set and reset scrums?
Teams from countries north of the equator were masters at conning the refs from deciding an offender. No wonder we are losing followers.
In plain English, the teams were cheating. And they got away with it. Why didn’t the TMOs bring these matters to the refs’ notice?
Surely it is in their charter to do so. If not, then it should be.
These are the changes I want to see introduced into Test matches ASAP.
1. Stop the clock from when the ref signals a try has been scored or he has doubts and has referred the situation to the TMO. Restart the clock when the ball is subsequently kicked-off from halfway.
2. Stop the clock when a scrum is signalled until the ball is cleared from the scrum to the ref’s satisfaction.
3. Stop the clock when the assistant ref signals the ball is in touch until the ball clears the line-out to the ref’s satisfaction.
Many of our internationals are very boring. I can no longer justify attending Tests at Suncorp unless I can be assured that I will get value for money – especially when one considers the prices being asked for tickets.
I’m not worried about the costs – I’m concerned about the value! IBM taught me that.
One day we might get a Test where the ball is in play for more than 75 per cent of expired time, just like the other codes.
Let’s start a conversation.
WHOOSHKA!
Roar Rookie
I cannot believe that rugby authorities are considering applying a time limit to the process of a scrum. UNBELIEVABLE. Soon ham sandwiches will be compulsory at 'half time' in lieu of those containing cucumber!! Surely we should first find out how long the average scrum takes to 'complete' in the 21st Century! I reiterate my earlier comment. TMO stops the clock when a 'scrum' is indicated by the referee and gets a signal from the ref when he is happy that the scrum is 'complete'. The current proposal under consideration is farcical. What is so sacred about 60 seconds? Soon RU will be the laughing stock of the sporting world. The scrums of the 1980's were okay - at least, in those days, the refs were not being CONNED!! If current authorities in our code think the 50/20 kick into touch arrangement is an advance in our game, the sooner they should be replaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOSHKA
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
"scrums are a major rugby failure" spoken like some who never played in the front row! #darkarts :laughing:
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
I think the "value for money" comes from your interest in and commitment to the team you support. Do you think that fans with an annual AFL membership bleat about value for money? Of course not! They have a passionate commitment to their team, they identify with it and enter into the journey. With NH rugby playing to empty stadia at the moment reminds me just how much rugby needs passionate, and fun loving fans....
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
If you want to watch boring test rugby tune into the Autumn Nations Cup! Seriously, hoping for better games this week - Ireland hopefully will put in an entertaining shift against Georgia and Wales v England is always a good game. :happy:
soapit
Roar Guru
Take your point and possibly youre right but tend to think scrum clock is the best solution Only thing is the duty of care for a scrum to engage when they're not set properly could be a safety issue. With League they stop the clock on the last 10 I think so maybe that's the way to go with the scrum feeding to be formed (not set) in 30 secs so they can set safely after that
ethan
Guest
I think the opposite. Teams currently milk the clock for all its worth now, knowing they can purposefully collapse and waste time. Stop the clock, and you take away the incentive. Some teams would still try to go slow to get a breather - but they do that now anyway - so at least there is one less incentive. To prevent them taking forever, there should also be a time limit they have to feed the scrum, which doesn't count towards game clock. In league, they have 30 seconds. But then, they do not play proper scrums. In Union, you could make it 1 minute. Blow time on when the ball has been fed. If its a reset, another max 1 minute before ball is put in.
Clelo
Roar Rookie
I totally agree Whooshka, in fact, like my other sport (water polo) actual time elapses only when the ball is in play, much the same as a number of sports - gridiron and basketball to name a couple. In water polo each quarter is 8 minutes of actual playing time which extends to about 12-13 minutes of real time. Clearly, the length of our halves would need to be addressed, I'm thinking possibly 30 minute halves. Other interesting points in water polo, even the penalty shots taken from major fouls are taken in 'dead time'. Additionally, it is an offence to waste time (only a minor foul) which results in a team change of possession. Furthermore, if a player is excluded from the game for brutality (red card), the player can be replaced after 4 minutes of actual time elapsing. With each quarter being 8 minutes of actual time a rough correlation with rugby would probably be in the region of 20 minutes before the red carded player could be replaced. I haven't intended to give everyone a lesson in water polo rules but demonstrate some sports have got it pretty near right already and a 'leaf' could possibly be taken.
Morsie
Guest
I reckon the solution is pretty simple and have proposed this before. Once team A has set their lineout/scrum the other team has 10 seconds to front up or its a free kick to team A.
gazza
Roar Rookie
Scrums in international games have been good entertainment and are what makes union better than league. But rule interpretations vary; once the ball is properly fed then in my view no matter how the ball comes out it should be play on when it comes out.
Double Agent
Guest
Just removing the unofficial drinks break that precedes most set pieces would do wonders.
soapit
Roar Guru
Yeah agree. I don’t have a solution but there’s define downsides to stopping the clock in scrums giving the fatties a free pass to take as long as they want. Fatigue reduces and makes attacking okay more difficult. . Allowing a quick tap from any collapse that doesn’t have a penalty would do the job partially but would still have a gap for the team feeding to wind things down
piru
Roar Rookie
Actually another thought, when you've timed games for 'ball in play' do you not count the time the ball is in a maul or scrum?
Wal
Roar Guru
100% agree Corne, so many of these articles are also written from an Australian lens which is vastly different to the success of the game elsewhere. If we stop the clock to much we turn into American football and an 80 minute game goes for 3 hours. Time in play is not a good measure of a quality match too, compare NZ Japan in '95 145-16 bore-fest with plenty of time in play to say Japan-Scotland last year was an epic with most likely a lower time in play %age There have been some absolute epic matches in the last 5-10 years. And the decreasing Gap between traditional tier 1 nations and tier 2 has meant so fantastic specials at RWC's that would have been hidings in the past (probably with more time in play) AB-SA 2013 in Jo'Burg Arg-AB's this year Ire-NZ 2013 Jap-SA 2015 Jap-Scot 2019
Adam
Roar Guru
Take it easy on him. He's obviously a back!
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@WHOOSKA Yes good article - I agree 100% :thumbup:
adam smith
Guest
Disgraceful aye Bobby?! I lost all respect for the NRL when they made excuses for & accepted Greg Bird back into the “fold”...mind you, I lost a lot of respect for the NZRFU when they did the same for Sivivatu (amongst others) & then Sevu Reece too.
Michael Griffiths
Guest
The scrum is part of the game and so the clock should be running. How about we get rid of about 50 pointless rules that have crept into the ruck and employ refs that don’t think the crowds only there to see them . It will end up a circus act like like football if it continues .
Brett McKay
Expert
Not even just live sport. When you pay for your ticket, you can't control how good or terrible the movie will be. You can't control how funny the comedian will be. You can't control how good an album will be or or how good a live music set will be. Nothing is assured, ever..
Harry Jones
Expert
And that’s the cool thing about live sport. Go to a heavyweight title fight. First round KO. Tough luck!
Stu
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Scrums and breakdown carnage are the main reasons I tune in. Scrum battles are enthralling viewing - those front rowers deserve every cent they get.