Three easy changes to improve rugby right now

Nice work . Hey Dave can you give us an insight into why the Clown did not select QC in the massive RWC squad when he was clearly the best and most experienced 10 in Australia in 2019 with the best win loss record in tests from a current number 10. 2020 we were left with no established 10`s because of the Clown. Can you give an opinion on why Clown hated Quade so much but still picked 5 rebel backs. Koro Genia Toomua DHP and Hodge. More than any other franchise. Ta mate.

Another "cheating" method was common when Ollie le Roux was still running around. Sub your starting prop around half-time, then have your reserve prop suddenly pick up an injury with about 10-15 to go, and the starting prop has to come back on to ensure that trained props are on the field. The injury also magically heals by next week's game.

I have the perfect answer to the problems of professional rugby. Only watch Super Rugby Aotearoa, where the game is played at an extremely level high of skill, speed, explosiveness and intelligence, and is devoid of the cynicism and destructiveness that defines test matches and the game in the Northern hemisphere. If the NZR would run a three match Island of Origin series every year, it would be ideal. The marketing boys would soon get the point about what people want to watch. Beyond that. 1. The most effective solution? Get the referees to focus on applying the laws of the game to the defensive team. At the professional level, virtually every defensive backline is offside. Start pinging midfields for their constant infringing and the game will free up massively. As would a penalty every time a defensive player off their feet handles the ball in the ruck, or "accidentally" falls on the wrong side, or runs back onside right next to the ruck, etc, etc. Give an advantage, then another, then another. Three times in the same sequence and its a yellow card. 2. Get rid of place kicks at goal, by far the biggest time waster in the game. Most professional games have between 10 and 15 place kicks at goal, 1 minute 30 allowed for each, so 15 to 20 minutes lost per game. A drop kick at goal instead, 30 seconds allowed, would add 10 to 15 minutes of actual real playing time. Oh, and all conversions in front of the posts on the 22m.

Thanks Dave. All good ideas. At the very least I would like to see the clock stopped if there is a scrum collapse and not started again until the scrum is clean. I would also like to see no penalty awarded if the infringement has no impact on the game. For example Phillip went across a couple of lineouts and was penalised even though Argentina still won a nice clean ball. Similarly, defending players going off their feet but not interfering with clean ball for the attacking team, should not be penalised in my opinion. In other words give the ref scope to keep the whistle in his pocket.

There are a lot of good suggestions in the article and in the comments. I have a couple of simple suggestions that don't involve rule changes. 1. No time off for injury. Unless the player is in a vulnerable position or the medi-cab is needed, then play on. This includes front row and hookers. Another player can throw the ball in. Free kick to the opposition if you cant pack a scrum. 2. Replacement players can join the game from the sideline through a dedicated official. No need to have the referee stop the game. I believe both suggestions will speed up the game, reduce unnecessary stoppages and fatigue players faster.

3 subs I reckon. All players woukd have to de bulk. This would open up the game, move away from battering ram rugby, and make the game far safer.

And get rid of cards !

Super rugby in Australia will keep dying unless we massively change the rules to restore continuity and make it a game spectators watch. Let's try some rules there. Timekeeping to be taken off the Ref and given to a sideline offical. That will give him more time to concentrate on the game. Reduce points for penalties and field goals to 2. Goal line drop outs when the ball is forced behind the line. Quick taps allowed. When the ball is not in straight in the line out allow a Tap to the non offending side .. No scrum or line out reset. no knock ons or forward passes in the Ruck and Maule including the half back fetching the ball at the back. Time off for scrums. Scrum infringements to include the team that is slow setting their scrum. Scrum infringements to result in a tap to the non offending side.

Does the rulebook come with xray-binoculars? Otherwise I'm afraid it's not going to be much help in letting me SEE what is happening inside a scrum. If you've read anything I've written as 'whinging', I suggest you re-examine your perspective because it is seriously skewed.

We would have way to many players locked up for crime if we did that....Dumber the game...dumber the player

Totally agree with your scrum law reform. The reality is that most scrum resets are caused by packs trying to milk a penalty so if you take that incentive away things will drastically improve. Otherwise we will continue with games like last night’s with the farce of the referee lecturing professional rugby players on the basics of scrummaging. Keep that up the game will continue to lose fans not gain them.

Make the game safe. Replace the player ordered off. Award an automatic 10 points to the aggrieved side.

I blame warren gatland.it was his lions team that started this midfield offside rubbish.now all teams do it.penalise them all and it will soin stop and give playmakers more time and space

Ive just finished watching the Australian Argentina test boreathon...seriously we had a very poor ref in Gardner who seemingly doesn't understand the advantage rule and the scrums ah yes the horrible scrums that have destroyed our once great game...why can't there be a law 5 secs get the ball in and out no holding the ball in the scrums waiting for a penalty such negative play how many penalties did this ref blow his whistle (swallow your whistle Gardner) seroiusly if this rugby's road im done and many other open play die-hard rugby supporters. And we then have the Poms singing Aussie Eddie's praises on what he's done for English rugby all he has done has added league style gang grappling suffercating defence play another boreathon and nil open rugby give me a break sadly our once great game of handling skills and open rugby has died...amen.

Might have been 2008 actually. Either way you simply cannot have a sensible discussion around the laws without considering the ELVs.

eh? so the defending team knows whats going to happen and like the attacking team, know when to ... defend in the attacking teams face? allowing the half back to dictate when he's going to release it gives the attacking team the advantage

That's already a law, Lano, in that a player in front of the kicker must not advance forward at all, until he is put onside by the kicker or someone running from behind the kicker. But you're right, you make a good point, in the sense that once the ball is kicked out of play, we do see players rush forward, knowing that they can't be pinged for offside, because the ball is out. But of course these days, we see a lot more sides willing to take a quick throw-in, which means that for all intents and purposes the ball is actually still in play, even if it is out (if that makes any sense?). The result being that those players do impede the next play, ie the quick throw in, by getting an advantage from being in front of the kicker. It would be an easy fix. Amend the law to prevent players who are in an offside position from a kick BOTH 1. moving forward until they are put onside, AND 2. preventing them from being involved in any play from a quick line-out, until such time that they are put onside by the kicker or an onside teammate.

Suggestion - long kicks into touch are chased by non-kicking players that limit the opportunity for teams to take a quick throw-in. The chasers would otherwise be offside but for the ball being in touch. The ball chasers should be limited to the line where the ball crosses into touch. The defending team can then move the ball back and recommence play with a quick throw without interference by chasing players. This would speed the game and induce a speedy counter attack. Thoughts?

Absolutely disgraceful that cards haven't been implemented! :thumbdown:

Yes, and in AFL you can take someone important of the opposition out of the game with a good elbow to the jaw. Break his jaw so you can win the grand final then get rubbed out for a few games in next year's comp when it doesn't matter. What justice is that? It all goes under the heading of AFL players are tough, they can handle that. What about player wellfare? I don't watch AFL or Soccer because most of the time it's boring. There are often exceptionlly good games but they are few and far between.