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There is a perception that if you critique rugby today, you are not a true rugby fan.
I disagree with that premise. The devoted fan wants to see the game improve, not back to what it was, but a combination of yesterday’s laissez-faire attitude with today’s professionalism.
Or maybe that is not possible? If you watch coverage of a past game you may notice the number of player errors that are not picked up by the referees and dealt with by penalties or scrums. It is either they missed them or their mental state allowed the game to continue for its betterment.
One of the most frustrating passages of play relates to the advantage law whereby a referee allows play to continue for numerous phases and then return for the penalty.
I used to think years ago that an advantage rule would be good for the game, but as with most things, they go for the extreme. You can see today when the advantage has been gained and this is where play should continue, not with a penalty.
So, three points has become more important than five.
The objective of every game should be to score tries and all rules should focus on this direction, not halting the game for every transgression. With today’s society being so compliant and willing to adhere to every single rule it is not surprising our sport is reflecting life. Health and safety regulations have turned us into very obedient creatures who are missing the freedoms of old.
The driving or rolling maul is another feature of today’s play that has become an eyesore that will turn people away from the game. A player secures possession from a lineout, his fellow players gather around with the person at the back of the maul, who is usually the hooker driving across the line with a try he should be ashamed to tell his grandchildren about!
Brodie McAlister scores from a maul earlier this season. (Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)
It is the most boring piece of play that can be witnessed on a rugby field, which will force away rather than attract new spectators. Would you rather have that or the ball being spun along the backline to the wing who scores in the corner?
I was pleased to see that Black Ferns and All Blacks coaching maestro Wayne Smith has produced the same two controversial points – lambasting the state of rugby and its lawmakers, saying he recently stopped watching a game on TV “for the first time” out of pure frustration.
I have also changed channels when rugby becomes too predictable and boring to view, finding Anthony Bourdain more interesting!
Now this is where I will get into trouble because I am about to mention rugby league, the arch enemy of rugby union fans. League has been tweaked but is basically the same game from its beginning, whereas rugby has made significant changes including the defensive line-separate the players more, mauls used as a major points scoring move and the advantage rule.
I read somewhere that league is better to watch, but union is better to play and would tend to agree while watching Super Rugby compared to the NRL.
Wayne Smith says, “I’m getting frustrated with the game. I watched the game that Nic Berry refereed the other day and the arm’s out the whole time, every single play there’s an advantage,” Smith said.
“You just know we’re going to go seven, eight phases and if it goes nowhere, we’re going to come back [for] a penalty.”
Smith and I also share a dislike of the driving maul and believe it has to be changed in some way. How can you have a player with the ball being protected by his forwards who are shielding him/her?
If in open play you had two players protecting the ball carrier would that be allowed? Disallow it within the 20m area? Wayne Smith states: “If, like me, you don’t like the constant mauls, I reckon one thing that will fix it is if you get the penalty and you kick to touch, the other team gets the throw-in. That would stop all these incessant kicks down to the corner and driving mauls and mauls that fall over.”
I reiterate that any criticism of the game is not being negative, more a case of wanting to see improvement in the winter code, which is still the better sport of the three, league, union and AFL. The state of rugby and its lawmakers need to start from scratch with a view to attracting new fans and returning old ones.
When you have a respected coach like Wayne Smith switching channels at halftime in a game to watch an animal documentary you know it is time for changes.
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.