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Joined August 2011
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Now all of the code constituents are firmly facing in the right direction after Part 1 of this series, we should appreciate the wider changes evident in the game based on attention to a relatively small number of centralised changes.
Call it what you will: the ripple, contagion or domino effect. In our code, small changes have a wide impact on how the sport is played.
At the end of the last Six Nations season, I saw a statistic that George Kruis was the leading hitter of attacking rucks in the Six Nations, on a ruck-by-attacking-minute basis.
Officiating kept its place in the spotlight this week as World Rugby told referees they have been searching too hard for mitigation, while Nigel Owen kept himself in the headlines advising that referees need to officiate the law book as written.
There is no doubt who is the form rugby player in the world right now.
Before a ball was kicked, word was out that World Rugby’s new match officials supremo, Joel Jutge, had spoken to the refereeing panel to ensure both the five-second law and the breakdown directives of 2020 (which had largely been ignored at international level last year) were correctly officiated.
I have met a number of referees over the years, all of them called Sir and they universally referred to me as “six”.
When to take the three points on offer from a penalty kick has been the bane of Michael Hooper’s captaincy, seemingly with little discernible pattern behind the decision making and with a tendency to fly in the face of the ‘feel’ of the game when making calls.
Note the date of December 4, 2020 In your rugby memory banks.
As we seek to rescue the international rugby game from the malaise that currently envelops it, I offer the below for further consideration, in addition to those in Part 1 of this letter.
As I sat down to watch the final game of the Tri Nations between the Wallabies and Los Pumas (with a light blue tilt it must be said) the expectations were that the Dave Rennie-coached side would be looking to use a variety of techniques to move the Argentinians around.
The laws of unintended consequences are often a function of unrivalled success.
After a somewhat wobbly beginning to the Bledisloe series, New Zealand coach Ian Foster and his new All Black coaching team have made some notable changes with positive outcomes.
A ‘Bozo’? An Arrogant? A Vandal, perhaps? What descriptor should one use for the Barbarian XIII, the self-absorbed group of rugby players who caused the cancellation of the England versus Barbarians match last weekend?
Shortly after receiving your first mouth guard, an orange and an explanation as to why you need to run in the other direction in the second half, young rugby union players are schooled in the need to win the gain line as the first order of business.
One of the real successes of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand was how smaller population centres adopted the international sides that were based in their locale.
Without wishing to jinx anything at the last minute, it is starting to look like we will have some international rugby in both hemispheres before Santa does a socially distanced, gift-sanitised lap of the globe before year’s end.
Douglas Adams famously wrote “We have normality. Anything you still can’t cope with is therefore your own problem”.
Advantage: a condition or circumstance that puts one into a favourable or superior position.
Lots of examples in this game of the fatigue factor starting to creep back in, and it wasn’t even that quick a game
Will try to find some time later this week to bang a piece out with those highlights
England forgot the first rule of rugby in controversial loss to Wales
He had a few ‘being a 20 year olds’ issues to sort out.
And has done so.
The Wrap: Lineout issues tower over Super Rugby
Good summary Harry
This weekend was always going to be the test of the new directives as the French referees were in charge for the first time.
And all good, Gauzere was hard on message
By my count 29sec from the ‘talk to to your players’ until the try was scored
More than enough time, and having your own water carriers on is not an excuse
And by the way – ‘you have to give us time to reset’ – ahhhhh, no he doesn’t.
What I find interesting is the English media which is giving the side a hard time about discipline now are the same individuals who raved about England’s iron clad defence and ability to slow down opposition ball in the past- England haven’t changed the way they play, they are just now getting hammered by the refs for breaking laws that have always been there. 3 games 41 pens.
England forgot the first rule of rugby in controversial loss to Wales
Have always wondered why the touchies stand under the sticks
Wouldnt it be easier for one to stand 10m back
The Wrap: Lineout issues tower over Super Rugby
Big time policed in the 6N too, looks very top down this one.
The Wrap: Lineout issues tower over Super Rugby
Geoff is there not a law or directive that says the ball must be passed to the back of the maul, not the carrier sliding back.
Argument to be made that both the examples you cite, if you bind on the ball carrier and then move forward, which is also changing your bind which they are hot on for defenders, does this not mean the carrier has slid to the back with the ball.
The lineout was certainly the go to when there was precious little space on the park under the prior directives, let see how that develops this season as space opens up.
Highlanders were Aotearoas top try scorer from lineout mauls last year, we stuck a couple on the crusaders in the Farmlands cup preseason, but that defence of theirs on Saturday was excellent, although perhaps a little naughty dragging one down when they did get in trouble.
No matter how open we get as a game, set piece and defence will never go away.
The Wrap: Lineout issues tower over Super Rugby
Injuries or didnt make the required signings Geoff?
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Thanks Mz , I think the rugby watching public (even we traditionalists) will be aligned with the outcomes WR are after.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Thanks MB
Hard to address in absolutes, if we blew every penalty at every ruck or set piece we wouldnt have a game so its argument in isolation is kinda redundant, thats never going to happen. Not blowing for infringements or warning players not to offend ends up with code played like the Autumn Intls, awful.
Encroaching for offside however, we need a season of hammering it, over and over until the players change behavior.
It doesn’t have to feel stop start if we reduce the times between incidents.
The Reds Tahs last week had 80 stoppages for set piece and penalties plus 54 kicks
I didnt see a single comment on these pages about it because the ref kept the overall game pace up, did a really good job overall.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Thats a good thought, although I suspect they WR objective here is to speed up play and on their site they specifically note that faster rucks have safer outcomes. The increased difficulty of the caterpillar almost a bonus
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
With the amount of possession Exeter had in the attacking red zone, they would have run up a cricket score last year.
Stopping sides pre engaging when driving for the line has had an impact too
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
We are still seeing that same muscle memory from the refs Jacko.
Penalties are still being given when players wrap around the body on the ground
It will take some time
WR need to ignore the naysayers ( they will be many ) in the interim.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
The 5 sec law isnt new soapit – it just hasn’t been enforced
The downside of which has been super slow mo attacking ball even when it is available
So many sides are playing prescriptively in attack they are struggling to adjust.
Just like with the cards and penalties – I believe its a phase we have to go through for an ultimately better outcome
But in the big picture this makes it way harder to defend than to attack
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
The 2018 Try of the Year from Brodie that day.
The only observation addition I would make, he retreated 40m to make that turnover on Genia before then making it to the other end and throwing that outrageous dummy for the score.
Never seen a lock cover that much ground.
The Guzzler is greedy: Lord Bledisloe Brodie Retallick
We always talk about intended consequences Chook, quieter halfbacks will be a huge positive 😂 😂
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Ps….Aus fans should watch second half of London Irish v Bristol from last weekend
Have never seen Nick Phipps play better – and he has developed a flat attacking pass too.
Very impressive.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
World Rugby page had the Aotearoa ruck speed stats – .44 in the NZ game is a massive number given we didn’t really have an issue to begin with.
Will get source for the Prem, BBC podcast I think.
Caterpillar hasn’t disappeared up north but it is certainly visibly faster. (Still not calling ‘use it’ early enough)
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
But it just shows how delicate all of this is. Every little law adjustment has an unforeseen consequence somewhere else.
Spot on Geoff – saw how quickly the game went tight on the back of not refereeing the breakdown, we don’t want it to swing wildly the other way.
We are early days, but fingers crossed.
More halfbacks – god help us!!
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
I might disagree with the order of pressure. World Rugby put the breakdown group together at the end of 2019 and none of our commentator or media friends even gave it a mention. We often criticise WR but we should applaud this initiative for its orgin and now its implementation.
Pleased to hear you guys are being ‘directed to follow’ rather than interpret.
As you note the ground swell for the direction of the game is now really broad with those associated off the park – Insurance, TV firms, PE investors , as well as those on the grass.
Keep up the refereeing and enforce those laws!!
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
That’s kind of how France are already playing, Du Pont is not a ruck to ruck guy, and he often attacks from 2 channels out.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Thanks for reading them both
The recent changes just demonstrate how small focus changes can have wide impacts on how the game is played.
But also reinforces how fragile the new environment is, if not maintained by those with the whistle.
The ripple effect is a wonderful thing for rugby union (Part 2)
Cricket, Code, Orientation week at Uni
It’s not like they need any more encouragement
Zoo should be fun tomorrow
Tipping panel Week 2: G’day and Kia Ora
Good man Mz
Hoping we can catch them cold, game 1
Tipping panel Week 2: G’day and Kia Ora
Nice to see Digger and Geoff supporting the deep south.
Two season ending injuries to two key signings is a bugga.
Was feeling quietly positive until reading the Crusaders team sheet – jeez.
Boys back under the roof, bring some chaos
Tipping panel Week 2: G’day and Kia Ora
He was genuinely scary at the weekend
The Wrap: Lineout issues tower over Super Rugby