Umaga backs new tackling laws to prevent injury

Tana Umaga agrees with rugby’s much-debated new tackling laws but says it will take time for the game to adjust.

Now coaching the Blues, the former All Blacks skipper and his team are preparing for the looming 2017 Super Rugby season.

Umaga has revealed tweaking the tackling techniques of his charges, after the introduction of the new laws from World Rugby on January 3, had been a key work-on.

In an interview yesterday, Umaga told Newstalk ZB he supported the changes but was particularly interested to see how the laws would be interpreted.

‘‘We understand why the changes have come into play, with the studies on concussions and the head injuries the game has had,’’ he said.

‘‘We’re going through that ourselves at the moment with one of our players who is still suffering symptoms from concussion from the Mitre 10 Cup.

‘‘So we totally understand and agree with the line that is being taken. But as always, it’s about what is going to happen from here.’’

The new laws have already been put to the test in the northern hemisphere and Umaga said they had reviewed a number of incidents and were already making changes as a result.

With referees taking little leniency with high tackles, some players simply had to understand they needed to adjust their technique, Umaga said.

And while he believed the laws could open up the game with more scope for offloading, the former wing and centre felt there would be a ‘‘bedding down period’’ before all concerned were used to the changes.

‘‘Hopefully it doesn’t take too long,’’ Umaga told Newstalk ZB.

‘‘Players will have to go lower. We’ve already started that with our players of trying to get them into a mindset of going lower.

‘‘For some, it’s a little bit foreign. That’s my concern. We are trying to change guys who have been tackling front-on for quite a while.

‘‘But we all need to adapt and adjust us.’’

The All Blacks’ dominance of world rugby would not be affected by the law changes, Umaga added, because they would suit the world champions’ desire to keep the ball alive. to what has been given to