Rugby a 13-man game with no flankers? It’s a thought

WHERE is rugby going? It’s a good one to ponder because, although we feel that the game has always been very conservative in terms of development, over the decades of its existence, radical changes have taken place. Regularly.

Compare a game regarded as great from each of the decades where television or even news services have existed, and you can see, vividly, how different to each other they look.

Of course professionalism, which arrived, at least officially, in the 1990s, led to massive improvements in fitness and conditioning and that are dramatic when you compare eras. Imagine if forwards of yesteryear had to wear the skin-tight jerseys of today? If they managed, somehow to get them on they, surely, would have had to cut them off.

Most lock forwards of old were of the stately Spanish galleon variety rather than the sleek and buffed Nineveh quinqueremes that occupy the second rows of today. Fitness and organisation have meant that, instead of 10 or 11 regular and consistent tacklers, today’s rugby has 15 who rarely miss, and, apart from a certain Pieter-Steph, rarely buy dummies.

Defences are incredible today and, as the pitches are the same size as always, I am sure there will be at least a discussion soon on doing away with flankers in the interest of opening up space. Rugby League did it in 1906 and, at one time discussed, seriously, having teams of 12 players rather than 13.

Remember that in today’s television, and online world, it is no use arguing that the game is for aficionados and players only. Salaries and bills have to be paid and that means, to flourish, a sport has to entertain and capture the casual watcher.

Rugby today is fast and furious, but it is too difficult to break the defensive line. Too many points come from technical penalties or driving mauls.

In addition to all of this, rugby, lemming-like, is following cricket and actively marketing Sevens, which is the obvious equivalent of T20.

Rugby, as in the 15-man game, is cutting its own throat to chase dollars. Full rugby union needs an entertainment boost to survive. Maybe there is light on the horizon.

I’ve watched a fair bit of European rugby lately and have noticed two encouraging trends.

Usually European games are wars of attrition with organised defences being on top. Often rainy conditions exacerbate the situation and, compared to New Zealand, some Aussie games and those involving the Lions here, they are usually pretty turgid affairs.

Recently I watched Glasgow take Leicester apart in Leicester. In years gone by that ground was a fortress but Glasgow, with Josh Strauss to the fore, destroyed the home team. They played at a relentless pace and employed the off-load to magical effect.

I have mentioned this repeatedly as a way forward but some coaches have resisted the practice as being too risky.

Now I notice that many of the Glasgow off-loads were initiated backwards rather than sideways a la Sonny Bill Williams. This sounds insignificant but it is not. The idea is the same – to play expansive rugby that has a continuous rather than stopstart nature.

Instead of allowing the ball to go down in a tackle and result in a ruck, the off-load takes out the tackler but allows the move to continue. Passing backwards achieves the desired result but minimises the risk.

Glasgow were a revelation and have reached the quarter-finals. They are onto something.

I also saw Leinster, who are surging out of a recent slump, destroy both Montpellier and Castres.

In addition to increased accuracy all round, pleasing off-loading and the introduction of a number of youngsters who are all lightning fast, Leinster have evolved an aspect of their passing game that is spectacular.

Instead of reacting to a defensive fast line speed against them by aligning deeper, Leinster are using it to their advantage.

Johnny Sexton stays flat and passes flat to his outsides who are also shallow. It sounds suicidal, but they use extra numbers to make it work and with experience, sleight of hand and clever deception with the length of pass, they repeatedly put runners away.

Two defenders, haring up at speed, are faced with a flat pass from Sexton that can go to one of three players, or four if the ball is turned inside. If the wrong target is selected in defence the attack sweeps clean through. If not, it is a ruck.

In a way,the intense, fast and often violent defences we see in rugby can offer opportunities in attack. By using deception and with extreme handling skills the lack of space can be changed from threat to an advantage.

I can’t wait for the Six Nations to see if these observations are developed upon.