Beaumont pressing ahead with subs plan

WORLD Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont wants to push ahead with trials of a reduced number of replacements once the game is back up and running after the lockdown.

Back in January the former England captain backed the introduction of a trial law that would mean a return to replacements being used only to cover for injured players.

The move is designed to improve player welfare by potentially reducing the intensity and impact of the physical collisions in the professional game.

Beaumont’s proposals have had staunch support with England coach Eddie Jones, former hooker and BBC pundit Brian Moore and Welsh referee Nigel Owens among its high-profile backers.

They believe it would make matches more open when fatigue begins to set in and reduce the number of high-impact collisions that can result from fresh players tackling tired ones.

And having won a fresh term as chairman of World Rugby, Beaumont wants to see trials in elite competitions to ensure that there are no unforeseen consequences from a reduction.

Beaumont said earlier this year: “I do worry that it has become a game for big people. You have got players who only play for 50 minutes because of the use of substitutes.

“In the old days, in the last 20 minutes of the game it opened up because fatigue came into it. But fatigue doesn’t come into it now because teams just make wholesale changes.”

Meanwhile, Super Rugby players aren’t happy with the make-up of the new All Blacks coaching group, according to a new poll.

A 40-question survey conducted by Country Sport Breakfast producer Sam Casey has offered an insight into the real opinions New Zealand’s Super Rugby players – and the results of the first question could ruffle some feathers at New Zealand Rugby.

The anonymous polling was done during the period of March to June this year, and included at least 15 players from every Kiwi Super Rugby franchise.

The first question asked was: “Did the NZRU get it right with their All Black coaching group?”

Almost half (46 per cent) said they believed NZ Rugby didn’t get the decision right, while 26 per cent said they were “happy with Ian Foster but not the assistant coaches”.

Former Scarlets coach Brad Mooar is now one of Foster’s backroom team.