Baxter calls for end to tinkering

EXETER CHIEFS coach Rob Baxter has told World Rugby to stop their ‘infuriating’ law changes or risk losing supporters.

The governing body have once again tweaked the laws at the scrum and breakdown for the new season, including:

No signal from the referee for the scrum-half to throw the ball in.

The No 8 is now allowed to pick up the ball from the feet of the second rows.

A tackler must get up to play the ball and must play from their side of the ‘gate’.

Ruck commences when at least one player is on their feet and over the ball.

A player must not kick the ball forwards out of a ruck.

The new ruck laws will prevent a repeat of the ‘no ruck’ ploy used by Italy against England during the Six Nations, but Baxter claims constant amendments are unwelcome. ‘The irritation I have from us continually tinkering with the laws is becoming more and more,’ Baxter (below) told the Mail on Sunday.

‘We’re desperately trying to create a product that people want to watch and engage with. If I were a new supporter to rugby one of the most infuriating things would be how often the laws are changing.

‘As you get used to something, something is tinkered with and changed again. On the whole, are they positive? Most of them are. Tinkering the scrum again is ludicrous. It’s already a contentious area so how does changing the law every five minutes help?’

Wasps’ James Haskell predicted the new tackle laws will result in ‘bigger collisions’. ‘I think people get turned off from rugby because of all these intricate rule changes,’ said Haskell.