It’s all very simple: Referees must stop ignoring the laws!

JEREMY Guscott’s column last week: “It’s a tough job but refs can be their own worst enemy” should be sent to all the Referees’ Societies throughout the country.

Long standing laws are widely ignored. Pushing before the ball goes into the scrum; props standing square and an old favourite, crooked feeds – failings that can be corrected within the laws.

Highlighted also was the amount of chat that referees are currently subject to. An injury curtailed my playing days and in my 20s I took up refereeing with the London Society.

We were discouraged from entering into conversations with all but the captain. Protestations at penalty decisions were rewarded with an extra ten yards. Other decision queries were greeted with “see me in the bar after and I’ll explain”.

These days, decisions are often proceeded by a committee meeting and the ten yard law is hardly ever applied. DAVID HARRIES Claygate, Surrey THANK you Jeremy Guscott. Finally a high profile ex-player has questioned why the laws of the game are being ignored by referees at scrum time.

As an ex-hooker it riles me no end to see the obvious feeding to the second row. It negates the scrum as a contest and ultimately makes a hooker a third prop.

If refs apply the laws properly then respect for other decisions will be more likely to be accepted by coaches, players and supporters alike. PAUL WAYGOOD Wellington, Somerset