New breakdown laws spoil game – top ref Ed
RENOWNED referee Ed Morrison fears the essence of Rugby Union around the battle for possession is being lost amid the growing influence of television and amendments to the breakdown laws.
With the breakdown contest rapidly becoming neutered, phase play and try-scoring has soared this season, with Premiership matches producing an alltime high of 5.9 tries-per-game.
Whil many will welcome this, former RFU refs boss Morrison believes the balance of the game is being diminished by laws that enable teams to grind through multiple phases.
Morrison, recently awarded an OBE for services to rugby in the New Year’s honours, told The
Rugby Paper: “When you see so many games with regular periods of 30-40 phases, it becomes quite boring and the thing that worries me is that it’s becoming harder to compete for possession.
“Broadcasters have a huge influence over ball-inplay time now and Unions and clubs know the best way to increase their income levels is by giving TV companies what they want. They want to see the ball pinging about and young people think it’s sexy, but we’ve got to be very careful.
“There’s a balance to be found and the defender’s got to have a chance of competing for the ball in my opinion, because a founding principle of Rugby Union is the ability to contest for possession.
“Teams don’t want to do that because they’re frightened that if they put too many people into the breakdown and don’t win the ball, the opposition will have space to attack. I understand that from a coaching perspective, but in my view there’s nothing better than a good scrap for the ball.”
Meanwhile, Morrison believes English refereeing standards have never been higher and that the emergence of young whistlers like Christophe Ridley, Karl Dickson and Tom Foley offers proof.
He said: “There’s a better level of consistency now and England has a Rolls Royce development process under Tony Spreadbury. It’s not just the playing side of England that’s getting stronger by the year and it’s great to see guys like Ridley, Dickson and Foley earning their spurs.”
Morrison, who refereed the 1995 World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand and is now president of the Bristol Referees Society, admits his OBE award came as a shock. He added: “I was certainly surprised. I’ve had a brilliant rugby journey and wouldn’t change a thing.”