Simple ways to make the game better for all
New Year is a time for resolutions, so let me suggest a few for the Premiership. None of them need approval from World Rugby, so let’s just make them happen.
We’re lucky to have in the Premiership an outstanding set of referees, but there are some areas where I wish they’d tighten up. Law 6.5.a says ‘The referee is the sole judge of fact and of law during a match’. I recently heard a ref saying to a player who enquired about something, “It wasn’t my decision”, and that is just so wrong.
I’m a huge fan of the assistants playing an active role, and the TMO, but to misquote Margaret Thatcher, advisers advise, referee’s decide. If the ref makes a decision, then it’s his decision, and to abrogate his responsibility is unacceptable.
No one knows the laws of the game better than elite referees, so it’s time they stopped selectively ignoring them. A perfect example is the way they insist on coaching players, when they should be penalising them. At almost every ruck, a defending player will step over the offside line – it’s a deliberate ploy to buy a second or two. What you’ll often hear is ‘back’, followed by ‘thank you’. What that actually means is that they’ve cheated, but have been allowed to get away with it.
The referees’ defence is that if they pinged every such offence there would be too many penalties. I’d love for that to be put to the test because I reckon there would be a penaltyfest for a very short time, and then players would obey the laws.
Another pet hate of mine is referees being overfamiliar with players – they aren’t their mates, they are in a position of authority over them! It’s utterly inequitable that some high profile players are called by their first name, while others, whose only sin is to be making their way in the game, get referred to by their number. A bit more distance between the ref and the players would be a good thing.
I’ve read rugby’s laws and I can’t find any reference to ‘clear-out’, and yet that’s one of the most contentious areas of the modern era. It really is simple: enforce Law 15 in its entirety, and players will have to be on their feet when they join a ruck, and properly bound – they must also endeavour to stay on their feet during the ruck. In other words, diving into the ruck is illegal. Enforcing the law will, at a stroke, reduce the force of the impacts, be better for player safety, and improve the spectacle.
Coaches are paid to be innovative, as we saw when Les Kiss ‘invented’ the choke tackle, and it was down to a clever coach that we have one of rugby’s current evils, the ‘caterpillar’. That’s when a succession of players join at the back of the ruck to give the 9 more time to get his box-kick away. However, a ruck ends when the ball is clearly won, and available to play, so, why can’t the ref call ‘use it’ straight away to prevent the wait while the ceterpillar is formed?
Nigel Owens refused to tolerate the delay when Saracens played Racing 92 in the Champions Cup semi-final in September, and there is no reason why others can’t follow him.
One of the mysteries of rugby is why refs decide over time to change their interpretation of the laws. Here’s my suggestion: if there are changes needed to the laws, fight the battle to make them happen, but until then simply enforce the current ones.
Finally, with apologies to Chiefs fans, I hope in 2021 someone can find a way to combat Exeter’s style of play. Everyone respects what they have gradually built over the years but there is no obligation to find it attractive. When they get into the opposition’s 22, it’s almost inevitable that they’ll eventually score after goodness knows how many pick and gos – their efficiency is ruthless and incredibly effective, but I’m afraid I find it boring.
Gloucester came close last weekend, and Wasps did a number on them yesterday. The signs are that the Chiefs may need to put their thinking caps on and tinker with their traditional tactics.