Ref must eradicate these delay tactics

THERE can’t be a week goes by when teams are denied the opportunity to take quick penalties because the penalised team are allowed to use dubious methods to prevent them doing so.

Sale’s Faf de Klerk is a master – he’ll try and make sure he gets his hands on the ball no matter what, like his scuffle with Jake Ball at the World Cup.

Last weekend Gloucester were awarded a penalty five metres or so from the Saints try line, but couldn’t get their hands on the ball because a Saints player wouldn’t stop lying on it despite Gloucester’s efforts to remove him. Before you know it, Saints have managed to manoeuvre the ball back to the try line to delay Gloucester further.

Simple solution is for the referee to warn the transgressing team to leave the ball alone, with the threat of further action if they don’t comply.

Marlon Zoglowek