Wrong to get second chance after seeing red

RUGBY – like anything in life – must be prepared for change, but I’m not sure about the new law variations which are going to be trialled in the upcoming Rainbow Cup.

That the PRO14 that are going to trial things like red card replacements and a captain’s challenge just shows to me there is really nothing riding on the Rainbow Cup.

I suppose that means it’s the perfect time to try something new and I can accept there will be those who make that argument. We’ll wait to see how things go, but I need a lot of convincing.

These law trials have been used already in Super Rugby and they seem to have gone well there.

The one thing I do like is the drop-out from the goal line if the ball is held up over the line or touched in goal. I think that will speed up the game and people moan enough about scrums as it is.

It will also make people think twice about whether they can definitely score because if they don’t, they risk turning the ball over for their team.

That’s the good news – but I’m not sure about the red card replacements. I think if a player does something to warrant a red card, he or she and the team should be punished for the rest of the game. To be able to replace the player after 20 minutes with someone else seems crazy to me.

We are trying to eradicate foul play and protect the players and this rule says to me you can have a second chance or another life. I don’t think that’s right and if you know you’re going to get a second chance, it could bring real trouble to the game.

I would say though I do wish we’d had this rule in the 2011 World Cup semi-final when Sam Warburton was sent off against France. If we had, Wales might have won the World Cup!