Better Rugby Rules

Source: Annual review the key to bringing back running rugby: Eddie Jones

However, Jones said he would only change one law were he able to order it – the tackle.

”I don’t really think there is much wrong with the game,” he said. ”They [the IRB] probably made a little bit of a mistake by allowing the tackler on his feet to hang on to the ball.

”That has definitely aided defences and the laws at the moment certainly don’t need to aid defence.

”The game needs to be 51 per cent in favour of attack and 49 per cent in favour of defence.

”The tackler being able to hang on to the ball has made sides less adventurous and that is why we have this ping-pong kicking game that bores everyone senseless.

”There is a conservative edge around rugby at the moment where sides are frightened to play a little bit.”

Jones even suggested trialling what has been dubbed as the ‘Justin Marshall law’, named after the All Black veteran of 81 Tests who proposed the law to him in Japan. ”We were having a few beers recently and he came up with the idea that the tackler has no rights to the ball,” Jones said.

”Previously there was a disincentive for the tackler to stay on the tackled player because if he did he got rucked.

”Rucking is out of the game [now], so the tackler gets those momentary seconds to stay on the tackled player. He slows the ball and is allowed to get on his feet and play it again.

”It would be worth experimenting when the tackler had no rights – [where] his only right is to roll away and then he must come back through the gate to contest the ball – and see whether the balance is right.”

COMMENTS: Well, the above is true. Needs to be considered (What Richie out of a job !) I do agree with the IRB in that you cant change the rules every god dam year, that’s just stupid, if you do you end up with ‘fruit salad’ ! I also remember the rule that you could not roll over a ruck unless you were bound to another a player ( I am not sure if that law still around). The one rule in rugby that is abused the most is that if you are off your feet then you are out of the game and you can not touch or do anything. But you cant tell the English forward pack that !

Hmmm more thinking required !