Brive v Pau

Is it not about time Billy Beaumont as President of World Rugby also broke his silence. I loved “Billy” the player in his England days, but “Billy” the President has been a disaster for the game.

Sadly, the “old boys club” blocked Agustin Pichot from ascending to the Presidency. He had a bold and new vision for Rugby Union.

Instead we are left with “Billy” and the old-school mentality. Yes the big games still get their historic support, but lets face it, the complexity of the rules, the inconsistency in interpretation by Refs, the on occasions overzealous TMOs and the reward system as well as the stop-start nature makes the majority games a slow bore.

Imagine a 80 min game lasts 120 mins on average, where the ball is actually in play for <35 mins.

I blame World Rugby for not seizing on the fact that the majority of games are dull. Furthermore World Rugby’s insistence on carrying on with current policies is a travesty. I just wish RUGBYPASS and other PRESS would start hounding World Rugby to change some of the laws that devalue Rugby Union as spectacle vis a vis the fast pace and clearer rules of Rugby League

We need an immediate revamp of the laws.

1. Yellow, Orange and Red Cards - Red cards only for acts of deliberate dangerous dangerous play. Orange card, non-dangerous foul he person lost can be replaced after 20 mins e.g., Sam Cane in final.\n\n
2. Reduce the number of substitutes to 5 with 3 positions reserved for front row. This will ensure superior fitness and the game opening up as players tire.\n\n
3. Let’s increase the value of a try to 6 or 7 points\n\n
4. Revamp maul rules - no extra warning for the maul stopping - if the maul stops for a defined period of time “3” seconds that its classed as a turnover. Ref counts 1001, 1002, 1003 - so everyone knows.\n\n
5. Remove water-boys running onto the pitch. It is the requirement of a player with a non-game ending injury to leave the pitch for help. If the water-boy or medic is required on the pitch, then player must leave the pitch after attendance for period of 5 mins (reserve is allowed).\n\n
6. Players can attack the scrum-half when hands go on the ball in the ruck (not only after they lift the ball).\n\n
7. Time off for scrum resets.\n\n
8. Knock on - when a scrum is awarded for a knock on, if a team chooses to play-on then they forfeit the scrum. Its ridiculous that ref then comes back to scrum if ground is not gained (some refs even call back even if ground has been gained - totally inconsistent).\n\n
9. Penalties - when a team is awarded a penalty - they are allowed 5 phases e.g., rucks to call for the penalty. After 5 rucks irrespective of ground gained or not, penalty is over. Ridiculous that some refs allow huge leeway in the interpretations.\n\n
10. Reduce role of TMO - certainly going back 5 phases in the RWC final was a joke. Let’s face it if a forward pass or knock on is missed by the Ref and the two Assistant Refs (so be it)