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Calls for league style scrum 'shot clock' in union

Leicester Tigers players doing some scrum prepping before kick off /PA

Rugby pundit Matt Williams has implored rugby union’s governing bodies to consider introducing a shot clock at scrum time.

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The former Scotland head coach suggested in his weekly column in The Irish Times that scrums take far too long and often end in a reset or a penalty which is subsequently kicked to touch or the posts. All these outcomes stifle attacking play and so Williams believes change should come by taking a leaf out of the rugby league playbook.

“The 50/22 law is an adaption from Rugby League and has breathed new life into the beautiful and almost extinct art of the torpedo punt,” Williams said.

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      The lessons learned from league need not stop there. Williams has also cited that a “shot clock” should be introduced at scrum time to limit the amount of time forwards spend faffing around the set piece.

      In rugby league there is a 30-second time limit for both packs to a set, ready to engage. There is something to be said about the extra physical excursion needed in a union scrum but nonetheless, Williams is adamant that time-wasting still takes place and can only be stifled with a shot clock.

      “Across the globe, in all rugby matches, outrageous amounts of time are lost to long periods of nothing as all 30 players stand about, waiting for the packs to begin to bind for scrums.

      “Rugby desperately needs to adopt the 30-second shot clock for the assembly of packs prior to engagement to stop the ocean of deliberate time wasting that has infected modern scrummaging.

      “Scrums only exist as a contest to restart play. They place 16 players in a confined area, which opens up space for the attack to exploit,” write Williams. “This was once the best attacking platform in the game but sadly not anymore.”

      Williams added that the “high art of scrummaging” used to aid attacking interplay but now he rues how it does precisely the opposite.

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      “As a consequence of both time wasting and scrum penalties, the participation of backline players in the game has outrageously been significantly reduced.”

      Additional changes which Williams has suggested, again originating from rugby league, is empowering TMOs to make decisions and introducing two on-field referees. The former would cut out the lengthy conversation between referee and TMO, which Williams think would create more efficient decision-making, and the latter would enable referees to better patrol the offside line.

      “None of those innovations alter any on-field laws while the ball is in play. All would reclaim match time which would benefit the game.”

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      fl 2 hours ago
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      “Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement?”

      It is an achievement. It is less of an achievement than he managed with Barcelona. You said that ”He has gotten better with age. By every measure.” He hasn’t. Doesn’t mean he isn’t still extremely good though!


      ”I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…”

      are you really this incapable of understanding the context of what I’m saying? My point is that Gatland was a good coach ten years ago, and isn’t a good coach now. So what he did ten years ago is relevant to whether he was good ten years ago - that is pretty basic stuff.

      On the other hand, what Les Kiss did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now, just as what Gatland did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now.


      ”So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?”

      I was replying to your comment, given you have the memory of a goldfish and are unable to scroll up, I’m remind you what you said:

      “Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.”

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