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'England were stupid... that has killed the Lions tour': Willie John McBride's lament for modern-day rugby

(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Legendary British and Irish Lions skipper Willie John McBride has savaged modern-day rugby, claiming it has become an unedifying mixture of union, league and American football that is being wrecked by an injury crisis and the dominance of money.

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Captain of the famed 1974 Lions that conquered South Africa, McBride was capped on 17 occasions for the tourists on five separate tours while he also won 63 Ireland caps before calling it quits in 1975. 

Now aged 80, he has pulled no punches in the foreword for Saving Rugby Union, the newly published book written by Ross Reyburn and published by Y Lolfa which tackles the myriad of problems affecting the better development of professional rugby.        

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Aside from confronting the lack of space and the high injury rate in rugby currently, Lions king McBride also bemoaned the mechanics of the breakdown, the crooked feed at scrum time, the over-prevalence of replacements and the ease at which players can change nationality.  

McBride wrote: “Rugby today is nothing like the game I played. It is a mixture of rugby union and rugby league – which is a huge influence on rugby union, with players lined up across the field against each other – and American football, with the obstruction and blocking. 

“In the modern game, you can theoretically keep the ball for 40 minutes with endless phases. In the amateur era, once you went to ground you had to release the ball and get away. Players could then drive over the ball rucking the ball.

“Today, when guys go to ground they still hold onto the ball and actually place it back with their hands. It enables sides to retain the ball for phase after phase as it is so difficult for defenders to get hold of the ball at the breakdown. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

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“There were never any serious injuries in rucks because you really had to release the ball and get away to avoid being raked back. If you held onto the ball you would be penalised.

“Today there are more and more pile-ups with knees and elbows hitting other players, causing injuries. Referees blow up for a scrum when the ball is buried in a pile of bodies. This simply wouldn’t happen in a ruck situation when I played.       

“At the breakdown, I just don’t understand why people are tackling players whop haven’t got the ball. It’s not sport – they are just charging into people to take them out. Surely the law says you cannot tackle a player who hasn’t got the ball?

“Any game is all about space. The modern game is all about closing down space with players lining across the pitch because of phase rugby. The one thing that strikes me is why did they change our game?” 

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Addressing the increasing injury rate, Lions legend McBride added: “There is an injury crisis in rugby. You look at every international game that is played. How many do you see that are injury-free? I believe every player should be playing for 80 minutes unless he has to leave the field injured. I played for 14 years and never left the field in my life. 

“I’ve seen young guys from academies who have been told: ‘You’re too light. You have to put on two stones if you are to be successful.’ Kids are growing. They are fed all these food supplements I call drugs and doing all these weights.

“Their bones can’t take what their muscles are demanding. This is wrong. The one thing I was taught when I was growing up was to be supple. They are muscle-bound and more prone to injuries. 

“It is terrible seeing all these people running off and on the pitch in an international. Recently a player was brought on with a minute to go – it could make no difference to the result. I once asked my old adversary Colin Meads how would you feel if they took you off with 20 minutes to go? I can’t repeat what he said, but it was more or less ‘you can stuff the game’.

“I also find it disturbing the ease with which players can just switch their national allegiance. It devalues international rugby. When Wales defeated Ireland 25-7 in the 2019 Six Nations, all the Welsh points were scored by two New Zealanders, Gareth Anscombe and Hadleigh Parkes. That can’t be right. 

“If you play for Ireland, you should have Irish blood coursing through your veins. the residential qualification should be ten years and that would end players playing for a country when they have no immediate family connection.

“The one thing the Irish Rugby Union got right is that they own the players. England were stupid, as the RFU allowed the Premiership clubs to take control of the players. That has killed the Lions tour, which is very close to my heart and was a very big part of my life… I find it sad.

“The game today is all about money… I was so lucky to play in my era with so many great players.”

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

      

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JW 53 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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