The Boks’ game against England earlier this year. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP
Three rugby law changes: Good idea or bad idea?
Nigel Owens believes three law changes should be implemented. We take a closer look at whether they would be good or bad for the game.
The Boks’ game against England earlier this year. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP
Retired Welsh referee Nigel Owens, who retired from Test refereeing in 2020 after officiating a record 100 Tests, listed his three-point plan for law amendments in a column for the Telegraph.
Proposed law changes
1. Fewer replacements
“This is something I have been saying for a long time.
“Every question and answer session I do I am always asked which law I would like to change and I always say I would like to see the substitution law changed.
“We as referees and referee managers in World Rugby, we’re always looking at things that need to be applied firmer, which contributes to the safety of the game and that is an ongoing process.
“It is a physical game and unless you change it beyond total recognition of what the sport is, you are going to have to accept that there is going to be a risk of injury, but a minimal risk if you compare it to people that are injured everyday in walking about doing nothing.”
OUR VIEW: Disagree, keep eight players on the bench.
There have been so many amendments made to safety protocols that the modern game has already become a largely stop-start affair.
Dangerous tackles and breakdown collisions are repeatedly looked at under the microscope of replays and TMO reviews, with World Rugby really clamping down on collisions that could jeopardise the safety of players.
It’s difficult to imagine that fewer substitutes is now the way to go, which would surely run the risk of forcing coaches to push players to continue playing through an injury if there isn’t a replacement available.
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2. Limited TMO involvement
“We should aim for good performances that facilitate good games. In my opinion, perfect has become the enemy of the good because people are striving for a standard that is unachievable. A frustrating over-reliance on the TMO is one result of this fear of getting things wrong.
“Pressure is being exerted on referees by spectators, social media users, coaches, players, performance reviewers and referee managers. That is a lot of people scrutinising everything. I think we need to take a step back and make sure we pick up the things that matter.”
OUR VIEW: Couldn’t agree more.
Particularly in big Test matches, it’s become increasingly evident that the TMO has as much influence on a match as the on-field referee due to the regularity of involvements from the TV official.
The fluidity of the game continues to be sacrificed as numerous real-time decisions are analysed and debated, which was something that came sharply into the spotlight during the British & Irish Lions series against South Africa.
A move has to be made to allow the on-field referee to hold the ultimate authority, and only for the TMO to intervene if something is clearly and obviously incorrect.
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3. Clampdown on crooked scrum feeds
“Some of the scrum feeds from in the Test series between Springboks and the British & Irish Lions – particularly by Cobus Reinach – were beyond a joke.
“I must say that I have been as guilty of not giving enough free kicks for crooked feeds as any referee, but it has to be stopped as soon as possible now. Scrum-halves simply have to put the ball into scrums in an acceptable manner.
“Everyone you speak to about it wants feeds to be straight. Brian Moore has been making the point for years and I agree with him. Everyone comments on it, and there is no excuse. It has been allowed to creep in, after a brief crackdown a couple of years ago.”
OUR VIEW: It’s a pet hate, but the game has bigger problems
Straight scrum feeds have almost completely become a thing of the past, with scrumhalves really just shovelling the ball in at a right angle aimed at their No 8 at the back of the scrum.
It is a source of frustration to see crooked scrum feeds just continuing to be overlooked, but it’s far from the most pressing issue when it comes to officiating and the game’s overly-intricate laws.
Set piece stoppages, particularly at scrum time, are still a major drawback for the neutral rugby fan, and to further take away from this contest by focusing on the angle of delivery from the scrumhalf would just be another subjective interpretation that would lead to more angst.
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