Can referees save rugby?

I hope that we see far more “ball in hand” rugby this weekend as the Autumn Nations Cup draws to its conclusion, but I won’t be holding my breath.

Whilst it has been great to have international rugby to watch again I think it’s fair to say that the rugby itself has been less than scintillating.

As for the reasons for this, I find myself in agreement with Eddie Jones, in that the current interpretation by referees of the laws at the breakdown means that it is way too easy for the attacking team to turn over possession or concede a penalty, leading to teams (and England in particular) deciding to kick the ball and rely on their kick chase and defence.

What is needed, Jones argues, is more balance at the breakdown between continuity and a contest for the ball, with the balance currently heavily in favour of the latter.

All a modern day jackal has to do, these days, is to get his body over the breakdown, often not properly supporting his own weight, with his hands on the ball carrier in the vicinity of the ball, effectively trapping it in and guaranteeing his team a penalty.

To fix this would be relatively simple. Referees need to insist that the jackler enters the ruck from an onside position, that he supports his own weight and that he gets his hands directly on the ball and makes a genuine attempt to win the ball, rather than – as is nearly always the case – the jackler’s raison d’être being to prevent the tackled player from releasing the ball.

Yes, such an interpretation by referees will inevitably lead to an initial flurry of penalties against jacklers, but the players would soon learn and the benefits to the game as a whole – with teams being far more willing to take more risks in possession – would far outweigh the negatives.

I have previously mooted doing away with jackling in its entirety but, if we must have it, then the above simple changes in interpretation by referees would almost certainly lead to a better spectacle.

Total Flanker – the older I get, the better I was