In correspondence from World Rugby closed law trials of the following Laws will kicking-off in Wales and Australia in August with the Principality Cup and National Rugby Championship respectively, 2016 will see other tournaments follow, including a number of World Rugby competitions, namely the Pacific Challenge Cup (March), U20 Trophy (April), Nations Cup (June) and Tbilisi Cup (June), providing valuable data from players, coaches and match officials for the LRG to consider.

Following Council approval and union support, New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup and other World Rugby competitions will trial amendments relation to the tackle, breakdown and maul in its premier domestic competition.The package of amendments trialled in the Mitre 10 Cup will also include the use of two referees, which has previously been trialled in South Africa’s Varsity Cup.

As with the above trials, the Mitre 10 Cup trial, which was volunteered by the NZR, will provide valuable data for the LRG to consider.

Here are my views of the implications of the Laws when they are trialed so that you have something to get your teeth into.

The explanation of the text is taken from World Rugby correspondance while the implications are my views as to how these could effect the mode of play

Law 15 – Tackle

1. The tackler must get up before playing the ball and then may only play the ball from behind his side of the breakdown mid-point. (amend current 15.4 (c). The breakdown mid-point is not the ball but the point where players are in contact.

IMPLICATIONS:

• The tackler must get up before playing the ball currently but they may play the ball from the attacking teams side of the ball. NOW they can only play the ball from their team’s side of the ball and they must enter this play from the breakdown mid point. This would appear to be where the tackled ball carrier and tackler are in contact and, while the position of the ball may be one and the same good technique by the tackled ball carrier usually means that the ball is placed well back from this point. So the tackler, put simply, can only play the ball from the defending team’s side of the ball.

2. 2. A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it. That player must also get up or move away from it at once (existing 15.5 (b)).

IMPLICATIONS:

While this may be existing law it is the definition of the word “immediately”, that has been managed to favour the attacking team, that has led to the attack monopolizing the ball, the defence backing off in all field positions apart from very close to the team’s defensive goal line and the defence line being stacked to such an extent that there was no ruck by definition but a notional ruck so off-side lines were created. In other words a confusing shambles and a loss of identity so rugby became a territory game and not a game that created space through which to penetrate, in other words rugby league – as we all know.

3. If tackler and ball carrier only then there is no breakdown or offside line – this is open play and subsequent attacking players maybe be tackled by retreating players.

IMPLICATIONS:

I didn’t think they could fall into this one again. I remember poor old Matt Goddard in Super game involving the Chiefs playing under the ESLV’s. A player got beaten and chased after the ball carrier tackling him from behind. Under that rule he had to get in front of the ball carrier and move into the tackle from there. When he didn’t do it he was sin binned and a penalty try was awarded. I think the law lasted 5 minutes after the conclusion of the game.

4. Recognize assist tackler in law

Players in opposition to the ball carrier who remain on their feet who bring the ball carrier to ground so that the player is tackled must clearly release the ball and the ball carrier immediately after the tackled player is put on the ground. Those players may then play the ball providing they are on their feet and do so from behind the breakdown mid-point (Existing 15.6 (c))

IMPLICATIONS:

I think this just confirms the option of the defender especially the tackler to the upper body, on the ball, in a double tackle but also be aware of the definition of the ruck that is coming up as, once a ruck is formed, the ball cannot be played with the hands as always.

 Law 16 – Breakdown

1. A breakdown commences when at least one player from the attacking team is on their feet and over the ball, which is on the ground (tackled player, tackler plus one more). At this point the offside line is created (new definition).

IMPLICATIONS:

A ball carrier is tackled to the ground and he and the tackler, who is on the ground, are joined by just one player from the attacking team who is on his feet. This now constitutes a ruck. This means that the ball cannot be played with the hands, this is the definition of a ruck, and this applies to all three and any others arriving.

So the ball is contestable by binding, driving and rucking the ball back with the feet. The quandary is that if there are players off their feet on the ground it will be non-PC to ruck past the ball standing on the litter on the ground because there is no where else to put your feet. Will the onus be on the players on the ground to get away and get on their feet so they can enter play?

So the only player who can play the ball immediately after the tackle is the ball carrier, he is obliged to do so, and the only other player who can have a crack at it with their hands is the second tackler who completes the tackle from a standing position as above.

A second arriving player who is not a tackler creates a ruck, or a breakdown – a new term that has usually been a collective noun for ruck and maul. No post-tackle now or could that term be of value given the genuine post tackle situation we have above.

2. 2. Only players acting as a halfback can play the ball with their hands (lift the ball out of the breakdown).  They must be on their feet and on side. They must subsequently run, pass or kick (new 16.2 – Joining a breakdown). A halfback is any one player who is not part of the breakdown and behind the hindmost foot who is in a position to play the ball emerging from the breakdown. The hindmost foot will be the offside line for halfback players.

IMPLICATIONS:

Presumably the ball can only be played with the hands by the halfback when it is out of the ruck i.e. beyond the hindmost foot. It would seem that this can be any player performing this role but the benefits of using a specialist as we currently do are obvious.

What this should do, especially if there is greater commitment to bind, drive and ruck the ball, is drive past the ball not to the ball, until it is out. So the halfback role should not have to drag the ball out of a pile of players laying over each other in the notional ruck. It should be on a plate and can be used to best advantage.

Like set piece ball if the commitment at the ruck is greater and there is a contest for the ball the length of the half backs pass is of benefit unlike the current situation as it is really a” play the ball” for one off runners crashing the gain line to get momentum.

3. Offside line at a ruck is the back foot plus one metre. If the back foot of the hindmost player is on or behind the goal line, the offside line for the defending team is the goal line. To be policed by assistant referees (new 16.5 (a) – offside at the breakdown).

IMPLICATIONS:

Currently the limited numbers involved in the ruck and with the hindmost foot being the offside line the defence line is 1metre from the gain line. The attack can’t quite do this otherwise they would have to pass the ball forward even if the line didn’t move forward.

It must be emphasized that, according to this expert, an attack running onto the ball is much more threatening than one that receives the ball flat.

Now both these variables change. There are more players who find the ruck ball is worth contesting and, consequently the ruck has more depth and seconding 2metres are added to this depth, one for the attack and one for the defence. While both attack and defence are reluctant to reload the Law, so long as it is ruled, will force them to have greater depth so they have time and space to attack and maybe even an overlap. In defence they will have to align and apply running lines that cope with numbers, the entry of the extra man and evasion.

4. 4. All arriving players must come from an onside position (see 3 above) and can enter their side of the breakdown mid-point (no gate). Players must remain on their feet (new 16.5 (c)).

IMPLICATIONS:

With the offside line being 1metre behind the hindmost foot the players joining the ruck will have to come from some depth. This will continue the advantage that the team that breaks the gain line in the initial attack as, to apply themselves they will be able to continue running forward whereas the opponent will have to go back before they go forward to remain on side.

Notice the “gate” no longer applies. A player can join a ruck from behind the offside line from an angle as well as from directly behind the ball.

So that they remain on their feet binding, driving, good body position – duplicating that from a scrum like a plane taking off – and rucking the ball back as the opposition are pushed off the ball.

Now a thought.

To win ruck ball after the tackled ball you need to have players get their drive in as soon as possible. If we go back in time the forwards were ushered into this role while the backs re-aligned as the attacking or defensive line.

Getting to the ruck of 3, 2 on the ground and 1 attacker over the ball, speed to the breakdown will be essential with the players nearest to the action becoming the “ruckers”. So many of the skills of the game have become universal and, with the reduction in the number of scrums and line-outs so there is less need for specialization there, we are moving even further down the path of the multi-skilled player. “Polyvalence” I hear Pierre Villepreux cry.

5. 5. No players at breakdown can have hands on the ground beyond the ball, hold onto or lean on or have knees on players on the ground. Players off their feet sealing the ball will be penalized. Arriving players encouraged to drive over or past the ball (existing 16.4).

IMPLICATIONS:

It looks like the litter on the ground is being tidied up with the hands being used to bind not loiter on the ball, the player in a pushing position, the arms and hands used to create mutual stability so you don’t go to the ground.

Once again the loose scrum bound as a unit and driving through not too the line of the ball will produce front foot ball.

5. 6. Players must not handle the ball in a breakdown once the breakdown is formed. Once the breakdown contest is formed the player must release the ball (new 16.4 – other breakdown offences).

IMPLICATIONS:

Above the wording was:

“A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it.”

It now seems that, if there is any delay and as soon as the ruck is formed passing is not on, releasing is i.e. letting the ball go.

This is the one area that we cannot afford to back off if we want to reinstate the ruck as a contest for the ball and avoid a reversion to what we now have.

7. The breakdown ends when the ball emerges or the ball is picked up (new 16.6 – successful end to a breakdown).

IMPLICATIONS:

Emerges is the key word and the winning loose scrum will have driven past the ball and, as I said above, the halfback should get the ball on a plate and not have to extract it from the bowels of the pile up.

Law 17 – Maul

1. The group debated trialing a collapsed maul. The consensus was that this would be perceived as dangerous and should not be trialed.

IMPLICATIONS:

An old one here.

We still have legitimized a situation in which we can’t tackle the ball carrier and we allow obstruction of the ball and the ball carrier with the entire grunt coming from in front of the ball.

I recognize the risk involved in allowing the maul to be collapsed.

What brought the maul in was doing away with the penalty for the standing tackle. Some time ago the ref will declare as a tackle what we now have that results in a scrum opposition ball when the ball doesn’t come out of the maul. In those days it was a penalty as both forms of the tackle were ruled the same. Maybe this has some merit as I have great difficulty with the 2 areas in which the maul is so much not part of the game.

2. The group agreed to issue a law application (from 1 January) guideline to enforce the following:

The ball can be moved backwards hand-to-hand once the maul has formed. A player is not allowed to move or slide to the back of the maul when he is in possession of the ball. Sanction: Penalty kick.

IMPLICATIONS:

The first of these has been common practice for a long time but it is still obstruction.

The second could well have merit if we are to be consistent and not allow a player to disengage and re-engage but overall I can’t see any problem. Ones move the ball back and the other the player carrying the ball moves back.

As is often said by people from my part of the world Law changes are brought in because we are too good only for the changes being included, adapted and perfected.

I do think that a penalty for the non-release of the ball from a maul could be the answer.

 

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