I am writing about the union referee’s but it should really be about the rule makers as the ref just administer the rules made by these idiots.
I constantly harp on about time wasting and it was wonderful to see the ref award a scrum to the All Black team after the Wallabies were caught time wasting in the recent Bledisloe game.
It cost them the game. Great decision.
I know the Aussie supporters won’t agree but gee it was about time a ref stood up and stop all this time wasting. It ruins the game.
All teams want to win of course, but the supporters pay large sums of money to watch players who are not fit, or cheats, waste time at scrums, lineouts, and restarting play .In Australia union is number 4 code behind ,AFL, League, and Soccer, so we need to do everything we can to attract spectators ,either live or on TV.
I would like to see play restarted a maximum 1 minute after a conversion following a try, Time called off while a scrum is set and reset, and reset, until the halfback gets his hands on the ball.
Personally I think if the scrum needs a reset it automatically becomes a goldie oldie scrum with no pushing allowed, the same players binding, and 30 seconds to commence play. That way all 8 players are still bound in the scrum, allowing the backs some room to put on a move.
I have watched the ref telling front row players who have played dozens of games, plus practice sessions, telling them how to bind.
The ref has never played front row ,and even if he had it is a lottery at scrum time. They have become so technical even I do not know what happens and I have been around rugby union for 65 years. Let them bind and if its wrong penalise them with a tap kick, by number 9,not a full penalty.
Too many games are won on penalties.
I would reduce penalty kicks from 3 points to two points, again encouraging running rugby. Encourage players to run with the ball, not kick.
Call time off when the ball is kicked to touch and again 30 seconds to get the ball in play ,otherwise it becomes a free kick to the opposition, with 30 seconds allowed again.
30 seconds to take a penalty kick to touch and if a player gets injured on the way to a lineout or scrum, either, if its a forward it becomes a goldie oldie scrum again, or if its a back play on.
If it is serious and play is going that direction then halt play, otherwise the player leaves the field for treatment, or they magically recover. Stop all these fake injuries.
Throw the TMO in the bin. They are usually wrong, and are looking for a reason to not award the try.
I think also the advantage rule is hard to fathom out. Sometimes the ref allows play to go on for half an hour before bringing play back to the infringement.
I say two passes and advantage has been taken. Play on. I would love your feedback on this article so feel free to comment.
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