Ben Ryan makes final plea to World Rugby for radical law change
Olympic Sevens gold-winning coach Ben Ryan has made a final plea on Twitter for a change to rucking laws ahead of the World Rugby Law Review Group meeting in London on Thursday and Friday.
A number of laws will be discussed, such as the reduction of the number of substitutes in a game and the potential introduction of a 50/22, which is similar to rugby league’s 40/20 kick.
However, Ryan and many other former players have been strong advocates in the ending of jackalling in rucks in favour of the former technique of driving over the tackled player.
Ryan shared a video of a gruesome injury that came from a player being cleared out in a ruck while jackalling, saying he hopes “we don’t see any more incidents like this in the future”.
There is a number of reasons why some feel that jackalling should be outlawed from the game, primarily based on the injuries that it creates.
So the @WorldRugby Law Review Group meets tomorrow. I really hope as a result of their thinking, we don’t see anymore incidents like this in the future….? pic.twitter.com/pI3hfSqhxi
— Ben Ryan (@benjaminryan) June 26, 2019
Not only does the positioning leave a player’s head exposed and vulnerable to the opposing player, who can effectively sprint into the jackaller to clear him out, but any entry to the ruck can cause calamitous injuries to knees and ankles of the player over the ball.
A knee injury like this was shared by Ryan, but it has happened to a number of players. An example this season past was Leinster and Ireland’s Dan Leavy, who suffered an ACL injury that has ruled him out of the World Cup.
Indeed, some feel Sam Warburton’s gung ho attitude at the breakdown contributed to his career being cut short. There does not necessarily need to be any malice from the opposing player, it is just the nature of clearing out a player that is in such an unprotected position.
I look forward to collaborating with my union colleagues later this week to consider potential injury-prevention law trials for post RWC 2019 https://t.co/xHf1r0Ycmk #rugby via @worldrugby
— Sir Bill Beaumont (@BillBeaumont) June 25, 2019
Of course, there is no way that World Rugby can ever make rugby completely safe, and jackalling is a part of the game by which some of the best players in the world have made their names such as David Pocock.
These factors will surely be taken into account by the Law Review Group. However, it is also a priority to make rugby as safe as it can be, and Ryan, who earlier this month laughed off rumours that he had died, is one that believes the game will benefit from doing away with a faction of it which causes so many injuries.
Outside of the injuries created, many have argued that outlawing jackalling will improve the game. While the likes of Richie McCaw and Pocock were famed for their ability to clamp onto the ball at the ruck, there is a case that it stultifies the flow of the game and slows it down.
Second time I’ve died via a fake news story. At least it isn’t the drug trafficking arrest the last one talked about. I’m nowhere Toronto though hear it’s a great spot, as long as you aren’t around the out of control Honda Civics. #veilomani https://t.co/4Aj0n3dRC9
— Ben Ryan (@benjaminryan) June 5, 2019
By forcing players to drive over the tackled player, the belief is that it will not only speed up the game, but it will actually force more players to commit to the ruck, and in doing so create more space.
There are those that feel rugby is calling out for a return of the traditional form of rucking, while there are equally those that feel jackalling is firmly entrenched in the game that it cannot be changed now. But ultimately, player safety must be paramount in this situation.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
139 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
139 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
139 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
139 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
139 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
139 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
139 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
139 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
139 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
139 Go to commentsHo hum.
139 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
139 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
139 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
139 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
139 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
139 Go to comments