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Clive Woodward: The flaw in rugby exposed by coronavirus

By Online Editors
Elliot Daly (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward has called on rugby administrators to draw a line under the 2019/20 season and start planning immediately for 2020/21 instead. With all tournaments having indefinitely ground to a halt due to the coronavirus outbreak, there are talks about extending the season and also playing the postponed Guinness Six Nations games in late October. 

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However, writing in his Daily Mail column, ex-England coach Woodward wants all potential contingency plans scratched now and the emphasis alternatively placed on starting all over whenever rugby can get the go-ahead to proceed again in the long-term as he doesn’t envisage any matches happening any time soon. 

Mako and Billy Vunipola are reportedly in talks with several Super Rugby clubs

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“These are extraordinary times and it is obvious live professional sport will not be returning any time soon. When it does, we need a fresh start,” he insisted, going on to criticise Six Nations officials for the dithering management of their tournament. 

“While accepting these are difficult times, I was a little disappointed at the manner in which the Six Nations reacted to the coronavirus threat.

We have been crying out for decisive and early calls, some leadership. Alas, nobody stepped into that vacuum. You would have expected World Rugby to be on top of everything but they have no real jurisdiction over the Six Nations, a huge weakness in rugby’s governance.

“The writing was on the wall on February 26 when Ireland’s game against Italy was called off. Once it became clear how serious things were in Italy, all bets were off. I felt very uneasy — and wrote to that effect — about the staging of the England v Wales game at Twickenham last week.

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“Sometimes you just have to stand back and get some perspective. What we thought important one morning was irrelevant the next.

“It’s all over: the 2020 Six Nations, the Gallagher Premiership, the PRO14, the Top 14 and the two European competitions.

“There is no mileage in banging our heads against a brick wall on this. It will make life much easier going forward if we quit on this season altogether. We have to concentrate on 2020/21 now.”

WATCH: Legends of the All Blacks, the documentary featuring some of the greatest players to have ever pulled on the iconic black jersey

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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