Ex-All Black's three suggestions to help players and fans adjust to the new Super Rugby Aotearoa laws
The opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa has been largely lauded as a success as huge crowds flocked to Forsyth Barr Stadium and Eden Park to watch the first matches of professional rugby since the coronavirus outbreak.
Bryn Gatland’s last-minute drop goal to steal a dramatic win for the Highlanders against the Chiefs – coached by his father Warren – and Beauden Barrett’s victorious Blues debut against his former side, the Hurricanes, were the two key talking points from the weekend’s action.
One point of confusion, though, was the interpretation of the new laws introduced to the New Zealand domestic competition.
The changes mostly focused on dealing with offsides and infringements at the breakdown, with referees imposing stricter officiating tactics throughout both matches.
Breakdown's been a real battle early doors. Lots of adjustments for players! #HIGvCHI pic.twitter.com/XQY9CrpnHq
— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) June 13, 2020
Increased stringency on policing those two aspects of the game is expected throughout the entirety of Super Rugby Aotearoa, with the aim of creating a safer game at the breakdown and more space for attacking sides against rushing defences.
That resulted in a total of 58 penalties being blown across the weekend, with 80 percent of those going against the attacking team.
Speaking on Sky Sport‘s The Breakdown on Tuesday, former Chiefs playmaker and recently-retired referee Glen Jackson said he was unsurprised by the high penalty count, but believed it was for the greater good of the game.
“First of all, I don’t think it was a surprise,” he told host Jeff Wilson. “What they were told was going to happen, actually happened, so that’s good.
“For a refereeing team, they can quite often go out and feel the pressure that there’s too many penalties and go off the ball a little bit, but they actually delivered what they were told to do, which is what coaches want.
“I think the best one is the offside penalty. The last round of Super Rugby before COVID, there were 12 penalties in six games for offside. We had 12 penalties in two games [on the weekend]. As a coach, you want space in the game.
“The biggest thing I ever hear as a referee is ‘Why aren’t you reffing the offside line?’.
“So, there were some tight penalty calls, [but] you would rather see offside than these fast line speed [defences] that you’re seeing in the game now, just shutting down people’s opportunities, and I think that’s a really good positive.”
Former All Blacks wing Sir John Kirwan agreed with Jackson’s sentiments that stricter officiating of the offside line can be regarded as a positive to take out of the weekend.
However, the ex-Italy, Japan and Blues coach said there’s still not enough clarity for fans surrounding law interpretations made by referees of whom he believes are still under too much pressure.
“I thought the ref on Sunday [for the Blues vs Hurricanes match] was pedantic, it’s not his fault, and I don’t want to beat up on refs because I think they’re doing a great job,” Kirwan said.
“Bryce Lawrence [New Zealand Rugby referees manager] has told them to be really strong in the first week or so, so that the players understand, but I think there’s too much, still, on the referee.
“There’s a couple of things I’d like to change. I go down to the sideline, and there’s people saying ‘What the bloody hell’s that for?’. People don’t know what the rule’s for.”
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That led Kirwan to devise three ideas that could help make the game faster and easier to understand.
“Let’s say [there’s] still a lot of penalties after three weeks… after three penalties, of the same team, five-minute yellow card [should be handed out], because then players will stop pushing the law.
“30 seconds – like the basketball rule – when it’s a penalty, you kick for the touchline, you’ve got to throw the ball in within 30 seconds, so we’re speeding the game up.
Lastly, Kirwan suggested the implementation of a ref microphone so punters could hear the officials to understand what call is being made and why it was called that way.
Jackson didn’t fully support that final concept, however, highlighting the audio quality as one of two key reasons why such an innovation might not be so successful.
“I’ve reffed in a game where it’s happened at the stadium, and it sounds terrible,” Jackson said. “Not everyone actually wants to hear that.
“I like the idea of the public understanding what the referee’s decision is, but if I’m taking my nine-year-old daughter, she doesn’t want to hear the ref talking over the stadium.”
Instead, the former Saracens, Bay of Plenty and Maori All Blacks pivot offered a potential alternative.
“In the UK, they actually had a referee up on the big screen showing the signal, so it was just a signal with a caption underneath, so if you saw it, you saw it and understood the decisions.”
The new law interpretations will no doubt come back under the microscope this weekend when the second round of Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks-off between the Chiefs and Blues in Hamilton on Saturday.
That match will be followed by a clash between the Hurricanes and the back-to-back-to-back reigning Super Rugby champion Crusaders, who will make their first appearance in the new-look competition in Wellington on Sunday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments