The Farcical First Weekend of Rugby's New Tackle Laws
The new tackle directives from World Rugby have been through their first weekend of fixtures, and it didn’t go very well, writes Lee Calvert.
The old adage is, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” World Rugby recently decided that something in rugby was getting broken far too often – namely, the heads of players – and after commissioning some research to look into it introduced the new high tackle directives. This was done at roughly a fortnight’s notice in the middle of the northern hemisphere season. When it was pointed out that this could cause some problems, the response was, essentially, ‘they have to come in sometime, it’s the off season down south, and anyway this is a safety issue that cannot wait.’
A cynical person might say that by ‘safety issue’ what World Rugby really means is ‘growing probability that we’re going to get sued up the wazoo’, but we must take them at their word, I suppose.
There were two very large talking points from the first weekend of the new rules.
A penalty try was awarded to Scarlets in the dying minutes of their victory over Ulster on Friday, given for two Ulster players attempting to tackle a Scarlets attacker as he ran, stooped over for line virtually diving. As you can imagine, it was nigh on impossible for the Ulstermen to get under the diving player, so they hit him around the shoulders in an attempt to prevent the try. They achieved this, only to be penalised for a reckless tackle, yellow carded, and a penalty try was awarded to Scarlets, which effectively won the game for the Welsh side.
Anybody watching who has played the game will confirm there is no possibility to not tackle an attacker in such a way when they are stooping for the line, so we can only conclude that World Rugby no longer wish defenders to make those tackles, for safety reasons. The consequences of this for the game of rugby union are terrifying, depressing and honestly, sad.
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Fast forward to Saturday and Saracens vs Exeter. Sarries captain Brad Barritt flies in to tackle Exeter lock Geoff Parling, swings his arm into the tackle, Parling stoops a bit and Barritt clatters him on the noggin. Parking is out cold and is falling through the tackle as Saracens prop Barrinton comes in as second man in the tackle, put his shoulder in, and Parling falls onto his shoulder face first. Referee Ian Tempest takes a long time to look – with the most brilliant “Why me? Why today of all days?” look on his face – decides that Barrington should have a red card. Barritt, the swinger of the arm to the head initially, received no sanction whatsoever, like a buy two fouls get the cheapest one free. In sending Barrington off, Tempest actually apologised, something I can never remember a referee doing ever before.
The RFU disciplinary panel has since cleared Barrington and given Barritt a three week ban, essentially reversing the ref’s calls on the day. Do try to keep up won’t you?
Advocates of the new approach will say that there is bound to be a transitional period for players and officials alike, and that the overall aim of the directives is to drive tackles lower, thus reducing head injury. Except, the two worst head injuries that happened this weekend were suffered by players doing exactly that. Marcelo Bosch bounced his head off an Exeter player’s hip attempting a low tackle at speed, and James Haskell in the first tackle of his return from injury whammed his head off the lower regions of Leicester’s Freddie Burns and was out cold before he hit the ground.
We all want rugby to be as safe as it can be, of course, but it can never actually be safe given the very essence of the game.
The consequence, unintended or otherwise, of these new directives will be to create a game that is not one that we recognise, one where players back out of tackles on the line, where attackers attempt to buy penalties by dramatically stooping into tackles. Most depressing of all is that judging by this weekend in Europe the same number of head injuries may still occur. We will have fundamentally changed the impacts in a game for nothing.
Most galling of all is that rugby league are laughing at us, and it’s a struggle to think of any reason why they shouldn’t.
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
6 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
11 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
11 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments