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'I have been banging on for this since 2012': Ben Ryan's crocodile roll frustrations reach boiling point after Willis injury
Olympic gold medal-winning coach Ben Ryan has claimed that “we have taken away two laws” by permitting crocodile rolls in rugby. The former 7s coach of Fiji and England and Fiji has been advocating the outlawing of crocodile rolls for a long time before Jack Willis suffered a devastating knee injury for England against Italy last weekend.
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Willis was tackled at the breakdown in Twickenham by Sebastian Negri and Ryan’s main problem is that the tackle is already illegal in the game theoretically.
“I have been banging on for this since 2012,” Ryan said, reflecting on the incident that will keep England rookie Willis out of the game for a considerable time. “I saw a couple of Fijians when I was England coach getting ACLs in sevens and Jean de Villiers got that terrible ACL in Cardiff. The very first start point is, it is breaking the law so why is it being allowed?
“Under law, this is now being allowed, why has that suddenly happened? Every time you get new laws, you need a union to be nominated, you trial it, you have all sorts of things.
“Suddenly, we have taken away two laws, which is you are not allowed to intentionally collapse a ruck and you are not allowed to intentionally come off your feet. When you do a judo throw, you do both of those things if it’s around a ruck, so I don’t see how it is being allowed.
“He's tough as they come and to see the pain on his face you knew it was serious"
– Wasps boss Lee Blackett, who explains his club don't coach the crocodile roll themselves, has given the latest update on injured Jack Willis#SixNations #PremRugby
https://t.co/h8lCY813Y1— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 16, 2021
“Sometimes if you have got bodies on the floor, then for someone like Jack Willis, his ankle and knee have got nowhere to go. It doesn’t matter how fit you are or how well conditioned you are, that knee is unfortunately going to suffer some trauma.
“Occasionally you can get out the way, but it’s become part of the game now. The Italian was already illegal because he was on the floor, but he just thought ‘no one’s blinked an eye really and they’re allowing this’.
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“That’s my issue, it’s in the game and it’s actually under law illegal. Whenever I see something on TV and I send out a Tweet, I’ll get a lot of people saying, ‘How do you get rid of the jackler?’ The point is, we don’t know until you actually enforce these laws and see what happens.
“But if you’re going to take a law out without telling anyone, then it has got to at least make the game safer and it’s got to make the game better, and I’m not sure how this does either. It certainly doesn’t make the game safer.
“It’s not just at the top end. It’s not about England versus Italy at the weekend, it’s about Old Wimbledonians against somebody playing in seconds XV and getting rolled and injuries being sustained when they can be avoided. It’s a wider game issue as well.”
The latest update from the England camp on how badly injured Jack Willis is…#SixNations #ENGvITA https://t.co/CLEfpf14Fv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
England-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
38 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
38 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
10 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
38 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
10 Go to commentsWowee!
10 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
10 Go to commentsJust remember: He is not a winger. Took Ian Foster 2 years to figure that out.
10 Go to comments