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'If they're not bothered by player welfare, so be it' - Richards fuming at ECPR over prop debacle

By Online Editors
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Dean Richards is fuming at the EPCR after he says he was effectively forced to play a loosehead at tighthead, potentially putting a player at risk of injury.

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Newcastle Falcons ultimately lost to Edinburgh, falling to a 31-13 defeat in Murrayfield.

Prior to the game, the Falcons had three tight-head injuries within 24 hours, and with Jon Welsh, Craig Mitchell and Paul Mullen all also unavailable, they had no tight-head cover. Up until yesterday, they were in dialogue the EPCR to try and resolve the issue, but the organizing body ultimately didn’t budge.

Before and indeed after the match, Richards was fuming:

“You lose three tighthead props in 24 hours, you ask for dispensation to bring in another one and you’re not allowed that so you have to play a loosehead on the tight.

“It’s not like playing a left wing on the right wing or an inside centre at outside centre. There is a safety issue there and they weren’t prepared to address it so I was particularly disappointed with it.”

“For the integrity of the game and the competition the boys said ‘Look we’ll give it a go’, and to be fair to them they stuck at it,” he said.

Richards argued that they were extenuating circumstances and in an interview before the match said: “If they’re (the ECPR) not bothered by player welfare, so be it”.

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“We lost a load of guys to head knocks last weekend including Kyle Cooper, Sean Robinson broke his arm again during the game, Mark Wilson has an ear infection, Nemani Nagusa has a leg problem, then we have Michael Young out with a fractured cheek bone. Our captain Will Welch is out long term with an ankle, Jon Welsh is out for a while, Will Witty has injured his knee, Josh Matavesi is out with an ankle, Joel Hodgson has broken a leg and Tom Penny is out with an ACL – you get the idea, and then we have a few other guys who are not registered for Europe due to the tournament regulations.”

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Bull Shark 1 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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