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Nigel Owens backs Law variation that could further disincentivise scrummaging

By Ian Cameron
Owens at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Referee Nigel Owens has singled out one particular Law variation that he believes could open up the game but which could, on the flip side, further disincentivise scrummaging. This week Rugby Australia confirmed seven law variations that will be applied in the upcoming Vodafone Super Rugby AU season, and Owens’ pet favourite is among them.

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The new law states:

When an attacking player carrying the ball is held up in the in-goal or knocks the ball on play restarts with a goal-line drop-out. The drop-out is taken anywhere on or behind the defending team’s goal-line. It must be taken without delay and must pass the goal-line and go more than 5 metres. The defence must be back 5-metre and an opponent must not charge over the 5-metre line before the ball is kicked. If the ball crosses the 5-metre line but the bounces back play continues.’

This would mean five-metre scrums would become far, far rarer, and sides with strong scrums would lose the advantage of having an attacking platform just a few metres from their opponents try line.

Owens has already backed the ‘Orange Card’ but believes drop-outs for held up balls over the line would improve the game, as the law as is unduly harsh on the defending team.

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Lomu tearing it up as teen in the 1990s

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Lomu tearing it up as teen in the 1990s

Writing in his WalesOnline column, Owens explains: “As things stand, in each of those cases [knocks on and balls held up over the line] we currently have a five-metre scrum.

“But that can penalise the defending team, whether they have the put in or not, if the other side are superior in the set-piece. Believe me, when under pressure near your own try line, the last thing you want is to have to deal with a scrum against a side who have the edge in that department.

“The mistake, remember, was by the team going forward who knocked the ball on in the first place.

“A dropout from your own goal line is something completely different in the game and while I was not a fan at first of the proposed change from a scrum if you are held up over the goal line, the more I think about it, the more I’m beginning to see the advantages and feel it will be good for the game.”

Owens believes that the change would encourage heads up rugby and not the heads down, endless pick and goes near the line and or worse, endless reset scrums.

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“So why is the change good? Well, how often have we seen teams from a few yards out pick and go, pick and go, try to bulldoze their way over the line?

“It can get quite monotonous. Sometimes they’ll score, sometimes they are held up, are awarded the scrum, strike the ball cleanly and then start going through the same routine again. Pick and go, pick and go. Or a referee’s worst nightmare, and that of many supporters I’m sure – a number of scrums on the five-metre line, reset, penalty, reset, reset, free-kick, penalty. Endless scrums.

“The thought process would need to change under the proposed new regulation. If the team in possession felt there would be just a sniff of a chance of being held up, but this time they would lose possession by the opposition getting a drop-out, they would need to think smarter.

“Look up, use the backs, get the ball out wide, try to play a bit more rugby, rather than just head down and charge.”

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Owens also believes it could help reduce the number of head to head collisions that come with head-down, pick and goes near the line.

Opponents of the new Law might point towards it further disincentivising sides who put an emphasis on set-piece, and that it further denudes the need for scrummaging props. Selection pressure would swing back towards smaller, ball-carrying front rows, a move that World Rugby would undoubtedly welcome. The governing body’s long-held belief is that less and faster scrums and more ‘spectacle’ will help grow the game’s appeal, especially in winning over new fans.

Australian rugby, whose game is struggling and who have traditionally favoured open, running rugby, are on board with WR’s doctrine and a faster, free-flowing version of the code. Rugby Australia Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson said of his 7 new Law variations: “We assembled some of the best minds in the game from a range of different roles to look at adding some new attacking dimensions to the game while at the same time sticking to some key principles to preserve the fabric of the sport.

“A couple of the variations including the 50/22 and 22/50’s have been trialled previously in the NRC and we have added some principles around line drop-outs to encourage more short attacking kick options near the line, and a Super Time tiebreaker in the event of a draw.

“We will also zero in on the application of law around the breakdown and scrums, trying to limit some of the down time and improve the flow of the game.

“Throughout the process we stuck to the principle that whatever we changed, the game still had to be Rugby, and nothing could compromise the Wallabies’ preparation for Test Rugby. In fact, I believe the changes we have implemented will broaden and enhance the capabilities of our players.”

How the new drop-out Laws plays out remains to be seen, but both the game’s progressives and its purists will be watching with eagle eyes when Super Rugby Australia kicks-off.

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
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Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
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Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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