1
Nigel Owens lauded for refusing to put up with loophole that's annoyed so many fans
Referee Nigel Owens has been widely praised for cracking down on Racing 92 for the practice of caterpillar rucking, the rugby craze that has infuriated many viewers over the course of the last 12 months.
ADVERTISEMENT
The tactic sees players form an elongated ruck ‘conga line’, one player holding on to next, shielding scrum-halves from the pressure of defending players by effectively seeing them kick freely from upwards of 10 metres from the defensive offside line.
Owens was not tolerating the practice today during Saracens and Racing 92 semi-final match in the La Defence Arena. Owens repeatedly called ‘use it’, most notably when awarding a 5-metre scrum to Saracens after twice warning Teddy Iribaren to ‘use’ the ball.
“He’s absolutely right,” noted BT’s Ben Kay. “It’s the first time I’ve seen that. It was the slowest ruck I have ever seen. The Racing fans won’t be happy but I think rugby fans will be happy.”
The use warning may be the best way to combat the technique, which has infuriated a lot of fans who see it as an abuse of rugby law. An egregious example of the caterpillar rucking technique was used by Exeter Chiefs in 2019.
The sooner this ludicrous loop hole gets taken out of the game the better. Looks ridiculous. @premrugby @btsportrugby pic.twitter.com/RRqmcUbFxh
— ????? ???????? (@MrChrisClarkson) November 3, 2019
A year later and Owens was widely praised online for refusing to tolerate it.
21 | Nigel Owens awards Sarries a scrum as Iribaren refuses to use the ball having been warned twice.
5m out from the Racing line, a big moment coming up.
? 3 ?? 0
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) September 26, 2020
Nigel Owens clamping down on go-slow caterpillar rucks will be hard to beat as a highlight of this Euro semi-final weekend. #useit
— Chris Foy (@FoyChris) September 26, 2020
Bravo @Nigelrefowens … at last a ref using the 5 sec law and the painfully slow caterpillar ruck gets pinged. ???
— Steve Speirs (@SteveSpeirs4) September 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/Sonjamclaughlan/status/1309833385855127554
Great reffing from Nigel Owens there. He asked the Racing No 9 to use it twice, they were too slow and he awarded a scrum to Sarries. About time refs started enforcing this, speed up play. #RACvSAR #ChampionsCup #goodreffing
— Graeme Peacock (@graemepeacock05) September 26, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
At last, a turnover scrum awarded for not using the ball at the caterpillar ruck ? #RACvSAR
— Flish ?? (@andyflisher) September 26, 2020
You just love to see the “use it” call followed up on. Well done Nigel Owens.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) September 26, 2020
One Twitter follower didn’t agree, posting: “Nigel Owens asks people to respect the Welsh language but as a member of The British Empire refuses to use a word of French in France so shouts out ‘use it’ in English to cheat and give SAR a 5m scrum.”
Owens replied in kind: “Seriously? You think any players don’t know what use it is? I look forward to you asking all refs to learn welsh, Italian, Fijian, South African, Spanish, Georgian, Russian, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic Tongan, Samoan Japanese. Now jog on”
Seriously? You think any players don’t know what use it is ? I look forward to you asking all refs to learn welsh, Italian, Fijian, South African, Spanish , Georgian, Russian, Irish Gaelic , Scottish Gaelic Tongan, Samoan Japanese . Now jog on
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) September 26, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments