Pat Lam calls for special scrum law to be introduced

Bristol Bears Director of Rugby Pat Lam wants the clock to be stopped for reset scrums in the final 10 minutes of matches.

Entertaining rugby is in Bristol and Lam’s DNA, and the Samoan legend has long been frustrated by teams running the clock down by forcing repeat scrums to preserve a late lead.

The 56-year-old has been impressed by the effectiveness of recent law changes that have sped up or improved the game as a contest, and he feels the 70-80 minute rule would be another step in the right direction.

Lam cited last year’s tighter enforcement of the access law, which has allowed fairer aerial kick-return contests, the removal of the scrum free kick option, and the play on rule at an uncontested lineout if a throw is not straight, as recent examples of how the lawmakers have improved the product on the pitch.

“It’s sped the game up, I think. If anything, they need to make the TMO decisions faster. When I watch the NRL, they just make the call and get on with it,” he said.

“One rule I would think should come in, which should also help to speed up the game, is that from the 70th minute to the 80th minute, the last 10 minutes of the game, I believe the clock should stop for collapsed scrums.

“If you are ahead by a score or just under, every time I watch a game, the scrum goes down because it takes two minutes off the clock. I think that would be a good rule to bring in.

“We all want an entertaining game, that’s the world we’re in. I love the changes that have come in, and anything that makes the game even more entertaining, I am all for it.”