'I'm not sure I'm a fan of a golden point to tell you the truth'
London Irish head coach Les Kiss wouldn’t back the introduction of a golden point in the Gallagher Premiership to prevent matches in the English top-flight from ending in draws. The Exiles have become draw specialists in the 2021/22 campaign, remarkably drawing five of the 22 matches they have got to play.
With a Premiership draw worth just two points compared to a win being worth four, the Irish have left ten points behind them because of their draws against Sale (twice), Gloucester, Saracens and Wasps. The NRL in Australia has permanently used a golden point system since 2003 to ensure that its drawn matches ultimately end with an extra-time winner.
If that system was adopted in England, the Irish could potentially have picked up the additional points that would have them challenging hard to make the end-of-season playoffs rather than occupying eighth place on the table, seven points behind the fourth-place Northampton and out of contention with just one game remaining.
However, while the 57-year-old Kiss used to play in the NRL before crossing over into union coaching, he did so before the golden point was introduced and he wouldn’t want it brought into the Premiership.
“I’m not sure I’m a fan of a golden point to tell you the truth,” said Kiss to RugbyPass when asked if an NRL-style tiebreaker would be welcome in the English top-flight. “I would probably accept what it [the result] is and accept that we have control over a couple of those end-games that we didn’t manage as well.
“There is enough on our plate with 80 minutes in this competition, particularly as it is bloody tough. If you put in a golden point you don’t know where that is going to end, it then becomes a kick fest. The players are loaded enough. I wouldn’t be a fan of it to tell you the truth, so we just need to live with it and grow with it and be better.
“We need to make sure if we put two of those results into a win we are right on the edge of the top four, there is no doubt about it and that is not to be this year. If I am answering your question correctly, I wouldn’t go to those (golden) points. I’d say we have just got to be better at managing what we do at the back-end or in the game to make sure it doesn’t get to that [a draw].”
London Irish came from 25 points down late in last Sunday’s game with Wasps to dramatically grab a share of the spoils on a 42-all scoreline, but are draws really a cause for celebration? “It’s the old saying, it’s like kissing your sister,” continued Kiss, who has been head coach at the Exiles since Declan Kidney was appointed director of rugby in March 2018.
“I do think there was a sense of frustration. We have really worked hard and got some real direction about ourselves and we are still not getting that edge where we knock off certain parts of the game. To come back in that way (against Wasps), there was that sense of joy and relief but it was tempered by a lot of frustration and disappointment. It was a really strange feeling.
“There is no doubt that the excitement of that result comes from what we know we are growing in the club as well, some youngsters coming on as well and all those things, but it was a really mixed sort of feeling. In the end, we accept that we are good enough to do that at the end but we also accept there are things we have to work on.
“If I go back to the previous draws, all of them I’d say there would be a similar feeling. We want more basically. We do definitely accept sometimes a draw will happen but we have let too many happen this year to ourselves and we are in control of most of those outcomes.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to comments