New Laws Coming - Will they Work?

WORLD RUGBY has this week announced we will be playing with some experimental law variations in the new season. On checking-out the changes on their website, can I say, I don't have too-many problems with them, but, as ever, the caveat will be in how the referees interpret the new variations.

The main areas of change concern Rugby Union's two naughty children – the scrum an the ruck, and, anything which stops the pantomime of re-set scrums and time wasted from this will get my support.

The scrum, Rugby Union's naughty child

World Rugby is hoping to see a return to the ball being fed down the middle of the tunnel – aye right. I can think of a lot of present-day scrum-halves who will need to learn this new skill, since they have never done a straight feed in their puff.

There is also, and this I do welcome, a demand that at last one of the front row whose scrum-half is feeding MUST strike for the ball. This will mean the end of those hilarious scrums when two equal packs both go for the eight-man shove, nothing happens and little orphan Gilbert simply lies there in the centre of the tunnel. The new variation does not stipulate the hooker strikes, any of the front row can do this, so, hopefully we might see the return of one of rugby's great attacking weapons – channel one ball.

The variations will also mean the end of one of the stupidest changes ever – the demand that the referee signals when the ball should be put-in. One of the weapons which an out-weighed or technically-deficient packs ha for retaining possession at a scrum was the ability to get the ball in and out very quickly. Referees signalling the put-in ended this, now, it is back an if packs and scrum-halves can get up to speed on a fast feed and strike, leading to quicker ball for the backs, Rugby will be the winner.

Still in the scrum, number eights will now be allowed to pick-up from the second row's feet. This is something better referees have always let go and making it official is to be welcomed.

Then we come to the potentially non-controversial changes, which centre round the ruck. On the face of it the changes to the ruck will make a huge difference, and lead to faster ball and a more-open game, but, the caveats regarding interpretation again apply.

Australia sets-up a good ruck

As I read it, the tackler will be able to make the tackle and, providing he is on his feet, immediately go for the ball with his hands. Fair enough. However, once a third player arrives, the ruck is formed, hands-off and it seems to me, the ball must be played backwards via a foot.

Now, this looks to me like a partial return to real rucking. However, will we still be able to ruck, or counter ruck, by standing on those opponents who go over the ball and lie there? I think we should be allowed to do this, I can think of a lot of guys playing today who would be, in Fin Calder's great phrase: “nane the waur o' a guid shoein'”. Hopefully the new laws – with their insistence on staying upright, will end this obscenity of the third and subsequent men in, particularly if they are Irish, simply flying up and lying over the ruck.

Players will no longer be allowed to kick the ball through a ruck, any footwork on the ball at the breakdown must involve an effort to hook the ball backwards.

The men who were involved in the Law Review Group included some sharp operators. The SRU representative was Chris Paterson, who, of course has considerable scrum and ruck experience!! Dave Rennie was the New Zealand representative, so, hopefully Warriors will have a wee bit of an advantage once he gets here, since he will have worked-out the pros and cons.

John Jeffrey - should be able to spot bullshit

Oor ain John Jeffrey, Chairman of World Rugby's Rugby Committee, said: "These law amendments are designed to improve the experience of those playing and watching the game at all levels and to avoid negative play where possible. The results of the closed trials were highly-encouraging with more ball out from the scrum, fewer penalties and better stability, which has a player welfare benefit too.”

Who would ever have thought Kelso's White Shark could do diplomatic-speak.

I WENT to watch one of our top club sides training last night and was speaking to their team manager, a contemporary of mine, still doing his bit to relieve the tedium of retirement. He was telling me one of their players, a Scotland Under-20 cap, needs a XXXXL jersey – and he's a back!! What are they feeding these kids when they are in the gym these days.

The session was a high-intensity 90-minute affair, yet, at the end, two or three of that club's Scotland Club XV squad members were still out there, doing a wee bit extra. The message is, therefore, it's those wee extras which gives a team an edge.