This Is Good - But, Let's Confuse The Media By Hiding It

YESTERDAY, the SRU's media department sent out a press release on youth rugby, which made as much sense as an Irish referee's decision at scrum time in a PRO14 game. What partially confused me was, the signatory was Scotland team media manager Michael James, man whose press releases are normally bespoke examples of clarity and brevity.

 Michael James - not his best press release, but, some good stuff

After exhaustive analysis, I have deduced, it was a case of three press releases being condensed into one, with clarity going out of the window. There actually was a kernel of really good stuff in there, but, well-hidden behind some thick foliage, I am still assessing exactly how much to scythe down and burn, as I try to make a sensible story of it all, however.

As I understand it, the SRU has decided to adopt a singular Scottish style of play; this (I think) means, all our sides will seek to play the same high-tempo, high-pressure, off-loading game which Glasgow – at their very best – play, and which Gregor Townsend is now seeking to bring to the national side. Great.

This style of game cannot be turned on and off like a tap, players have to become used to playing that way, and the Union has – quite rightly – decided, to do this, it would be better if they started young. Therefore, the SRU has: “adapted the laws of the 15-a-side game to fast-track the development of BT Sport Academy players' speed and skills under pressure.”

The Oriam Sports Performance Centre 

A laudable idea, and something worth trying, which the Union will do at a series of trial games at Oriam, the Scottish Sports Performance Centre on the Heriot-Watt University Campus at Currie, on Wednesday, 18 October. There are a total of 16 law adaptions to be trialled. These are:

1. Each game will last 40-minutes – (2 x 20 minute halves): each team will have a 26-man squad, with the players restricted to a total of 90 minutes individual playing time over the course of the tournament – that is, no player can play more than two and a half games.

2. There will be no tactical substitutions before half-time – this is intended to increase the “ball in lay2 time

3. Restart kicks from half-way MUST land between the 10-metres and 22-metres lines – this is intended to develop aerial skills in challenging for possession.

4. Restarts from the 22-metre line must land in the kicking team's own half – again with the intention of developing aerial skills in challenging for possession.

5. All conversions must (as in Sevens) be drop kicks, while the side conceding the try need not retire to behind their posts – again, this is to increase ball-in-play time and intensity.

6. Drop goal attempts from open play will be banned – again, with the aim of increasing ball-in-play time and intensity.

7. The options of a kick at goal, or taking a scrum at a penalty or free kick is banned – again, with the aim of increasing ball-in-play time and intensity.

8. Players will not be allowed to kick the ball straight out of play, other than at a full penalty – this is intended to increase ball-in-play time, promote counter-attacking, and promote kicking into space. If a kick does go straight out, the opposition will be awarded a free-kick from where the kick out of play was taken.

9. The team having the throw-in at a line-out will have 30-seconds to take the throw – again, the rationale is increase ball-in-play time and intensity. Failure to do this will be punished by the opposition having a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

10. Pre-line-out “huddles” or “pre-calling” is banned. This is to encourage the development of “adaptive line-out calling” and “defensive options”. Again, failure to do this will lead to a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

11. Teams will be limited to ONE driving maul from a line-out per half. This will hopefully promote delivery off the top and play off ten. Again, if a team goes for a second driving maul in any half, they will concede a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

12. The teams will have 30-seconds in which to set-up a scrum after an infringement. Any team failing to be ready in this time will concede a free-kick.

13. There will be ZERO TOLERANCE of scrum infringements – and NO RESETS. This will – hopefully – promote individual scrum technique (correct body positions/effective binding/staying square). Not adhering to these principles will result in a free-kick, with repeated infringements leading to penalties and yellow cards.

14. There will be no direct coaching intervention during play, by either coaches, media or water-carriers. This is to promote adaptive play and decision-making under pressure.

15. Only the team physio and water-carriers will be allowed in the technical areas. This is, again, aimed at promoting adaptive play and decision-making under pressure.

16. Yellow card “sin bin” time will be cut to eight minutes – again, to promote positive play.

There is much to applaud in these proposals, and after this, it's another nail in the coffin of the SRU's image of “Aye Beenism” and resistance to change. Hopefully a few other Unions will turn-up to see how these changes work. However, I hae ma doots about one or two of the proposals. Let's start with the obvious one – the reduction in yellow card sanction time from ten minutes to eight. Surely, if you are trying to promote POSITIVE play, then the sanctions for NEGATIVE play ought to be higher? Mind you, with the reduced game time, maybe, in the instance of this potentially one-off tournament, the reduction makes sense.

I love the sanctions for those absurd pre-line-out “huddles” - bring that one straight into normal play say I. Ditto, the 30-seconds to set-up a scrum or line-out rulings; make this happen across the board.

Scrum penalties – well, that has become a hardy annual. Not sure about the suggestions here, but, let's suck it and see. One change I would make to scrums is to ban holding the ball at the number eight's feet and driving – outside the five-metre zone. The push-over try should be maintained, but, holding and pushing just to win a penalty – no, outlaw that.

Any ideas which increase ball-in-play time are to be encouraged. Who knows, if these suggestions work in this one-off tournament next month, we might, in time, see some of them brought into general use.

 John Jeffrey, should attend, he might get some fresh ideas for World Rugby to mull over

One hopes John Jeffrey - "the White Shark" and Chairman of World Rugby's Rugby Committee, that's the one that oversees the rules, is on a three-line whip to attend; so he might have some fresh ideas to take back to his fellow committee members.