Hey Cobbers
Some may remember there was a fair to middlingly successful pub-rocker in the late 80s and 90s called Johnny Diesel. He had a pub-rock hit from 1989 entitled ‘Crying Shame’. It’s opening line is ‘Pickin’ up the pieces up off the floor’. And indeed part of me wants to do just that in the aftermath of the Fiji game: pick up the pieces and sift through the debris. But enough others are doing that for now. I’ll keep my powder dry for another day.
Instead, an interesting question arose last week when folk saw South Africa’s finest glorified chief waterboy Rassie Erasmus using lights in the coaching box to communicate with his players on-field. Many ranted and raved while others passed it off as passe. However the core question went unanswered: May a coach communicate, even electronically, with those on-field? It prompted some good chat, so I decided to do a bit of research.
Apparently, the trouble with electronic communications started in 1996 when the Jaapies themselves (surprised?) toured France. Marcel Martin of Biarritz (an iRB bureaucrat), formally complained to the iRB (as World Rugby was then) after the first test that the Springbok coaching staff had been in touch with their medics near the field – the doctor and the fitness trainer – to relay instructions to the team. Everyone was suitably aghast. But nothing could really be done about it because it was not explicitly against the Laws. Interestingly, by the second Test the Frogs were similarly mic’d up and shortly afterwards so was everyone else.
Then the issue became a sotto voce hot item again in the 2003 World Cup, where there was tacit acknowledgement aroundabouts that Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson were communicating throughout the tournament via something in Johnson’s possession (apparently/allegedly it was in his headgear). But nothing was ever conclusively proven or admitted so it was, possibly, a furphy.
Then there was also rumour around the traps in the late 2000s that the Wobbs were listening closely to the referee mics to pick apart opponents lineout codes. Apparently the Saffas formally complained to the iRB about it (heaven forfend!). But given the refs’ comments were generally seen as public knowledge, and were indeed even piped into tv coverage at times, it wasn’t seen as breaching any sort of quasi-privileged, onfield communications or similar.
But what does the Law say about coaches communicating with players?
Law 4.4.H says a player must not wear communications devices within their clothing, equipment or attached to the body. So that means two things: that the powers-that-be don’t want coaches talking to players and that a head-gear device (al a allegedly Johnson) or similar are explicitly illegal. And the ref via Laws 4.5 & 4.6 could deal with something like that (if they were wise to it). But a ‘talking water bottle’ or even just a straight up walky-talky carried by a waterboy are not explicitly outlawed, but are clearly against the intent of the law given 4.4H makes it obvious there are to be no such communications by any shenanigans.
Ok, so no direct comms. But what about the messengers facilitating the communications?
Law 6.28 makes it clear the only people who may enter the playing area are appropriately trained and accredited first-aiders and similar such first responder types. And they may only do so to render assistance – not to be a medium for coach/player chat. And law 6.28.B is clear they may only carry and provide water to a player under treatment. But there is no restriction on them carrying anything else, such as a walky-talky, although clearly the intent is to use it for medical/treatment communication purposes only.
Then Law 6.29.A.5 says a ‘waterboy’ cannot be a coach and law 6.29.C is explicit that a coach may only enter the playing area at halftime. What is the playing area? Law 1: The Playing Area is the field of play and the in-goal areas (as shown on the field plan). The touch-lines, touch-in-goal lines and dead ball lines are not part of the playing area.
So by my reading, a coach communicating directly with a player/s, even via the not-outlawed walky-talky, is outlawed by natural reading of 6.29.C as otherwise they are effectively entering the playing area. My logic? Coaches exist to communicate. They do not do anything physical (the domain of the players). Rather they develop gameplans, select players, coordinate groups, explain tactics and espouse motivational stories. In short, they talk. So if their primary function is to communicate, then exercising that primary function on the field of play is what is prohibited. Whether any communication arrived onfield by vocal projection (yelling), electronic means (walky-talky) or mental telepathy, the coach is for all effective purposes exercising their function ‘on field’ which is what is expressly verboten.
That said, pragmatically, a coach could arguably stand next to the hooker at a line-out and yell if the referee does not intervene (as above).
I guess it comes down to how the ref, as sole judge of fact and law under Law 6.5.A, interprets 6.29.C and what constitutes ‘entering’ the playing area.
As usual, the ref has the wriggle room to do as they see fit. How do you see it?
Around the camp fires…
While the rest of the world watches those with fashionista selected tracksuits detrain from luxury coaches in the shadows of grey concrete stadiums that charge far too much for tickets and beers in far off places, the true heart and soul of rugby continues to beat at the grassroots. And so in keeping that faith I’ll list some more finals results over the weekend gone:
Over in the South Australian competition, the Premier (1st grade) grand final saw Burnside defeat Brighton 43-21 to take the big show. In the reserves, Barossa Rams held out a gallant fight back from Old Collegians to win by 30-26. In the women’s, undefeated minor premiers Souths continued their fine form and outplayed the Woody Wasps by 36-10. But match of the day went to the early starters in the Thirsties, where Barossa got their day off to a cracking start with a 27-25 win over Brighton that went down to very the dying moments of overtime. Leading 27-20 in the 80th minute, poor Barossa discipline gifted the Brighton lads a last-chance penalty 5 metres off the Barossa tryline. And following some slick hands, Brighton No6 Dan Suliman (?) crashed over to make the score 27-25 conversion pending. But the fairytale ended without a 2nd overtime as Brighton No9 Grant Murdoch missed with the sauce-squirt from out wide and the ref called stumps. Ce sera sera.
And while on the subject, a big shout out to the lads and lasses of the New England Rugby Union who played out their Big Dance Day on 9th September at Bellevue Oval at UNE Armidale . And it must be noted it was a huge day for the St Albert’s club who saw all four teams make their respective grand finals. First grade saw Albies defeat Armidale Blues 29-14 while in the women’s, it was again Albies knocking over the BaaBets 51-31. In reserves, Glen Innes Elks drank the wine by 46-14 while in Thirsties, the Tamworth Maggies stole the choccies from the Albies 14-10.
And to close out today, the weekend just gone also saw grand finals play out in the Central North Rugby Union zone wherein Moree Bulls had a grand day out, defeating Tamworth Pirates by 28-17 in first grade and 17-7 in the reserves. While in the women’s, the Narrabri Blue Boars beat the Gunnedah Red Devils 26-12.
Well that’s enough for one day. I am still in shock over the Fiji game and I need a nap. Comments welcome below.
