SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 2023 General Chat

[LeCheese]

The latter I believe.

If the referee is confident that an act of foul play is at least a yellow card then they just issue the yellow card and the game moves on. The TMO then has 10 minutes to work out whether it should be a red card or not.

It'll be interesting to see whether this does significantly reduce time spent in review - obviously there will be clearcut cases of 'at least a yellow card' (e.g. obvious high shots) that can be dealt with swiftly, but it's the borderline penalty/yellows that seem to occur more frequently and have quite a lengthy deliberation.

Definitely a good move, regardless.

 

[Doritos Day]

Perhaps one for the team threads but don't want to turn it into a shitfight.

Curious as to who people think will have a better season out of the Rebels and Force? I feel like Twiggy's Team have plugged their holes more effectively with a less raw squad so should be aiming for that 8th spot, whereas Melbourne seem to lack some depth despite their best 3-4 players being better - I think they've gone backwards?

 

[Dctarget]

Perhaps one for the team threads but don't want to turn it into a shitfight.

Curious as to who people think will have a better season out of the Rebels and Force? I feel like Twiggy's Team have plugged their holes more effectively with a less raw squad so should be aiming for that 8th spot, whereas Melbourne seem to lack some depth despite their best 3-4 players being better - I think they've gone backwards?

I agree with you, Western Force are the safer bet.

Rebels could go quite well depending on their lock depth. With Philip & Leota out our scrum (and line bending) is under powered. If Hosea can get back to form, if Canham's reported off season growth is true and our locks can deliver some engine room power then our forward pack can be a bit of a dark horse.

Adding more 'maybes' is if our halves work. Everyone's sick of hearing about Gordon's potential, time to see it come to fruition. We have some middling 9s in Sorovi, Tuttle, Louwrens. Same goes for midfield. Ripley at 13 is one for the future but probably a year or two too soon. Nu'u who had (some) potential probably has a season ending injury. Only bit of guaranteed quality is outside backs in Kellaway, Hodge and Monty Ioane. I'm naively optimistic that Monty can change an entire team (Italy certainly missed him on the weekend).

So in summation, way too many ifs and maybes and hopefullys for professional sport.

Then again, this team is a little... meh as well. Maybe a bit less shit:
1. Robertson 2. Fainga'a 3. Medrano 4. Pugh 5. Rodda 6. Antsee 7. Callan 8. Wells 9. Fines-Leleiwasa 10. Pasitoa 11. Pulu/Tiatia 12. Stewart 13. Kuenzle 14. Mataele 15. Strachan

 

[Braveheart81]

https://super.rugby/superrugby/documents/media-files/super-rugby-pacific-2023-law-modifications/

^ there are all the details on the law trials.

 

[Braveheart81]

And more detail on the foul play process

https://super.rugby/superrugby/documents/media-files/super-rugby-2023-modified-foul-play-process/

 

[LeCheese]

https://super.rugby/superrugby/documents/media-files/super-rugby-pacific-2023-law-modifications/

^ there are all the details on the law trials.

It's good to see that most of these are there to address some of the most contentious decisions in world rugby over the past 12mo.

 

[Doritos Day]

And more detail on the foul play process

https://super.rugby/superrugby/documents/media-files/super-rugby-2023-modified-foul-play-process/

If I'm reading this right, they've re-introduced a 'full' red card for Andrew Ready style deliberate actions?

Should've made it a different colour to avoid confusion, red card meaning two things is a bit confusing.

Anyways looks to be a solid suite of changes.

 

[Dan54]

While I not keen on the 9 at scrum change, do think I like the trial laws in general.

 

[Derpus]

While I not keen on the 9 at scrum change, do think I like the trial laws in general.

Why? Anything that could encourage a team to actually use a scrum as an attacking platform rather than a random penalty generator is a good thing.

 

[Dan54]

Why? Anything that could encourage a team to actually use a scrum as an attacking platform rather than a random penalty generator is a good thing.

Yep Derps, just a personal thing, these law changes may make it easier for a 9, but also your 9 doesn't probably need to be as good at clearing a ball under pressure. I like the game making players use their skill, not change them to allow for slow players etc. Also think it will gave 9s time to boxkick from behind scrums, and can see it being used 10m or so in from sideline, will be fun for blindside wingers to chase onto etc, not sure I want more box kicking etc.
As I said , only personal view, we trying to manufacture things to make it easier to attacck at the expense of skills etc. I not up in arms or anything, just a bit of disquiet.
I actually a little perterbed about the TMO having more power than the ref re the YC/RC thing, only because I always believe the ref is meant to be the sole arbitaitor of the laws of game. Like the reason for doing it just a little uncomfortable.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

This just landed on the super.rugby site:

The key changes are summarised in bullet points below:

• The referee will put a stopwatch shot clock on kickers who will have 90 seconds to kick a conversion from the time a try is awarded, and 60 seconds for penalties, from the time the referee signals a shot at goal.

• Match officials will expect lineouts and scrums to be formed within 30 seconds of the respective marks being set, and the ball to be used within 5 seconds of a ruck being formed.

• TMOs only ‘interrupt’ play to investigate serious, clear and obvious incidents of dangerous play missed by the Match Official team.

• Referees can utilise the TMO to make a Yellow Card decision, but any extended TMO video reviews will take place once the player has left the field, not before the Yellow Card is issued.

• The TMO will have 8 minutes to either uphold a 10-minute Yellow Card decision or upgrade it to a 20-minute Red Card, in which case the player will not return to the field, but can still be replaced.

• Referees will now also have the power to issue a full Red Card for deliberate foul play, in which case the player will not return to the field and cannot be replaced.

Super Rugby Pacific announces law innovations for 2023 season

super.rugby

 

[Derpus]

So the orange card everyone had been suggesting, basically.

 

[qwerty51]

I don't like the shot clock for kicks at all, it shouldn't be a specific limit rather just an onus on the referee to speed it up.

By making it a specific limit, it now allows kickers to use *all* the time rather than kick it when they're ready. I think it'll have the opposite effect really with more time wasted and players strategically using all their allocation near the end of games when otherwise they might not have. 60/90 is A LOT of time gone. Cobra effect if you get me.

The full red card is good, you had people saying players would deliberately take the oppositions best player out early on (absolute bullshit but whatever) so now they're satisfied there.

The other stuff is all good but I still don't understand why a game (or half) is allowed to end on a held up. Please get rid of the drop out for held-ups too, make it 10m tap or something, the attacking side is penalised way too much with a drop out.

 

[Wilson]

Please get rid of the drop out for held-ups too, make it 10m tap or something, the attacking side is penalised way too much with a drop out.

Nah, drop out is great - it forces the attack to use some creativity attacking the line, a 10m tap would just see hit up after hit up, knowing they could go for the exact same bludgeoning all over again if they got held up.

Also, the set up plays we're starting to see off the drop outs are excellent - see McReight's second try against the springboks:

 

[qwerty51]

Nah, drop out is great - it forces the attack to use some creativity attacking the line, a 10m tap would just see hit up after hit up, knowing they could go for the exact same bludgeoning all over again if they got held up.

This is now the new trend if you've been watching the 6N rather than taking a lineout or scrum 5m out anyway.

Maybe a 22m tap, not a 10m tap but not a drop out.

 

[Wilson]

This is now the new trend if you've been watching the 6N rather than taking a lineout or scrum 5m out anyway.

Maybe a 22m tap, not a 10m tap but not a drop out.

Sure, but the get one shot run at it before the drop out forces them right back to earn to position again, not the simple reset a 10m tap would give them.

22m tap would likely slow things down more than the drop out and not really give the attacking team much more advantage. You'd also likely just see teams tap and pass back for a drop goal attempt 30 back and straight in front, the drop out adds a bit more variability to that response with the defence given a chance to choose where the play starts up.

 

[Derpus]

The drop-out rule is pretty terrible. What reward do you get for nearly scoring a try? starting again at halfway...

 

[Wilson]

Since when do we reward nearly?

 

[Derpus]

Since when do we reward nearly?

Wasn't it previously a 5 meter scrum feed? So I'm gunna go with since whenever that rule was implemented.

But it's not really about being 'rewarded'. More that you are punished for trying to score which is dumb as hell.

 

[Wilson]

Wasn't it previously a 5 meter scrum feed? So I'm gunna go with since whenever that rule was implemented.

But it's not really about being 'rewarded'. More that you are punished for trying to score which is dumb as hell.

I don't think it's a punishment, it's a really strong setup for attacking play and if a team can't get back up to the red zone off of it I'm not sure they deserve to be there. The alternative was a mess of reset scrums on a patch of turf that was often already chewed to shit.