What has happen to releasing the tackler?

[fatprop]

Last year we had clear instructions from the refs that the tackler(s) had to release

This year it seems to be returning to the days of old.

As such, their are plenty of turnovers, slower recycling and less tries.

Thoughts?

 

[chequebalance]

It has been overtaken by 'ball played on the ground' if you watched the Reds v Lions game. Seems the ref's can only watch 1 part of the breakdown at a time.

 

[cyclopath]

Last year we had clear instructions from the refs that the tackler(s) had to release

This year it seems to be returning to the days of old.

As such, their are plenty of turnovers, slower recycling and less tries.

Thoughts?

There has been quite some variability from game to game (and thus ref to ref) in this regard. The response from some teams is to have more aggressive clean outs, which results in more Exocet missiles going off their feet, which is not really a great thing either. Teams just have to work out early what each ref is doing, and adjust accordingly. Under-committing at the breakdown in attack will be risky.

 

[Slim 293]

The breakdown seems to be getting dominated by teams that commit numbers to the breakdown and flop all over the ruck...

 

[Scotty]

Last year we had clear instructions from the refs that the tackler(s) had to release

This year it seems to be returning to the days of old.

As such, their are plenty of turnovers, slower recycling and less tries.

Thoughts?

I mentioned this after round 2, then a round later a presser came out saying they were going to look at it again, which lasted for a week, and now it is back to the same as round 1 or 2009. Very strange.

 

[Richard D. James]

Yep, it boggles the mind. The 2010 interpretations were almost universally loved, even by the stodgy old NH unions. The Rugby was better, the crowds were happier.

Why does the IRB feel the need to tinker with this stuff all the time? It's almost a pathological need to modify the laws to make them feel important....

pisses me off.

 

[Ash]

I'm hoping that the Reds / Lions game was just a particularly bad outlier. There was one part of the game where the Lions loosehead made a tackle, then actually rolled onto the ball on his hands and knees to block it coming out (quite evident in the replay, and right in front of the ref), and Munro proceeded to give a penalty for the Reds player not releasing. It was quite jaw dropping, Munro not caring what tacklers did for most of the game.

Anyway, I think the refs have been cracking down on the tackler releasing more as the season goes on. In the first few games I think it was a bit worse. I am hoping that the refs bodies give an edict to target the tackler(s) more - but who knows.

 

[Slim 293]

I'm hoping that the Reds / Lions game was just a particularly bad outlier. There was one part of the game where the Lions loosehead made a tackle, then actually rolled onto the ball on his hands and knees to block it coming out (quite evident in the replay, and right in front of the ref), and Munro proceeded to give a penalty for the Reds player not releasing. It was quite jaw dropping, Munro not caring what tacklers did for most of the game.

Anyway, I think the refs have been cracking down on the tackler releasing more as the season goes on. In the first few games I think it was a bit worse. I am hoping that the refs bodies give an edict to target the tackler(s) more - but who knows.

There's been a lot of that...

I nearly had an aneurysum when the Brumbies played the Reds and A Fainga'a got away with doing a belly flop right onto the ruck 5m out from the line... particularly after the Brumbies' had been getting pinged for everything...

 

[waratahjesus]

Yep, it boggles the mind. The 2010 interpretations were almost universally loved, even by the stodgy old NH unions. The Rugby was better, the crowds were happier.

Why does the IRB feel the need to tinker with this stuff all the time? It's almost a pathological need to modify the laws to make them feel important....



pisses me off.

With all due respect if the IRB didn't tinker with it, you wouldn't have got the interpretation you liked, so it's a bit half a dozen of one 6 of the other

 

[Scotty]

And I'm not actually sure that the IRB has actually tinkered it back, but just the refs seem to have forgot what they are meant to be looking at.

 

[waratahjesus]

I think the most important thing with the rules fir this year at least is that they stay consistent through now to the world cup. If it's open rugby or not, consistency would make the most exciting change for me.