Morning team. Bit of a short one today as I had to travel to Canberra last night and then had to do a presentation for the boss when I got there. I also had to do my Smart Rugby and season ready referee training so not a lot of time. Remember from midday the weekend gets closer.
World Rugby Boss says Red Cards are protecting players
World Rugby boss, Alan Gilpin, said that while he has sympathy for players being sanctioned for contact made in a split second decision, and that he is mindful of the need to preserve elements of the contest and spectacle in rugby, he stressed that the crackdown on red cards would not be stopping until behaviours changed. Where red cards were once very rare, referees have been instructed to use the red card as a blunt tool to force players and coaches to change behaviours around upright tackles and dangerous head contact that frequently leads to concussion.
In a blow to the whiny sooks here, especially certain coaches and commentators, he said the global rollout of the 20 minute red card replacement would depend on whether the sanction is enough to deterrent to drive the number of red cards down in the SH trials this year. I’d say a big fat NO on that one and I certainly wouldn’t hold my breath for it to be adopted outside of the Super Rugby or maybe the Mitre 10 Cup in NZ.
This is obviously a passionate subject for me and I am 100% behind the move and I think RA needs to do more to get coaches and players behind the change of behaviour. It shits me a bit when you get players like McReight – who I really like by the way – saying “We just have to learn and get used to the new rules” NEW RULES! WTF! Not sure where he’s been for the last two years but these rules aren’t new, they are two seasons old and players at this level should be all over them. This is not a sudden crackdown and I have no sympathy for players and coaches seemingly too stupid to make the transition.
Wallaroos embracing Test Queensland return with Japan and Fiji Tri-series
RA has announced fixtures for the Wallaroos against both Fiji and Japan as they prepare for the W RWC. This comes after a looooong two year drought with COVID derailing their preparations for this year’s RWC in NZ.
Captain Grace Hamilton is really looking forward to this saying “The more time and effort you put into getting a team together, the better they get and that’s got to be huge for us leading into a World Cup program.”
For new coach Jay Tregonning it will mark his first game in charge since taking over at the end of last year. He noted that with the Drua steaming ahead in the Super W games they will prove to be a big threat to the team. “They’re looking to play a Fiji (men’s) style of game and have been outstanding to watch.” he said. “Having the opportunity to play Japan ( two styles of rugby) it’s going to aid in our preparations heading into the PacFour and World Cup”.
Really happy for the girls and looking forward to seeing how they develop going forward. I must admit after watching the NZ girls get smashed in the NH at the end of last year and the W 6 Nations I think both our girls will struggle a bit.
Rennie forecasts a style change from England in the upcoming series
Dave Rennie, after vowing that he will not get involved in the normal mind games with Jones, seems to have forgotten that as he shoots the first shot across the bows questioning whether England will change their style of play for the three game test series in July.
Jones is no doubt feeling the pressure after two successive poor 6 Nation campaigns, even after the RFU issuing a public statement supporting him through to the end of the RWC. Despite an 8-0 success rate against Australia in recent times the tour will have a lot of meaning for both sides.
Rennie did manage to side step most of the media questions on the head to head jousting with Jones but did pose a question about whether England would make a tactical shift in preparation for the RWC. “He’s got massive experience, he’s the most experienced coach in world rugby isn’t he?” Rennie said “So he’s a smart man, and they’re a team that is really well resourced. It’ll be interesting to see if they change the way they play, but what they’re very good at is trying to dominate the game at the right end of the field and apply pressure through that.”
When pressed Rennie noted there is not a lot of time to make a difference but if they do have a plan then maybe this tour is a good place to launch it.
I’m really looking forward to this series. I think that a rested Wallabies against a tired England could be a good match up and it will certainly be a good time to send a message.
Planning to be at the Brisbane game with a few of the team from here so bring it on.
More head cases, less action
A great article in Planet Rugby has been severely criticising the way tackles are made and the judiciary handles them in the SH. Now while I usually treat most things up north with the derision that it deserves I am actually behind this one.
World Rugby has driven much that is good about research into head injuries in rugby, even if slowly at times and with a measured reluctance to look at liability.
But certainly in most leagues, the guidelines around poor tackle technique are biting, with red cards being flourished and suspensions serving as a warning to those who transgress, while referees are generally quite clear about what is down to poor tackling and what is down to simple rugby actions going a bit awry.
Yet the tackle technique and its enforcement in Super Rugby Pacific continues to be poor. Five red cards this weekend past, none of which could be even vaguely mitigated, point to an outdated attitude to tackle technique, while the downgrading of Tom Banks’ red card by the beaks is nothing beyond extraordinary.
World Rugby has little power to intervene in the administrations of tournaments and unions, but in this case, with a clear medical grounding for intervention on the basis of player safety, we’d very much appreciate a little guidance from the game’s governing body to a tournament and disciplinary seeming remarkably lax about addressing one of the game’s most pressing issues.
Not sorry about two posts on the same thing. I was actually intending to have a long run up and complain avidly about the stupidity of the coaches, commentators, players, administration and judiciary but I’ll leave this here and maybe do that for one Tuesday.
