Wednesday’s Rugby News sees law changes, soft treatment for star players, NZ captaincy speculation and South America seen as the solution for both the injury-ravaged Tahs and certain types after VE Day 1945. Makes you think, doesn’t it.
World Rugby law changes for faster game stir conspiracy theories
The SMH reports that a range of fan friendly law changes, trials and studies were approved by the World Rugby executive this week. Following Super Rugby’s lead to eradicate kick-tennis, the Dupont law offside loophole has been shut, and the dangerous crocodile roll clean out has also been banned.
The most significant law change was World Rugby removing the option to take a scrum from a free-kick, which is designed to reduce the amount of time wasted around scrums in a game. Many scrum offences are punishable by free-kicks, meaning a string of scrums had the potential to chew up several minutes. Internet whingers and conspiracists have expressed concern about weak scrummagers seeking to exploit the law change by deliberately infringing.
“So, could a team with a struggling scrum give away a free kick at a scrum and…not have to scrum again because the opposition can’t choose to?” former England prop David Flatman said on the cesspit formerly known as Twitter. Jake White has also hosed-down the notion that the scrum change is an anti-Springbok conspiracy (really).
But senior refereeing sources, who are not permitted to comment publicly due to their employment conditions*, shot down the prospect of an effective scrum avoidance loophole, however, by pointing out a free-kick offence becomes a full-arm penalty when done twice, and that a referee can also re-pack a scrum instead of giving a free-kick. Anything seen as deliberate infringing is also a full penalty, and the context of field position and which side has scrum dominance would be taken into account, the sources said.
Other trials will look to eradicate the caterpillar ruck, allow crooked lineout throws if they’re uncontested, giving halfbacks more space at scrums by making the tunnel the offside line and formalising the ‘nudie run’ rule for teams with zero points at full time. The most interesting trial will be the use of a 30-second shot clocks for teams to set scrums and lineouts.
World Rugby also announced a new streamlined disciplinary system to address the huge inconsistencies often seen in rugby suspensions and sanctions (no!?). The trial will see two categories of automatic suspension from a red card: a two-week ban for contact that is deemed “a reckless action but has made minor errors such as in technique or timing”. The second category is an automatic four-week suspension for “aggravated foul play”, which includes a deliberate shoulder charge or a dangerous driving tackle. Suspension length can be increased from that point at a hearing, depending on severity, but the system would do away with mitigation and nonsensical reductions, however the existing policy of special treatment for even the dirtiest All Black players is expected to remain unchanged.
(*how come we hear so much from Karl then?)
Billy Vunipola given formal warning by Rugby Football Union
The Guardian reports that Billy Vunipola is free to finish the season with Saracens after escaping a suspension from the Rugby Football Union, which has instead issued the No 8 with a formal warning following his arrest in Mallorca (aka Majorca – last home of Christopher Skase).
The RFU has warned Vunipola according to its rule that governs misconduct but, having considered the forward’s contrition and “the circumstances around the incident”, the union has not seen fit to take further disciplinary action. The RFU has cited a different regulation to the time when larrikin Danny Cipriani was arrested in Jersey in 2018 (when playing for Gloucester). At the time Cipriani was found to have brought the game into disrepute by the union after he had pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest but the RFU did not impose any further sanctions. Gloucester had chosen to fine Cipriani £2,000 whereas Saracens opted only to issue Vunipola with a warning and to condemn his behaviour.
Vunipola was twice hit with a taser and arrested in Palma during a recent squad trip following a victory over Bath, then fined €240 (£205) by an express trial for resisting the law. Excellent value in the scheme of things. The 31-year-old issued a public apology and has since explained how he has a problem “knowing when to stop” drinking.
AB captaincy speculation after Sam Cane steps down
RugbyPass reports that All Blacks coach Scott ‘Shaver’ Robertson has said sweet-bugger-all on who will succeed outgoing captain Sam Cane, but has revealed there have been discussions with the playing group.
Earlier this week, New Zealand Rugby confirmed that 95-Test Cane will step away from the international game at the end of 2024 after signing a three-year deal with Japanese club Suntory Goliath. Cane, 32, is on sabbatical with the Japanese club but has decided to relocate his young family to Tokyo after being granted an early release from his deal with NZR. The Rugby World Cup winner mentioned in a statement that he’d “had my time” as captain with a new player set to lead Scott Robertson’s All Blacks against the Soap Dodgers in a blockbuster series.
But even without the leadership role, Cane faces an uphill battle of sorts to make the squad after suffering an injury with Suntory earlier in the Japanese season. Ardie Savea will likely be seen as one of the front runners to replace Cane in the role this year with the reigning World Player of the Year captaining the New Zealand multiple times in 2023.
“I don’t really have a say but last year when Sam Cane was injured, Ardie stood up in that position and he probably might be the next captain,” flanker Dalton Papali’i said on Tuesday.
Seven-time Super Rugby winner Scott Barrett is another strong contender with the lock winning those titles under the tutelage of Scott Robertson, including some as the Crusaders captain.
Argentinian prop Enrique Pieretto brought into Tahs as loan player
The SMH reports that new Argentinian prop Enrique Pieretto, having been recruited as a loan player last week from Glasgow, flew in to Sydney on Saturday. By the end of the night, days before he’d even attended a training session, Pieretto became the No.1 prop at the club.
The Waratahs have lost all 10 contracted front-rowers for the season. Cockney hard man Brick Top commented “Well, where’d they lose ’em? They ain’t a set of f*cking car keys, are they? And it ain’t as if they’re incon-f*cking-spicuous now, is it?”.
The 122kg Argentinian tight-head prop (Pieretto, not Brick Top) with 23 Test caps for the Pumas played for the Jaguares in their 2019 Super Rugby season, has been playing in the UK for the last three seasons, but was given the green light to go on loan by Glasgow after struggling to crack into the top team this year. After expecting to be bench cover, ‘The Loan Ranger’ will instead start at No.3 for the Waratahs against the Western Force on Saturday.
Playing for NSW has been the Argentinian’s goal for a while. Pieretto’s debut for the Waratahs comes five years after he agreed to terms with NSW in 2019 following the Jaguares loss in the grand final, and selection in the Pumas squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. But Rugby Australia blocked the deal in a rare divergence from acting in the best interests of the Waratahs.
Former Brumbies prop Harry Lloyd has been drafted from Brisbane club rugby this week as more depth.
