There I was, after week one of the newly minted Super 14, drinking the kool-aid for the new interpretations at the tackle-breakdown-ruck, as the end-product seemed to moving in the right direction, and such may indeed be the reality as the fullness of the rugby season unfolds, as these continue to bed down in the rugby player’s and referee’s psyche, however, after week two of this year’s “Shuper” festivities, I am beginning to think that those in the Ivory Towers of decision-making may have taken the interpretations to the another extreme, at the other end of the 2009 model!
Let me explain…
Throughout last year’s rugby reality, the complaint was that the interpretation in the breakdown was so contentious, unreliable, and prone to breaking down, that for the team in possession, it was a much safer bet that, in contradistinction to picking up the ball and running with it, Webb Ellis style, befitting the ethos of the game, teams were inclined to kick away the ball, as it was too much of a lottery to get tackled with ball-in-hand, leaving it up to the lotteries commission… a.k.a., the Jeff and any other Ref!
On reflection, this is probably a fair analysis of the facts of that rugby year, and many believed that the rugby suffered, as it seemed to encourage negative play, and made a defensive mindset a winning strategy. This was certainly an issue, and needed to be thought through by those in the know, and a plan to move the emphasis of the tackle interpretations that would encourage the team more favourably with ball-in-hand, was indeed a positive proposal… in theory, anyway! However, in what I have viewed to date, and it must be said, it is very early on, it does seem that now the opposite problem is transpiring, which is now that it is nigh on impossible to contest the ball at the breakdown and turn the ball over, as the referee’s are allowing little competition at the breakdown!
I am Jonny King’s contention is that this is a problem, as one of the foundational aspects in a rugby contest and context, is that there is a battle, a contest, a struggle for position in each of the differing phases of the game, and to date, in the tackle context, such a contest has been banished, with the defense having to wait their turn or prey on a mistake, to re-gain possession. I recently read that Phil Waugh has made some reverberations about this matter after this very weekend, and in this example, I believe he has a point (very exceptional, indeed)!
Take the Crusaders vs Reds match… In the second half, at one point, possession was 91% to 9% in favour of the Reds. Now the reason why this was so was that the Crusaders kept turning over the ball with a multitude of dropped ball, which was entirely their fault. However, when they lost such possession, the stats affirm that it was nigh on impossible to get it back, as the Reds made very few errors. While we want to have rules that encourage the team with the ball in hand to play rugby, I don’t believe we can take it to the level where they are given such an advantage that the opposition become merely tackle bags. The incentive for the defense to be able to make a positive play for possession must still be practically available, and this is where I think the interpretations, need a little further adjusting!
Therefore, the result of all this is what was a contest that unduly favoured the defense, now has the exact opposite impact, as teams who don’t make mistakes, seem to have free rein with the pill. If rugby is going to continue to be a game that is a contest in all aspects of the interactive interaction, then the interpretations, or the players and referee’s understanding of how to play under these rules, needs to mature, as the present context of play is not tracking in the right direction.
Consider the Chiefs vs the Lions, the Bull vs the Brumbies, and even the Crusaders vs the Reds, taking note of the scores, which I think are a corollary impact coming from these interpretations, with the Chiefs vs the Lions fixture, a modern day rugby parody, which does nothing for us come the Internationals! While the home fans won’t mind viewing their teams doing the business, I, for one, want to see a contest, and the breakdown is the one area in the game of rugby that we see the most of in a match, which means that this area plays a pivotal role in the outworking of the said game, more than any other aspect, which makes a proper implementation all the more important!
Time will be telling, and things may settle down, but such is very much future!
Now, we wait for next rugby weekend… I wonder if I will have this issue after a fine return to form by the Saders?!
I think we all know the answer!
It’s Been Special
I am Jonny King
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