Give me one way you would improve rugby union?

[stevenp]

Your sensible ideas please!

This one has got me stumped.

Make a try worth double what a kick between the posts is worth?

Tried are far more interesting to watch than kicks between the post are.

Your ideas please!

 

[AlRums]

Get rid of lifting at the lineout, and properly policing the not straight put in at the scrum.

 

[dullonien]

I like the idea of only injury enforced replacements as a way to reduce player size, but worry there could be a couple of 'unforseen' consequences, namely:

1. Faked injuries - either enforced layoff periods, independent doctors, and/or hefty fines could solve that issue.

2. Reduction in the variety of ways to play thr game. It might force all sides to approach the game in a similar way - lean, fit players ala rugby league.

Edit. Actually, there's one other change I want to see first. Ban the caterpillar ruck which provides too much time and space for the SH to box kick. The aerial game has become too much of a factor in modern rugby, and but for a few exceptional exceptions (Kolbe etc.) is killing opportunities for small backs to succeed in the sport.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

if you commit a penalty you have to play Russian roulette.

If the trainer comes onto the pitch for you, you have to play Russian roulette.

New gun every three shots.

 

[AlRums]

if you commit a penalty you have to play Russian roulette.

If the trainer comes onto the pitch for you, you have to play Russian roulette.

New gun every three shots.

Bring a new meaning to a red card, claret all over the pitch

 

[Kiwiwomble]

enforce the black and white laws we have (straight feeds into the scrum)....but basically let a lot of other things go, or at most more free kicks and less penalties, no i dont believe you truly know why half of scrums go down, give a free kick and play on

 

[Ddanno]

Scrum feeds, caterpillars and mauls all need tightening up, but there's nothing too egregious atm.

Hate the 20m red card but seems like it's here to stay, so may as well live with it.

 

[Derpus]

I hate mauls. The idea of legal obstruction is antithetical to the rest of the game which promotes a contest for the ball. You can't compete for the ball in a maul.

Other maul related issues:

1. they are nearly impossible to execute legally meaning they result in a penalty far too often,
2. given the above, they are inconsistently reffed and the ref will almost always favour the attacking side,
3. they can result in a penalty try and a yellow card simply by virtue of one team being better at them than the other rather than some kind of egregious foul play,
4. they are very difficult to defend on the line meaning they are almost always the statistically correct attacking decision which makes the game boring and predictable,
5. worst of all - they are boring to watch.

End the maul.

Edit: Also its stupid that a player held up in a tackle but with forward momentum is required to turn it over if it goes to ground legally. It should be a scrum to the team in possession if they were moving forward.

 

[Ddanno]

I think mauls can work, and they're a part of the game, but right now it's borderline impossible to defend one legally. Needs a rethink imo

 

[Derpus]

Scrum feeds, caterpillars and mauls all need tightening up, but there's nothing too egregious atm.

Hate the 20m red card but seems like it's here to stay, so may as well live with it.

Interested as to why? Not a sufficient deterrence?

I think its a good compromise between the interests of paying viewers and player safety.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

my preference re mauls is to allow the defending team to sack them, if the defending team wants to risk having a couple of people on the ground and if the attacking team can stay on their feet then have at it, the attacking team also has to really work to stay on their feet and connected

 

[Ddanno]

Interested as to why? Not a sufficient deterrence?

I think its a good compromise between the interests of paying viewers and player safety.

Yep, and coupled with the bunker it feels like it's led to a deterioration in reffing.

Completely understand speeding the game up and not "ruining" matches with 3rd minute reds (hello Charlie Ewels) but it's like everyone is getting to pass the buck and doesn't want to make a decision.

 

[Weldit]

Introduce a weight limit to stop the gym trolls from taking over, increasing the risk of injury and pushing the entry requirements to play the sport too high.

 

[Yulia]

Introduce a weight limit to stop the gym trolls from taking over, increasing the risk of injury and pushing the entry requirements to play the sport too high.

Just out of curiosity (not sure I support this idea) : what will be a weight limit in such a case?
Also loved this expression "gym trolls"

 

[Derpus]

85 - 90kgs. Would certainly limit the effectiveness of South African's flagrant doping program.




Sorry I meant 'braai's'.

 

[Weldit]

Just out of curiosity (not sure I support this idea) : what will be a weight limit in such a case?
Also loved this expression "gym trolls"

That'll be for someone in the know to work out. I just think its gotten out of hand. I get things change, but when you look at the average rugby player now it's kind of ridiculous. It's no wonder injuries etc have increased.

Also, as Derpus hints, you don't get to that size from just push ups and Apple juice.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Make the whole game amateur

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

my preference re mauls is to allow the defending team to sack them, if the defending team wants to risk having a couple of people on the ground and if the attacking team can stay on their feet then have at it, the attacking team also has to really work to stay on their feet and connected

Great call.

High on my agenda would be proper rucking, straight feeds and the ball having to go backwards from point of release.

But the one I'd really do away with is a team getting the line out after kicking a penalty to touch. It's double punishment - get the ball or the territory but not both….unless perhaps it follows a card. Would also then largely do away with the tedious as **** 5m line out and maul which is virtually indefensible if done semi competently.

 

[ncurd]

I've said it many time before

1. Downgrade 99% of scrum penalties to free kicks
2. Free Kicks given from a Scrum can't be taken as Scrum

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Oh, the other thing is to take a really hard line on collapsing scrums. Treat them as serious foul play with automatic cards and they'll virtually disappear in the way that taking a man out in the air has drastically reduced. It's really only by the grace of god that more people haven't been badly hurt and I don't really want to wait until we see a case of paralysis. We seem astonishingly, almost negligently, relaxed about hundreds of kilos of force going through prone necks and backs. Especially when TMOs agonise over millimetres trying to fathom out whether a tackle is legal or not.

Might be a bit of a lottery to begin with, well diddums. Put the onus right on the players. Scrums should be a great feature of our game, but can, and should, be forced to stay up.