Da Grappla
Academy Player
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
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The Guardian are liberals, aren't they?
While I wouldn't like to see it go as far as American football or Ice Hockey, I think rugby must look at some form of rolling substitutions in the interest of player safety. We need independent doctors passing players to return and if it takes longer than 5 minutes, as it should, so be it. The long term health of players like Brian O'Driscoll and George Smith is far more important than the result of one game."The idea of having a time limit is morally wrong. It's more important to diagnose correctly than diagnose quickly.
"In this part of the world there's a tradition of limited substitutions, unlike back home where in a sport like American football they're unlimited.
Tradition is a terrible reason to give people avoidable brain damage."
How to deal with concussion is a huge problem in rugby. While the iRB's return to play protocol was well intentioned, it's not working. Just look at George Smith and Brian O'Driscoll returning to plays in the Lions series and against France in the 6 Nations for clear examples of this.
I found the article at this link a good read:
http://www.thescore.ie/brain-injury-and-sport-conference-nowinski-rugby-1220561-Dec2013/
While I wouldn't like to see it go as far as American football or Ice Hockey, I think rugby must look at some form of rolling substitutions in the interest of player safety. We need independent doctors passing players to return and if it takes longer than 5 minutes, as it should, so be it. The long term health of players like Brian O'Driscoll and George Smith is far more important than the result of one game.
Another good read on the subject:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/using-the-head-137010.html
I think that's a good solution. In my opinion we should go to 24 man squads at the pro level with around 15 interchanges allowed. In essence that's 9 subs of whom 6 can be replaced again. It gives players a breather when required for fatigue or to properly assess them for injuries.Perhaps something similar to how League uses the Interchange bench, I would recommend adding concussion like symptoms to the blood sub rule but unfortunately some arsehole would probably take advantage of that tactically aka Bloodgate a few years back.
I think that's a good solution. In my opinion we should go to 24 man squads at the pro level with around 15 interchanges allowed. In essence that's 9 subs of whom 6 can be replaced again. It gives players a breather when required for fatigue or to properly assess them for injuries.
On the concussion issue, it is definately a concern for rugby, but sports in bigger trouble are Gridiron and Ice Hockey, where it is becoming a near plague on the sport. I'm really not sure how much they can do, if Gridiron went back to more tackling rather than just hitting it would be a start. When I was a kid guys still tackled now everyone lines up for the huge hit it's like car accidents out there.
Even baseball is making changes to the rules governing plays at home plate where collisions were allowed between Catchers and runners, that is now changing and no longer will be allowed, partially due to avoidance of concussions(amongst other injuries).
I really don't know what Rugby can do other than getting stricter on high tackles, and tackles in the air. Or getting stricter on this...HAHAHA Chabal only gets a yellow for knocking a guy out.....
IMO, you just suffered a concussion, you're out. You'll be back at the next match and that's it.In life, there are more week matches than sweet scratches.And please, let me ask about the spear or dump tackle. From what I know, you can't lift an opposing player and wheeling his body breaking down the parallel line with the ground. Am I wrong?The dump tackle I guess is opening your grip and let the gravity does its work. Could be it?Are there more forbidden tackles in rugby?