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'Asleep at the wheel' - UK rugby journalist takes aim at World Rugby over letting the game descend into 'tedious kick-fest'
UK rugby journalist Stephen Jones is well known for his controversial takes on the modern game, and his latest remarks are no different.
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In a column for The Sunday Times, Jones took aim at World Rugby for being “asleep at the wheel” as he believes the sport has become a “tedious kick-fest.” He also suggested that stadiums introduce dispensers both for hand sanitiser, but also for spectators who need “the best embrocation for pains in the neck.”
Jones also took to Twitter on Sunday to express his frustrations further, seemingly demanding that World Rugby meet this week to discuss the “miserably bad” state of the game.
World Rugby must meet this week. Test rugby has become a Desperate arena of cannonade kicking dull mini rucks and skill free ‘attacking’. Miserably bad
— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) November 29, 2020
In Jones column, he wrote that the code can no longer be considered a display of ball handling and skill, as it has become ‘ghastly aerial ping-pong’ where ‘no one can be bothered’ to take the ball through phases.
“What was once known as the handling code has become a ghastly aerial ping-pong, and the strain on the neck muscles of followers as they crane to follow the ball has become intense,” he wrote
“There was a time when teams went through endless phases, which was not exactly easy on the eye either, but now no one can be bothered to take the ball through many phases at all.’’
Following weeks of test matches dominated by kicking in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, it’d be hard to argue that Jones’ comments don’t have any merit.
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Kicking dominated Saturday’s test between Wales and England, which left fans frustrated and bored. Instead, playing without the ball seems to be a go-to option for most teams.
While the All Blacks and the Wallabies kick plenty of ball away as they fight to win the territory battle, Argentina are arguably the best example of playing without the ball. While kicking often isn’t new to the Pumas style of play, it’s clearly beginning to work as rugby continues to evolve.
After the All Blacks historic loss to the Pumas in Sydney, and in the leadup to the Wallabies match against Argentina in Newcastle, coach Dave Rennie said that the “Pumas are happy to play without the ball.”
He added that “they really dominated the kicking stats last week, which was surprising, so the All Blacks held on to a lot of ball and made errors and got punished.”
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Even take the ‘rematch’ between the All Blacks and Pumas in Newcastle last weekend where the men in black kicked to earn the right to attack. Playmakers Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett were constantly putting chip kicks in-behind their opponents defence, contestable bombs, or simply just trying to relieve pressure.
It’s then unsurprising to see rugby fans side with Jones, with many offering up solutions on how to fix the 15-man code.
Kane Palma-Newport, who is an English player playing in France’s Pro D2 for US Colomiers, suggested two changes that would “make people contest more” which would then create “more space elsewhere.” Another fan also suggested that fewer substitutes might be the answer.
Two ways to change rugby for the better;
When a team knocks on, they have to allow the other team to get it and play it. They can’t kill it.
Rule two, if teams don’t compete at the line outs, the throw can be not straight! Make people contest more. More space else where.— Kane Palma-Newport (@kanokano123) November 29, 2020
The stat that the teams who kicks the most, win the most was the saddest I’d ever heard.
— Paul Clifton Photography (@paul_clifton) November 29, 2020
Fewer subs. Attrition used to be part of the game, especially upfront. Worked to dominate opponent and then enjoy the spoils. Now he subbed off. Also fewer subs/more attrition would change the power/skill balance, reduce impact of hits and improve player welfare. My two cents.
— pat younge (@tcmbigcheese) November 29, 2020
Also players must bind when joining ruck. No “torpedoes” at ruck and penalise anyone taking out players beyond the breakdown.
— Ian Wilson (@wilsoib) November 29, 2020
1. 5 replacements : 3 front row plus any two others
2. Box kicking in 22 only
3. Remove reverence given to jackals by making would be jackaler take one step beyond the ball before being allowed to handle it.
4. Stop clock as soon as scrum is awarded, restart on ‘Set’.
Others?— huw lewis (@huwlewis2) November 29, 2020
Treat kicks to touch from a pen as a free kick rather than a way to march up the field.
Make sure referees understand it’s only a penalty if the player on the deck is holding on, not that the jackaler is just lying on top of it
22 dropout instead of scrum 5
D mark anywhere
— Ged Hall (@GedHall5) November 29, 2020
Tackled player must release the ball immeadiately. No jackling. Must drive the opposition off the ball
— GavinAllinson (@GavinAllinson) November 29, 2020
Referees applying the laws of the game correctly, stop the clock prior to a scrum being set, end the caterpillar ruck, box kicks only in your own 22. Real basic elements without major tinkering as starters for ten.
— Matthew Driver (@matthewdriver07) November 29, 2020
The only way is to get rid of the rush defence. Not sure how that is going to happen though unless they make the offside line a couple of metres behind the ruck. But that would be hard to police too.
— Scotty P (@ScottyP6849) November 29, 2020
What about every kick in open play (ie. not free kicks or pens) from outside your 22 that lands in the opposition’s half can be marked?
— Craig OD (@craig_od) November 29, 2020
Really not enjoying watching test rugby as are a load of friends. Few ideas stop bringing on’ finishers’ not helping at all, if catching the ball from a kick in your own half the mark rules are in place, 10m offside rule from scrums or lineouts anytime.
— Gareth Wynne- Morgan (@GarethMorgan18) November 29, 2020
Ban box kicking from rucks, unless within the 22. Better reffing of Rucks to make them more competitive – players are constantly sealing off and coming in at the side to protect own ball & its not often picked up.
— Paul Shipton (@Shippo17) November 29, 2020
They need to clamp down on the 5 second rule at ruck time,ban the caterpillar ruck as it’s basically obstruction and limit kicking to say 4 kicks per half for each team,therefore making them play the rest of the half when they have used their kicks up!!#ActNowIRB
— Michael Scott (@michael79109584) November 29, 2020
If any change comes from Jones’ Tweet or the reaction that followed is a waiting game, but the facts of it don’t lie in saying that there’s definitely some merit in looking into it.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, never thought I would read that
1 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to comments