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Eddie Jones
August 15, 2009 12:00am
TRI-NATIONS Tests have become a version of rough, tough Rollerball because administrators, who must have spent too much time in the sun, are forcing a crazy law tweak upon us.
The new, harebrained law which allows the first defender, on his feet at the tackle/ruck area, to keep his hands on the ball is another example of advantaging the defending team.
The Springboks love to play without the ball so the new law is like seventh heaven to them as field position and playing off opposition mistakes rule.
This is the first law I would banish and I would instruct the referees to be as hard on attacking players as defenders who go off their feet at the tackle/ruck area.
Initially this will cause more penalties but, eventually, a game will develop where teams are able to win consistently quick ball to play rugby. Nothing else is wrong with the game.
Make the tackle/ruck area such a 50-50 contest and the game will revive. Otherwise, the rugby spectacle will be a hard sell at the 2011 World Cup.
RUGBY in Queensland has much to worry about with Melbourne almost certain to win the nod as Super rugby's 15th team.
NSW and Queensland produce about 85 per cent of the country's rugby players. Like the Western Force and ACT Brumbies, the new Melbourne team will be a recruitment-based franchise with perhaps 90 per cent of players brought in from elsewhere.
The start of Force recruiting in 2005 affected Queensland most of all with Nathan Sharpe, Richard Brown, Tai McIsaac, Junior Pelesasa and others departing.
The Melbourne team will have the same impact. They will have new rugby money, perhaps an extra $1 million to buy the right players compared with the other four Australian sides.
NSW Waratahs will be less exposed as their talent identification and recruitment have improved considerably and their ability to retain their best young players is impressive.
The opposite can be said of the Reds. They are starting again with a new regime.
They are all fresh and energetic under new Reds general manager Daniel Herbert. But, like in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the rotten head - a poor structure - is still there.
They must get their own backyard in order.
They must plan vigorously to be at their competitive best in 2011 with good talent ID and recruitment systems, a strong development program led by the best young coach they can find and a willingness to look outside the bubble for solutions.
Queensland cricket has one of the country's best talent ID systems. It was put in place by rugby-loving Toot Byron.
Has Queensland rugby spoken to him?
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...003411,00.html
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Originally Posted by mudskipper
