According to Lawrence Dallaglio, the reason for the southern hemisphere’s teams’ pre-eminence in the Rugby World Cup was their efficiency at the breakdown: in other words, their players were better at ripping the ball out of the hands of downed opponents or shielding their own players when they were tackled, manoeuvres both likely to result in infringements that depend contentiously on referees’ interpretation. Rugby league, by giving the tackled player time and room to pass, or “play the ball” without interference, has avoided these problems and also dispensed with the two wing forwards whose role is to “mix it” at breakdowns. If social class snobbery prevents rugby union recognising good practice in rugby league, it should at least change the rules so that opponents stand off tackled players and allow their team mates to get the ball moving again unimpeded.
DBC Reed
Northampton
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