Wednesday 30 July 2008

George Gregan comes out of retirement


And takes up cricket!

Further law change !


Its barely 18 months since the current engagement sequence was introduced. Its purpose was to bring front rows closer together and, importantly, take the momentum out of the players on engagement. If I remember it was New Zealand that would come down and crounch and engage in one movement. This move looks to deformalise the pause.

New Zealand to trial further law change - WalesOnline

In fact research (Institute of Sport and Recreation Research New Zealand, Auckland) has shown that the "The decline in scrum-related injury claims is consistent with a beneficial effect of the new scrum law in the first year of its implementation." The change has worked, things can always become safer, but reducing the pause doesn't look a step in the right direction.

Secondly, this is the third set of law changes within 3 years, for gods sake! Has Nu-Labour taken control of the law committee of the IRB!

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Promotion!




As if to justify some of the opinionated drivel written here and on other sites, I can tell you I have been promoted from Level 12 to, wait for it, Level 12+1!

Next stop, the RWC final!

Thursday 24 July 2008

Maul ELVs


As we head toward the start of season, the most controversial ELV in the NH, seems to be the collapsing of mauls. At grass roots level, if both captains agreed to it, what would consequences of not applying this law? I could see the problem of choosing to ignore a law that was there for players safety, but playing to old laws that a few weeks earlier protected players from what was danagerous seems sensible.


It is a question that is already being asked of me.
Update: Follow the discussion at Rugby Ref.com Forum
People that know far more than me on the subject

Monday 14 July 2008

Aussies treaten to take their toys away

As long as France and the UK maintain a population greater than the combined population of Australia, New Zealand and the rugby playing part of SA, the money, TV and your players will follow the code of the game that is played up North.

O’Neill: game could split in two - Rugby Union, Rugby - The Independent