WITH GEORGE HOOK’S last breath as an RTE pundit, he actually made a decent point. He said the lawmakers need to change the rules to encourage attacking play. Conor O’Shea said no, that teams just need to go out with the intent to play rugby.
That was a nice sentiment but rugby – and in particular the Six Nations – DO need to make some tweaks to reward attacking play. Today, Wales, England and Ireland threw the ball around because they had to, not because they suddenly thought that was the most efficient way to play rugby.
They were chasing points totals.
The issue of bonus points in the Six Nations is usually rubbished because in the current format, it would mean that a team could win the Grand Slam but lose the championship (it is two points for a win at the moment).
If the format was changed to give five points for a win, and only try-scoring bonus points were brought in, then that problem would be solved.
Sure, a Grand Slam team could finished tied on 25 points with a team who lost once but picked up five bonus points, but why not make the first tie-break the Slam? There would be no losing bonus points in this scenario so a one-loss team could only match a Grand Slam winner.
That would encourage teams to attack more regularly and while the tournament wouldn’t turn into the riveting spectacle we had today overnight, there would definitely be more tries scored.
It is just one idea that could potentially harness some of today’s entertainment and make it more prevalent.
Either way, might have George Hook finally stumbled onto something right before he left the building.
Newcastle look safe now. Hopefully they will already be on holidays when Liverpool go there on May 5th. Either way I’d say Rafa won’t be trying his hardest to stop Liverpool if they are still in with a shout of the title then.
@Flaming Mo: I hope you’re right but Rafa’s as straight as an arrow and I can’t picture him telling a player to go easy can you?….it would be a bit like the time Kenny brought Blackburn Rovers to Anfield looking for a win to secure the premiership, no quarter given that day and none expected by Kenny, you play to win, that day Utd blew it themselves fortunately :)
@Caoimhin O’Murchadha: Matt ritchies left foot is like something sent from heaven his some man to whip a ball across the box
@Ings on Fire: is he not right footed?
@John: no his clearly left footed but ur glasses on
@John: he’s left footed, but he ain’t too bad with his right either
Where is C Clark?
@GARFARKLE: find out yourself
@Aj Leahy: shut up he just asked a question like to get aj /John which is the same account banned
@Ings on Fire: Thank you.
@GARFARKLE: no bother man
@Ings on Fire: funny that ings on fire is also my account
@Aj Leahy: shut up aj everyone knows about u and johns account is a joint account u salmon
@GARFARKLE: he got injured a few months back. Still not fit
@David O’Brien: Thank you.