LAST WEEKEND’S RUGBY saw the Irish provinces get to grips with four new law amendments, which are aimed at speeding up the game and creating more contests on the pitch.
The conversion time limit has been cut to 60 seconds, along with a 30-second limit to setup for lineouts. Another tweak sees play continue following a crooked throw at the lineout if that lineout is uncontested by the defending team.
Yet the most interesting change is the increased protection for scrum-halves around scrums, rucks and mauls.
It means players can no longer reach out from rucks and grab a scrum-half’s arms in a bid to disrupt the speed of ball. Similarly, defenders in mauls are no longer permitted to grab the attacking scrum-half and defensive scrum-halves cannot move towards the back of an attacking scrum to apply pressure.
It’s great news for scrum-halves but the change won’t be as warmly welcomed by the players tasked with disrupting opposition nines. Munster captain Tadhg Beirne made that much clear when asked for his opinion on the new laws following the province’s battling 17-12 defeat of Saracens on Saturday evening.
“They’re as well wrapping the nines up in cotton wool at this stage,” Beirne said.
It’s becoming ridiculous in my opinion. I was just joking, I said to Murr (Conor Murray) there’s another five years left in his career yet.
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“I showed a few videos to referees this week and it was a bit like, ‘Hmm, I’m not sure on that one’. It’s making life more difficult for them in terms of that law, in terms of you can’t touch the nine within a metre of the ruck. When’s the ruck over? When’s the ball out? When can you come through the ruck?
“It’s worse for me because it’s something I like to do, so obviously I’m not going to like it. The nines are probably delighted with it so look, not straight in the lineout, people will like that, it brings more flow into the game but I just think they just don’t want scrums in the game.”
The added challenge for players like Beirne is they have to adapt to these changes mid-season.
“We’re just adapting to the law change for the access for catchers and then they throw another curve ball at us with three new laws halfway through a season and give you a week to get ready for it,” he said.
The new laws offer increased protection for scrum-halves. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“It doesn’t make it easy. It makes it harder for fans to understand as well, learning all these laws which are continually chopping and changing. They’re trying to make the game quicker. I see it as they’re trying to protect the nines and they’re trying to get rid of scrums as much as they can as well, so that’s the way I would look at it.
“But look, everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Beirne added.
“Obviously one law affected me so I’m obviously not going to like that. The nines are going to be happy with it. Every team is on the same playing field. They all have to adapt to these new laws, not just us. So, it’s up to you whether you adapt to it quick enough or not, so I think we’re prepared as best we could for that this week and I don’t think those laws affected us in that game (v Saracens).”
The win over Saracens sets Munster up nicely heading into the final weekend of Champions Cup pool action. The province sit just one point off Northampton Saints – who top Pool 3 – ahead of their visit to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday. A win would ensure Munster top the pool while earning home advantage in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, should they advance that far.
“It was a bit of slog out there at times,” Beirne said of the win over Saracens.
“It was probably one of those typical European nights in Thomond Park and getting the crowd behind you like we did today was huge for us and to get them a win was massive us for as well.
“We wanted to give them something to shout about and they certainly did shout out there today and it was class for us to feel that energy behind us so certainly a win today was good.
“Every win in this competition goes a long way. The way it’s set up, you can lose three and win one and then you can still qualify but you win two or three all of a sudden you’re looking at home last 16 and home quarters so a win is huge.”
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'They're as well wrapping the 9s up in cotton wool at this stage. It's becoming ridiculous'
LAST WEEKEND’S RUGBY saw the Irish provinces get to grips with four new law amendments, which are aimed at speeding up the game and creating more contests on the pitch.
The conversion time limit has been cut to 60 seconds, along with a 30-second limit to setup for lineouts. Another tweak sees play continue following a crooked throw at the lineout if that lineout is uncontested by the defending team.
Yet the most interesting change is the increased protection for scrum-halves around scrums, rucks and mauls.
It means players can no longer reach out from rucks and grab a scrum-half’s arms in a bid to disrupt the speed of ball. Similarly, defenders in mauls are no longer permitted to grab the attacking scrum-half and defensive scrum-halves cannot move towards the back of an attacking scrum to apply pressure.
It’s great news for scrum-halves but the change won’t be as warmly welcomed by the players tasked with disrupting opposition nines. Munster captain Tadhg Beirne made that much clear when asked for his opinion on the new laws following the province’s battling 17-12 defeat of Saracens on Saturday evening.
“They’re as well wrapping the nines up in cotton wool at this stage,” Beirne said.
“I showed a few videos to referees this week and it was a bit like, ‘Hmm, I’m not sure on that one’. It’s making life more difficult for them in terms of that law, in terms of you can’t touch the nine within a metre of the ruck. When’s the ruck over? When’s the ball out? When can you come through the ruck?
“It’s worse for me because it’s something I like to do, so obviously I’m not going to like it. The nines are probably delighted with it so look, not straight in the lineout, people will like that, it brings more flow into the game but I just think they just don’t want scrums in the game.”
The added challenge for players like Beirne is they have to adapt to these changes mid-season.
“We’re just adapting to the law change for the access for catchers and then they throw another curve ball at us with three new laws halfway through a season and give you a week to get ready for it,” he said.
“It doesn’t make it easy. It makes it harder for fans to understand as well, learning all these laws which are continually chopping and changing. They’re trying to make the game quicker. I see it as they’re trying to protect the nines and they’re trying to get rid of scrums as much as they can as well, so that’s the way I would look at it.
“But look, everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Beirne added.
“Obviously one law affected me so I’m obviously not going to like that. The nines are going to be happy with it. Every team is on the same playing field. They all have to adapt to these new laws, not just us. So, it’s up to you whether you adapt to it quick enough or not, so I think we’re prepared as best we could for that this week and I don’t think those laws affected us in that game (v Saracens).”
The win over Saracens sets Munster up nicely heading into the final weekend of Champions Cup pool action. The province sit just one point off Northampton Saints – who top Pool 3 – ahead of their visit to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday. A win would ensure Munster top the pool while earning home advantage in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, should they advance that far.
“It was a bit of slog out there at times,” Beirne said of the win over Saracens.
“It was probably one of those typical European nights in Thomond Park and getting the crowd behind you like we did today was huge for us and to get them a win was massive us for as well.
“We wanted to give them something to shout about and they certainly did shout out there today and it was class for us to feel that energy behind us so certainly a win today was good.
“Every win in this competition goes a long way. The way it’s set up, you can lose three and win one and then you can still qualify but you win two or three all of a sudden you’re looking at home last 16 and home quarters so a win is huge.”
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Champions Cup Munster New Laws Rugby Tadhg Beirne