The Ruck is a Mystery to Everyone

Resetting scrums, the crooked feed, ball out of play whilst awaiting the line out, over use of the TMO - all a blight on the modern game but none as bad as the RUCK. After the incident in the England v Ireland game when the boot of Mike Wilson made contact with Conor Murray's face in a ruck, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt called for World Rugby to amend the laws governing that phase of play. I might have gone further than that, the whole thing is a shambles.

For those who are avid readers of the Laws of the Game, Law 16.2 (d) clearly states. "All players forming, joining or taking part in a ruck must be on their feet." When did you last see that phenomenon in a game? Joe Schmidt's grievance centred on the use of the boot and clarification of what was permitted. There are a whole range of offences which can be penalised but sections of the press chimed in with an easy solution: we go back to the famous 'good old days' where the ball was available and only the boot was correctly used to bring it back. Can't imagine why no-one has come up with that before! Sadly, the reality is that if you attempt to keep everyone on their feet you won't have a game.

Unless wired up to the referee, 'ref link' style, can anyone say with conviction why the referee has given a penalty for an offence in this mystery area or who is responsible? Rugby Union has one of the most complex set of laws of any major team sport but the whole area relating to the breakdown completely baffles spectators. It revolves around who is preventing the ball from being made available after the tackle; did the tackler fail to move away or did the player who was tackled not release the ball? There are so many promising attacking situations which end with the referee whistling for a penalty against the attacking side which has often made considerable progress and put in some patient work to reach that position. Yes, they may well have mistimed the release owing to a lack of support but which team has the most to gain when an attack is brought to a halt like this? To recall the incident from the Ireland game,   it is all very well claiming that the ball on the ground means use of the boot in competing for it is within the law, but my impression of the Mike Brown incident was that more than one attempt was made which was dangerously close to Conor Murray's head. You can guarantee that the immediate sight of that from anywhere on the field is likely to produce a flashpoint.

The partner in crime of the ruck as a means of keeping the game flowing  is the MAUL. Whereas the ruck is made up of players "who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground " (at least according to the law), the Maul "begins when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's bind on the ball carrier." Try asking someone, other than a referee, to define the two. But that's enough complication for the moment.

(16/4/2016)