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'Not good for the global game' - Irish TV pundit slams Bok approach

The Boks celebrate - PA

Former Scotland coach turned Irish television rugby pundit Matt Williams believes the scrum-heavy approach to rugby union as encapsulated by South Africa is not good for the sport.

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A scrum penalty three minutes from time in the South Africa versus England Rugby World Cup semi-final at the Stade de France was what ultimately the difference between the two sides, with the Boks’ fabled ‘Bomb Squad’ seemingly pulling off the impossible for the defending world champions.

Australian pundit Williams says that the central focus on the setpiece – and a bid by teams to win penalties from it – is becoming the centrepiece of the sport rather than a means by which to restart the game.

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Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber discusses team selection for the World Cup Final face-off against the All Blacks

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    Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber discusses team selection for the World Cup Final face-off against the All Blacks

    “What are you incentivising?” Williams told the Virgin Media Sport panel after the game. “By giving a penalty where you can take three points or kick for touch and start a maul, you are incentivising scrummaging to get the penalty. If you take that incentive away, well then what’s the incentive?

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    “You get the ball to the backs, you have 16 forwards tied up so there is all this space. All through the 90s and early 00s, we had wonderful back row moves and wonderful back line plays coming off scrums, it was entertaining and it was great.

    “The scrums were still there and they were a contest, you could still get a pushover try, but the referee wasn’t going to give you a penalty unless you did foul play or were offside. The game was much better for it…

    “South Africa and England are like great tax accountants, they find every loophole and exploit it brilliantly. I admire the intellect, but that is not good for the global game.

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    “It is not good for the other sides in the game like France, New Zealand, and Ireland, who are trying to play a more positive, ball in hand, entertaining game. We are in the business of entertainment…

    “Is it a 15-man game or an 8-man game? Right now, it has become so biased towards scrummaging and mauling. The game is totally out of balance.”

    Williams received a lot of flak for his take, with many viewing it as outdated.

    Outgoing Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui appeared to disagree, writing on X: “One week the chat is the need to de-power the scrum, next week it’s the maul, next week it’s the ruck, key fundamentals that makes our game truly unique…do we change to suit a style/some or do we embrace what is uniquely rugby union? I vote the later, loved tonight’s match [South Africa vs England].”

    The debate around scrums is one tends to raise its head every other year or, and no doubt it won’t be the last we hear from it.

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    Comments

    161 Comments
    C
    Cam 639 days ago

    Union has certain laws, style and the intergal set-pieces. If one doesn’t ‘like’ something, don’t seek to change it because it doesn’t suit a style of play and or exposes a weakness. The ABs pushed for an amendment as to how much field goals should be worth, during the Eng dominance era (JWs time) years ago. So bleating (to steal someone else’s favorite word) for rule amendments or interpretations to set pieces (bar for safety reasons) is nothing new and remains a sign of insecurity and/or an inability to cope with an opposition's style. If you don’t like it, you can always switch to touch, 7s or League instead.

    P
    Paul 637 days ago

    If you don’t bleat - nothing will change - and changes happen every year almost !

    P
    Paul 640 days ago

    I generally agree with Matt Williams but, as I see it - it isn’t about sides [styles of play etc.] - it is about the rugby law that encourages the scrum to be used to obtain a penalty (now more scrums result in penalties than not I have heard), rather than for possession and/or some territory whilst the ball is in the scrum. This gives an unfair advantage when a scrum penalty is won; as a minor offence [like a knock on for example] is rewarded with a penalty by means of a scrum penalty. BUT, I do think this has led to South Africa [and other teams] being able to win games when, without this law, they probably would not have! I understand that the whistle has to be blown when a scrum collapses or a head pops up [for safety reasons as much as anything] but a a more appropriate / fairer reward for a scrum penalty would be a ‘tap and go penalty’ only - this would give the same kind of advantage as winning a scrum that doesn’t end in collapse, so would be more appropriate, and fair.

    d
    david 640 days ago

    an excellent response, I really like the tap and go rationale, why haven’t we considered it before?

    N
    NT 640 days ago

    Why make changes to help other teams to beat rgw Boks. It would be like the F1 make a rule that Max has to ride a scooter to help Hamilton and others to win a Grand Prix

    H
    Hercules 640 days ago

    What a useless article. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses. The Boks have used the scrum as their weapon since time in memorial, no fault of theirs that the rest haven’t caught up.


    Next, you'll say that the goose step is illegal because it makes the oppo twist their legs.

    B
    Brent 640 days ago

    So I guess you are either a fan or from South Africa? What is your problem with someones opinion of 1 facet of the game and how it is adjudged. Understand what he is saying - “Global Game” how can Rugby as a whole entice more viewers, more teams, more sponsorship. All he is saying that it's not the best advertisement for “the game”

    s
    sean 640 days ago

    How do South Africa shoulder the blame for that match? Are England whiter than white they kicked 94% of all thier possession with 41 kicks to South Africa’s 21. Yet it’s South Africa that takes the heat for it even though it was obvious England had no intention of playing any rugby

    J
    JL 639 days ago

    England managed a mouth watering number of 0 linebreaks in the entire game. It’s like they took the Boks template from 2019 and took it to an even worse extreme. They still lost. Why? Well, the Bokkies just quickly scored a try which England was never going to be able to do. The Rugby Gods are just and any team dishing the kind of rubbish England did should be punished in the most cruel and gut-wrenching way. Praise be !

    B
    B.J. Spratt 640 days ago

    The Poms simply are there to remind us “What style not to play”


    They are the benchmark of “Boring”


    Any Rugby that surpasses their style helps the game develop and progress to a more “exciting game” which we all want to see as fans.


    They have a “Private School” entitlement attitude of “I don’t have to listen to you “fuckin colonials” we invented the game and we own it”


    That “Private School Attitude” has never been “Tough enough” over the last 100+ years, which is reflected in “results” against Southern Hemisphere Nations.


    Our history of tough, practical problem solvers in our “early reality of everyday life in creating Australia, New Zealand and South Africa V some “private School toff, who sits down to piss, as he reads the “Times” in his Law Office toilet.


    Colonials who are genetically quick thinkers, who love physical and mental challenges for the last 183 years.


    Young Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans come to London and are “employed” instantly, ahead of Poms because of our work ethic. It’s just who we are!


    England “will never win another Rugby World Cup in my lifetime.

    L
    Lenny 640 days ago

    😂😂😂

    Well done you resourceful colonial. The pinnacle of your quick thinking being the invention of the Hills Hoist…Or maybe your your inventive porn star name - Blow Job Spratt

    K
    Keef 640 days ago

    No room for racism,send the message!

    P
    Peter 640 days ago

    I know this will be highly controversial but an idea I have is that in the final say 5 minutes of a game no scrum penalties are given. In lieu the offending side loses control of the ball to the other side for a tap penalty.

    These scrum penalties are adjudicated differently by differing referees and there really is no consistency which is then utilised by an attacking team for a winning penalty

    L
    LL 640 days ago

    What a ridiculous idea. Reward teams too feeble to scrum. There are more ways to attack than running around like headless chickens.

    B
    Bob Marler 640 days ago

    I wish Matt Williams would shut up. There are 19 other teams who can play whatever fucken style they want. Who says he is the style officianado?

    K
    Keef 640 days ago

    No need to swear is there?

    A
    Allan 640 days ago

    AND the English style of “Kick & Hope” is no better too. What I find amusing is that “forever” in the 6 Nations England have been playing the “Big forwards” game too. But now they've been out- muscled they don't like it!

    C
    CE 640 days ago

    I cant believe I made it to the end of that snor fest of an article. Thinking of sending my c.v into Rugbypass. If Ben Moron and this eggplant can write such garbage and get paid, there is hope for me.

    B
    Bob Marler 640 days ago

    Fuck it. They could just as well just use chatgpt or something. Better than this shite.

    L
    Leon 641 days ago

    Love love love the fact that losing teams now suddenly worry about whats good for the game….but hey…you guys keep on doing it…we will just keep on pulling in crowds and new fans by simply winning!!!!!

    P
    Pierre 641 days ago

    Rugby is exactly the amazing game that it is because it includes many unique elements on which teams compete. The scrum, the line-out, the breakdown, kicking tactically, kicking for touch, penalty kicks, kicking to exit, passing, offloading, catching, running, tackling, unique attack formations, instinctive attack, strength, speed, etc.


    The weirdest thing is every time South Africa succeeds then they want to change the rules. I absolutely guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot they would have no problem with the rules. Absolutely pathetic.


    For example, why should a team be rewarded with a penalty for winning a contest at the breakdown and not for winning a contest at the scrum? It is just another arena of competition in the game. Explain that. When NZ was dominating the breakdown through the ‘often illegal’ exploits of Sir Richie McCaw nobody was calling for a law change to stop breakdown penalties.


    It is exactly that idea that the scrum is an unimportant facet of the game which is just there so you can restart the game that has Australia so behind and underachieving. No wonder an Australian spouts such drivel. If it was just a way to restart the game and not a competition then why even push in the scrum?

    P
    Paul 639 days ago

    I disagree - a penalty at the breakdown is awarded because a player does not release the ball - preventing the opposition from taking it - it is an offence, worthy of a penalty in my opinion. A penalty resulting from a collapsed scrum is, in my opinion, unfair because it penalises an unintentional act [normally], for safety reasons a whistle has to be blown, that should result in the dominant scrum winning the ball but not booting it 75m and having a lineout, or chance at 3 points. I think a fair solution would be a tap and go penalty. This would give the side winning scrum side a lesser advantage - but still more of an advantage than a scrum, and but make the ball available in a similar manner to a scrum.

    M
    Martin 640 days ago

    If you knew as much about rugby as you thought you do, you’d know that most referees of the McCaw era rank him as one of the best players of all time. Not because he cheated them, but because he knew the rules as well as anyone and played to them. He was exceptional at what he did, has two World Cups to show for his scars, yet still has to put up with ill-informed people insinuating that he cheated.

    R
    Red 641 days ago

    Not sure it’s possible to more one-eyed, England were kicking the cover off the ball & the tactics were working they were winning the aerial battle (is that the beautiful game scrums were ruining). A direct result of the aerial battle = more scrums, but Boks are to be blamed for having the stronger scrum ?


    Werent complaining when Eng beat Argentina playing boring rugby in opening game.


    Opinions aren’t fact … fact is France kick the ball more than any side in the world, who is playing this expansive running rugby he talks of ?


    How does this Bok team outscouring France 4 tries to 3 the week before in one of the best World Cup games ever played Or putting 5 past NZ (handing them their heaviest defeat in history) 2 mths ago fit into Mr Williams asinine fixation that the Springboks are bad for rugby ?

    J
    JS 641 days ago

    That semifinal was a chore to watch. However, if you want the Boks to play a different style, figure out how to neutralize what they’re doing and then punish them out wide. I’ll cheer on running rugby all day, but you have to front up first to make it viable.

    F
    Fabrice 641 days ago

    Penalties for scum infractions are far too harsh. It should be nothing more than a free kick. That way the team winning the kick can decide to keep it in hand, or to kick for territory but give away the lineout.

    There would still be incentive for the scrum but a team wouldn't be able to base their entire game plan on getting penalties from scrums.

    P
    Paul 639 days ago

    I thought free kick too, but possession is lost, and too harsh the other way! I think a fair solution would be a tap and go penalty. This would give the side winning scrum side a lesser advantage - but still more of an advantage than a scrum, and but make the ball available in a similar manner to a scrum.

    J
    JoNo 640 days ago

    By that logic - lets take out breakdown play too… No penalties in the rucks and mauls I think the current ratio for scrums to breakdowns is 1:14… Remove that and we have a fast paced game… lovely on the eyes

    P
    Pierre 641 days ago

    Against France SA scored 4 tries, not one of which came from a scrum penalty. 1 st try came from a contestable kick by the fly half. 2nd. came from a contestable kick by the scrum half. 3rd came from offensive defence transition play and a counter attack. 4th came from a breakdown penalty and a tap and run where the opposition forwards were suckered to all go to their right while the attack would be to the left. The tries were from strength, speed speed speed and guile. Don’t tell me the entire Springbok game plan is based on scrums. That is such lazy thinking.

    D
    DA 641 days ago

    what a load of rubbish

    P
    Pierre 641 days ago

    If you think that is the “entire” gameplan of South Africa, then start to watch some rugby. In the QF vs France there where hardly any scrums.

    H
    Hove Vet 641 days ago

    The problem is that too many scrum penalties are arbitrary. There’s often so much going on that the ref might as well toss a coin as to who’s penalty it is. In addition, quite a few refs seem to decide on the basis of one scrum which pack is infringing and they are on their case thereafter

    P
    Pierre 641 days ago

    What do you think about breakdown penalties? I guarantee you they are even more arbitrary.

    y
    yster 641 days ago

    This is just Rugbypass BS, seriously why not get something about improving technique and getting their scrummaging correct. Sidestepping an opposing player the next issue for them.

    S
    Stephen Rodney 641 days ago

    Let them entertain while we win world cups 😀😊

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