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Water breaks among the changes as Premiership ready to return
By PA
Water breaks will be a feature of Gallagher Premiership games when the season restarts on Friday. The one-minute stoppages midway through each half will replicate Premier League matches during the reconvened football season in June and July.
Harlequins and Sale Sharks launch the Premiership resumption on Friday following the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, with nine rounds of regular-season games left followed by play-offs and the final in October.
Aside from water breaks, Premiership officials will also adopt strict interpretations at the key breakdown area, mirroring referees who have taken charge of matches this summer in New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament, with an emphasis on making the breakdown safer.
A detailed breakdown law application guideline was produced by World Rugby earlier this year, involving input from the likes of former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and top international referees Wayne Barnes and Jaco Peyper. The aim is to make one of rugby’s most difficult areas simpler to play, coach and officiate.
It focuses on key areas such as tacklers releasing the ball-carrier and rolling away immediately in the direction of the touchline, an onus on ball-carriers presenting or releasing the ball more quickly, and legal entries to the breakdown.
Games in New Zealand saw an abundance of penalties being awarded during early matches, but the overall product has seen faster, attacking possession and created a fairer contest between attack and defence. Premiership officials will also be using their assistant referees to help them during games with the breakdown area.
Meetings have been held with Premiership directors of rugby and referees’ chiefs on the breakdown, in addition to input from players.
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Latest Comments
I think Italy were always targetting this match and intended to win. They needed to exorcise the 2023 RWC. I think they could have done with a bit more help from other 6Ns particularly from Ireland to knock more holes in NZ and their confidence.
Mentioned before the Italy Argentina match was a virus that ripped through the Italy camp early that week. In general play Italy were competitive albeit with a high error count and crucial missed tackles.
Ive said it before the era of NZ turning up unprepared for all comers and triumphing is definitively over. If a Tier1 team target NZ and NZ do not prepare accordingly they are in with a major chance of losing. It used to occur the odd time in RWCs against France, now it can occur v any Tier1. The competition has improved. NZ can still be at the top but their talents must be deployed sufficiently into dismantling teams as with their attack then allowed to exploit.
They dismantled Ireland pretty well in Dublin which went largely unnoticed. That allowed them scoreboard advantage and attacking opportunities of which one was enough.
That Italian team beat Wales and significantly Scotland last year. They used the loss to NZ in the most positive way possible. No doubt NZ prepared but I would assume it was similar to versus Argentina: 3/4 arsed at best. These test matches are rare and this was another chance to practice dismantling a determined and prepared opponent which was lost. If Italy had scored a 7 pointer at 17-6....an Italian win was on.
Go to commentsGB = England, Scotland, Wales. UK = England, Wales, Scotland, NI
Nothing to stew son.
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