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Will Greenwood wants draconian action taken against try-celebrating, fluorescent bib-wearing replacements
By Online Editors
England World Cup winner Will Greenwood had called on referees to start taking draconian action to stamp out the flashpoint caused by replacements celebrating tries in the dead ball area and antagonising opposition players.
The issue of the reserves joining in celebrations and sparking dust-ups with opponents came to the fore last weekend in the UK with incidents in the Edinburgh-Glasgow Guinness PRO14 derby and the Gallagher Premiership derby featuring Harlequins and Saracens.
Greenwood, the ex-Test level midfielder, now wants officials to stamp out the flare-ups by punishing the subs who transgress after a try is scored.
Writing in his latest UK Telegraph column, Greenwood proposed: "It’s time to ban the substitutes from the field of play and give yellow cards or penalties to ensure it doesn’t happen. It shouldn’t be too hard to spot the transgressors – they're the ones wearing fluorescent bibs, jumping up and down and shouting.
"Replacements have no place on the field of play for celebrations. The dead ball area is the field of play. All they do is agitate a team that has just conceded a try and are frustrated already. Add in the deliberate shouting and cheering, the bumping and the jostling, and you have a physical altercation that is waiting to happen."
Reflecting specifically on last weekend incidents, he added: "At Murrayfield, Peter Horne ran a great line off Adam Hastings close to the line and scored for Glasgow. Edinburgh players who were attempting to tackle Hastings end up amongst and adjacent to the celebrating Glasgow players.
"That is fine, but in amongst it all were five or six fluorescent-bibbed Glasgow subs bumping and jostling everyone, whooping and hollering and being supremely irritating. Everything flared up and while no punches were thrown, things were teetering on the edge.
"It was totally out of order - messy, horrible and unnecessary. There was a brilliant piece of commentary from Chris Patterson at the time: 'It frustrates me. It’s inflammatory when replacements are in behind the posts getting involved with celebrations as well. It can spill over.'
"He was right. Hastings scored a few minutes later and we immediately saw six or seven fluorescent bibbed replacements come charging on. At that point, Mike Adamson, the referee and hero of the day, got involved: 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, back away subs. When a try is scored I don’t want to see you sprinting to the try line, it’s just going to incite things.'
"The Premiership was no better. For Saracens against Quins, Michael Rhodes made a break up the right, got lucky with an offload that bounced off a Quins player’s head to Saracens new young prop Sam Crean, who burst clear.
"He offloaded to Billy Vunipola, who charged down the line, got stopped just short and after a quick ruck, Maro Itoje picked up and dotted down for a superb try. We then had three bib-wearing players run on and start celebrating in amongst the wreckage of the ruck which included Quins players. Why were they on the pitch?"
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Latest Comments
Which people exactly?
Go to commentsWas anything but fine margins, the scoreline was flattering for that game. They were beat in every margin but most emphatically be effort of Argentina. They were slow and likely arrogant in their prep following the England series. You can see the effect on the selection and poor messaging all the playmakers started receiving from the coaching setup there after.
Otherwise though there was also a lot of really good stuff that can too easily be labelled as lucky by people intent on making a point. The team was far from certain and clinical though and the best that can be said of their losses was that they were largely due to some atrocious decisions with cards twice against SA and the neckroll last weekend (you can't take away the 14 point try, that is typical French rugby and to be expected).
This team is good enough to be able to cope with those sorts of difficulties if they could just execute a bit better (but only as well as they have traditionally mind you). Sound selections aside. Some good positivity in this article but we know it's not going to be easy as the ABs have just been trying to return to their DNA after Fosters control but countries like Aussie have a much bigger task in that respect and SA is even trying to change their DNA (again). Those two opponents (along with France obviously) are going to provide some tough competition in seeing who can lead into the 2027 RWC with the best prospects and form behind them.
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