Plan to fix rugby is long overdue – here is how it should happen

A few aspects of World Rugby’s five-point plan to attract the next generation will have stung current fans with irony. Because as the global governing body itself knows, part of the battle is to unstitch bad habits that have been entrenched by the elite game.

Put simply, you will not see amateur scrum-halves getting away with the sluggish construction of a caterpillar ruck. Grass-roots referees are far more likely to sanction a team that delays a line-out. And the dastardly ‘croc roll’, which is in direction contravention of law 16b, decreeing that players must not collapse a ruck, is a recent invention of professionalism – having arrived since the practice of jackalling grew in influence.

There was much to admire about the published recommendations from this year’s Shape of the Game conference. Everyone would agree with the need to streamline and simplify rugby’s disciplinary process, which can be hugely confusing. Harnessing the popularity boom of the women’s game, another stated aim, makes perfect sense.

It is understood that the desire for “a consistent approach to the presentation of the sport across all media environments” will centre upon the use of big screens and PA systems to explain refereeing decisions. World Rugby has recognised that all elite matches should do this. Again, this is sound thinking. Some ‘solutions’ should not be described as revolutionary, though.

Caterpillar rucks

How it should be fixed: Referees to call ‘use it’ more quickly.

‘Ball-in-play time’ has become a fetishised statistic in rugby union. The higher it is, the better the game, right? Well, not necessarily. World Rugby is aware that ‘ball-in-flow time’ is more significant. Stats Perform clocked 18 minutes and 38 seconds of ball-in-play time across the second half of Scotland’s win over England on Saturday. But that does not tell the whole story.

Singling out Ben Spencer is unfair, but England’s replacement scrum-half hit five box-kicks from the base of rucks in that second half. At the first, referee Andrew Brace waited five seconds after the ball had become available, while Spencer added England teammates to the breakdown, to call ‘use it’. Five seconds after that, Spencer finally kicked. Ten seconds, therefore, elapsed without anything meaningful happening. And those 10 seconds would have counted as ‘ball-in-play’ time.

Later, following a carry from Joe Marler, the ball was available with 73.28 on the match clock. Brace called ‘use it’ at 73.39. Spencer made contact at 73.44. That constitutes 15 further seconds of ball in play. In total, 57 seconds of ball-in-play time elapsed between a ruck reasonably presenting the ball and these five strikes happening. That is 57 seconds out of the 18 minutes and 38…