Rule changes turning rugby into ‘power contest’, says Eddie Jones
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Australia coach Eddie Jones looking on as his side prepare for their Rugby World Cup win against Georgia on Sept 9.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SAINT-GALMIER – Rugby’s global governing body has turned the sport into a power contest at the World Cup, according to outspoken Australia head coach Eddie Jones.
But the former England coach said it was nonetheless “fascinating” to see where the sport was heading, with various changes to tackle rules and the use of technology having had a major impact on the game.
“You can see in this World Cup the game’s evolving into these 30-second bouts of absolute power, (with) big people playing the game,” said the 63-year-old ahead of his team’s Pool C clash with Fiji on Sunday.
“So you’ve got these 30-second bouts of power then interspersed with a two-minute burst of soccer, football, where there’s a lot of transition and you’ve got to be able to play really quickly.”
Jones said World Rugby’s attempts to mitigate danger had been directly responsible for the changes he sees in the game.
“World Rugby has tried to make the game safer but it’s made it more powerful by having more stoppages in the game and there are risks to that,” he said.
“I think this World Cup is going to be decided by who can win those power contests.”
And that is not the kind of rugby Jones wants to see.
“I’ve always said you need the game to be more continuous,” he said.
“The average ball in play is 30 seconds, the average break in play is 70 seconds, so you encourage a power contest.”
It is a trend that has also been noticed by Samoa’s forwards coach Tom Coventry.
“If you go back over the year, ball in play was more than a minute. Not any more,” he said.
Use of technology is another contentious issue, with the television match official (TMO) and new “bunker system” resulting in several on-field yellow cards being upgraded to red.
“Our use of the TMO in rugby is fraught with danger,” said Jones. “It’s not making the game a better spectacle, it’s not making it a better game for the players.”
However, a World Rugby spokesman said Jones has been involved, alongside other coaches, in forums aimed at shaping the future of the game “that led to the law application guidelines introduced in 2023 aimed at promoting ball in flow”. AFP
