Time to ban the croc roll!

[Niegs]

How many more of these? Don't watch if squeamish, but also squeamish is Dallaglio and Woodward saying it's 'not illegal' ... it's not punished, but it's contrary to Laws 15.12 - players must endeavour to remain on their feet and 15.16c - must not intentionally collapse a ruck.




Ben Ryan wades in again in this thread...

[Torquemada 1420]

The ruck is a sh*tfest. There are a number of laws that need changing.

a) The game is meant to be played on its feet. Any ball carrier who is held and then attempts to get to floor (e.g. by lifting his feet to avoid the choke tackle/maul) should not be rewarded for trying to take the ball to ground.

b) No-one is allowed to pull players into a ruck. Pushing only permitted so dragging players over and then getting a penalty when you've obstructed your own ball ends.

c) No players off their feet allowed to compete. Off your feet or without the ball, you are meant to be out of the game.

d) Players holding opponents they've pushed beyond the maul ends. Once clear off the maul (say 2m from the ball), no more contact. It's taking a player out off the ball.

d) Entry to the ruck has to be in a controlled manner. We got rid off the hit in the scrum because it's dangerous but players are allowed to exocet into a ruck FFS.

[average joe]

The ruck is a sh*tfest. There are a number of laws that need changing.

a) The game is meant to be played on its feet. Any ball carrier who is held and then attempts to get to floor (e.g. by lifting his feet to avoid the choke tackle/maul) should not be rewarded for trying to take the ball to ground.

b) No-one is allowed to pull players into a ruck. Pushing only permitted so dragging players over and then getting a penalty when you've obstructed your own ball ends.

c) No players off their feet allowed to compete. Off your feet or without the ball, you are meant to be out of the game.

d) Players holding opponents they've pushed beyond the maul ends. Once clear off the maul (say 2m from the ball), no more contact. It's taking a player out off the ball.

d) Entry to the ruck has to be in a controlled manner. We got rid off the hit in the scrum because it's dangerous but players are allowed to exocet into a ruck FFS.

You want to sort out the ruck just bring back proper rucking.

[Paddington Bear]

The ruck is a sh*tfest. There are a number of laws that need changing.

a) The game is meant to be played on its feet. Any ball carrier who is held and then attempts to get to floor (e.g. by lifting his feet to avoid the choke tackle/maul) should not be rewarded for trying to take the ball to ground.

b) No-one is allowed to pull players into a ruck. Pushing only permitted so dragging players over and then getting a penalty when you've obstructed your own ball ends.

c) No players off their feet allowed to compete. Off your feet or without the ball, you are meant to be out of the game.

d) Players holding opponents they've pushed beyond the maul ends. Once clear off the maul (say 2m from the ball), no more contact. It's taking a player out off the ball.

d) Entry to the ruck has to be in a controlled manner. We got rid off the hit in the scrum because it's dangerous but players are allowed to exocet into a ruck FFS.

You want to sort out the ruck just bring back proper rucking.

That's absolutely never going to happen.

[JM2K6]

The ruck is a sh*tfest. There are a number of laws that need changing.

a) The game is meant to be played on its feet. Any ball carrier who is held and then attempts to get to floor (e.g. by lifting his feet to avoid the choke tackle/maul) should not be rewarded for trying to take the ball to ground.

b) No-one is allowed to pull players into a ruck. Pushing only permitted so dragging players over and then getting a penalty when you've obstructed your own ball ends.

c) No players off their feet allowed to compete. Off your feet or without the ball, you are meant to be out of the game.

d) Players holding opponents they've pushed beyond the maul ends. Once clear off the maul (say 2m from the ball), no more contact. It's taking a player out off the ball.

d) Entry to the ruck has to be in a controlled manner. We got rid off the hit in the scrum because it's dangerous but players are allowed to exocet into a ruck FFS.

You want to sort out the ruck just bring back proper rucking.

Why? It never worked in the first place. The trick with "proper rucking" is that you had multiple players pushing over the ball, not because players on the ground got a shoeing. The vast majority of today's players would not give a shit about it, just like a huge number back then didn't either.



I keep seeing arguments like "well, what are you supposed to do when a guy is over the ball and you can't blast him off it" - if you're not strong enough to *wrestle* him off it, then guess what: you've lost the ball. Be quicker/better/smarter next time. And if the problem becomes that it's too weighted in the defence's favour as a result, then change the laws - have it so players have to step past the ball to pick it up, for example.

[assfly]

The only thing I'll miss about it - if they get rid of it - is watching a backline player try to do it to a forward already over the ball. Comical stuff.

[Openside]

The only thing I'll miss about it - if they get rid of it - is watching a backline player try to do it to a forward already over the ball. Comical stuff.

I would like to see the comical interpretations of 'supporting your own body weight done away with. Players do not have arses weighing two tonnes not even Mako.

[Niegs]

The only thing I'll miss about it - if they get rid of it - is watching a backline player try to do it to a forward already over the ball. Comical stuff.

I would like to see the comical interpretations of 'supporting your own body weight done away with. Players do not have arses weighing two tonnes not even Mako.

In defence, I think this needs to be mandatory. You can't let a player lean with knees on the tackled player to reach over and trap a ball in for a penalty. Supporting your own weight means you can lift the ball, which should always be the aim of a 'jackal' attempt.

In attack, the focus I've been taught by ref coaches is if you enter like a plane taking off, that's positive rucking and if you fall over because of a dominant cleanout, then no worries. But if you approach like a plane landing, looking to seal off or smash someone, that's a no-no. I don't see anyone getting pinged for falling over in the former example... unless the ref has bottled it.