Former Ireland tighthead prop Mike Ross has slammed the raft of innovations to speed up the game, but which have ultimately led to fewer scrums.
In an effort to make the sport more fan-centric and attract viewers, World Rugby has begun consciously implementing measures to eradicate, for example, endless scrum resets.
The almost immediate referee’s call of ‘advantage over’ following a opposition kick in a knock-on advantage has also been a feature over the last decade or so, along with the tendency of officials to allow a ruck to develop for longer when it looks likely the ball will be playable soon has also meant less scrums.
In a wide-ranging interview with RTÉ Sport, former Ireland and Leinster anchor Ross argued that the various rule changes and game trends have rapidly reduced the prevalence of scrums and the excitement of the set-piece contest.
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“I don’t understand when people complain about 10 scrums in a row. I think it’s great: a game within a game, let’s see who wins that,” he said.
The 61-Test-capped Irishman is also not a fan of the law introduced at the start of 2022, when a player is held up over the opposition line resulting in a goal-line dropout, as opposed to a five-metre scrum.
“I don’t like that five-metre rule. If you get over the line you should be rewarded for it, you shouldn’t lose possession,” Ross added.
“You’ve been doing something positive, you’ve been attacking, you worked hard to get over the line, why should it be kicked halfway down the pitch because of it.
“Maybe they brought it in to stop five minutes of reset scrums, which sometimes results, but I like those things. I enjoy the tension.”
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