Ireland veteran Tadhg Beirne has labelled the latest law changes as “ridiculous”, accusing those responsible for giving scrumhalves too much protection and targeting the scrum for extinction.
Last week’s EPCR matches featured the application of law changes that included protecting the attacking scrumhalf from defenders at the breakdown and maul.
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“They may as well wrap the 9s up in cotton wool at this stage. It’s becoming ridiculous, in my opinion,” Beirne said after Munster’s 17-12 win over Saracens in the Investec Champions Cup.
“It’s making life more difficult for them in terms of that law, in terms of you can’t touch the 9 within a metre of the ruck. When’s the ruck’s over? When’s the ball out? When can you come through the ruck?
“It’s worse for me because it’s something I like to do so obviously I’m not going to like it. The 9s are probably delighted with it.”
In addition, to reduce the number of scrums, skew throw-ins to lineouts that are not contested by the defending team will not be punished.
“Look, not straight in the lineout, people will like that, it brings more flow into the game,” added the 57 Test Ireland lock. “But I just feel they just don’t want scrums in the game.”
A 60-second shot clock for kicks, and 30-second clock at the lineout, have been introduced to speed up the set-piece, while 20-minute red cards were trialled during the November Test window.
“We’re just adapting to the law change for the access for catchers and then they throw another curve ball at us with three new laws halfway through a season and give you a week to get ready for it,” said Beirne. “It doesn’t make it easy. It makes it harder for fans to understand as well, learning all these laws which are continually chopping and changing.
“They’re trying to make the game quicker. I see it as they’re trying to protect the 9s and they’re trying to get rid of scrums as much as they can as well, so that’s the way I would look at it.”
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