Rugby must try harder

Remember those lazy, hazy, crazy days of last year’s rugby World Cup, when as perfect a performance by England as we are ever likely to see dethroned the All Blacks? England went through to the final 19-7 with a brilliant, nimble, free-running performance, backs and forwards in perfect harmony, and a dazzling display of skilful tactical kicking. Seems a long time ago, doesn’t it?

Friends told me after the final, where England were made to look very ordinary, that the style of South Africa’s victory (despite Cheslin Kolbe’s exquisite winning try) could be the death of rugby: attritional forward play and relentless box kicking, gaining ground and forcing penalties. All backed up by an impregnable defence — and, above all, muscle.

Well, maybe those friends were right, because the autumn series has been grim fare. It’s obvious what’s wrong: time-hungry scrum resets, caterpillar rucks, too many defenders spread across the park, and of course endless kicking. It’s like the old joke about Rob Andrew: ‘Pass the salt, Rob,’ says his neighbour at a dinner, and Andrew promptly kicks it to the far corner of the room.

And these rather meaningless autumn games could have been the perfect opportunity to experiment. Rugby needs to broaden its support, not limit it. Here are some rules we could fiddle with. Only five replacements, three of whom must be front-row specialists. If you kick the ball out, the other team throws in, even from a penalty. In a maul the side with the ball gets the put-in at the scrum. We could also experiment with the 22-metre drop-out.

England have some phenomenal players, with a back row of Sam Underhill, Tom Curry and Billy Vunipola as good as, if not better than, the world-beating Back, Dallaglio and Hill.