Jeremy Guscott has called for World Rugby to end the 50:22 sideshow and get to work sorting out the scrum.
When discussing the new 50:22 law, which is set to be trialled next season, the England legend rvealed he believed their are other areas of the game that demand further attention.
“These are areas that so blatantly require action that it is staggering that the World Rugby council are contemplating steering our 15-man game even further towards Rugby League when/if they meet in May,” wrote Guscott in The Rugby Paper.
Let's not turn Union into Rugby League, writes @JeremyGuscott
Scuttle this talk of a 50:22 law and fix the scrumhttps://t.co/i1F9mbXti2
— The Rugby Paper (@TheRugbyPaper) April 8, 2020
He added: “I cannot emphasise enough that if World Rugby are going to trial anything, especially in terms of opening up attacking space, they should be reducing the number of subs to two per team, and only for injuries.
“To see something as important as that, or the urgent requirement to sort out the scrum, sidelined for 50:22 is madness.
“Where scrums are concerned, the length of time they are taking has got beyond a joke. While health and safety is paramount, what happens is it takes an age to go through the engagement process, and when it collapses players are taking breathers, having drinks and chats with physios or coaches, and re-setting before we have another scrum go to ground.
“People are tired of it – it’s boring, and not a great advert for the game. However, it’s fixable, and that’s why it’s so frustrating.”
Read Guscott’s full column by clicking here.
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