Justin Marshall: The less whistle the better

Francois Hougaard of South Africa passes the ball during the Rugby Championship match between the South African Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images.

Of all of the law adjustments that have been made in recent times, I think the one the officials most definitely got right - the one that has improved the game - is the five-second rule at breakdowns.

There's always tweaking and fine-tuning and, sometimes, major law adjustments that have an effect on the game, and I must admit I was sceptical about the five-second breakdown law. I wasn't sure it would work or how it would work or how it would be refereed.

But it's very evident that, extremely quickly, it's become a huge benefit to the game. It's providing a lot clearer delivery of the ball from breakdowns now. We're not getting that constant hovering around the breakdown that was starting to be a blight on the game.

You can still have the ability to do pick-and-gos, but they have to be done dynamically and they have do be done without spending 20 or 30 seconds organising yourself.

The players have adjusted to that particular law very well. They're very aware and understand the necessity that the ball is moved - every single player knows the minute there is a breakdown formed, from when the ball is available, there's only five seconds to make a decision and use the ball.

It's also put a huge emphasis on ball carriers presenting the ball as well. They work really hard at that. You watch teams do drills and they're pretty mundane drills to do as a player - I remember when I used to do them - but it's just reinforcing ball placement, getting it out and available so it can be cleared.

The way the game is going, with the ball in play so much more now and law variations looking to keep the ball as active as possible, this particular five-second law is one that's hugely increased our game as a spectacle, and I see it as being a major contributor to the types of games we're now seeing.

Some of the tweaks you still find little teething problems with - a scrum's a scrum and we're always going to have issues with those. But I'm really scratching my head to think of the last time I watched a game where a halfback or a person hovering over the breakdown was penalised for not clearing it in five seconds.

In any of the matches I've done, I can't recall a referee penalising it. I've heard them reinforcing to a player that they need to use the ball after three or four seconds have gone by but, after that, it gets moved.

The referees and the officials who made that decision have to be applauded, because they've brought it in and it's been seamless. I do think they could, if they wanted to, police it more vigorously - there are times when the ball is available and it isn't cleared within five seconds - but the law's working well enough and there doesn't need to be another thing to penalise in the game.

The referees seem to be using good common sense. If it is taking slightly longer than they want, they just reinforce the urgency for the person to use it. That's where sometimes the players have some leeway, which is great, because the less whistle in the game the better.