Andrew Alderson: Tanks but no thanks you boring bunch

Georgia's Dimitri Basilaia and his team-mates need to give the ball more air. Photo / Getty Images

If rugby's second tier teams learn anything from this World Cup, one lesson might be to consider extending their game plans to feature player numbers 11-15 as a pathway to success.

Too many teams have resorted to forward-oriented "pick and drive" strategies - or "pick and dive" as astute observer and former referee Kelvin Deaker described it recently in the New Zealand Herald.

Certainly it is an effective tactic in the wet and can be used to minimise scorelines but it makes for dull rugby. Anyone who has played their footy in the forwards can appreciate the satisfaction of retaining possession and gradually chipping away at opposition will by forcing them to tackle.

However, in an ideal world - where dry conditions abound - the public deserve to see backs beyond first five-eighths have a run. That's what rugby players have been doing since William Webb Ellis - it makes the sport more palatable to the fan base.

Taking the ball one pass off a ruck and flopping to the ground in a token take-the-tackle to make the ball easier to recycle struggles to impress when repeated ad nauseam. It is a one-dimensional trick.

At the risk of being a World Cup grinch, teams like Russia, Georgia and Romania need to take note. They obviously have a game built on forward power - as noted by memorable demonstrations of the MEEM (Mass Eastern European Maul) where forwards and backs combine to roll forward like a human tank. However, to progress up rugby's ladder, these sides need to develop more penetrative back play.

Romania had parity up front with Scotland courtesy of the forward teachings of former All Black prop Steve McDowall but lacked in the midfield and on the outsides in their 34-24 loss.

That was demonstrated a week later, when Argentina stretched Romania to the edges and beat them for pace 43-8. Georgia also matched the struggling Scots, losing just 15-6, but at least Scotland gave the illusion of having some pace and penetration in the backs, notably through fullback Rory Lamont.

The Georgian backs looked more like the Soviet-era tractors which folklore suggests their forwards once used as scrum machines. Admittedly the Russians attempted to spin it wide under the tutelage of former Kiwi league international Henry Paul in the 53-17 loss to Italy. It's a shame they resembled a fleet of Ladas against Enzo Ferrari's finest.

Unfortunately referees are likely to have to intervene more on behalf of the defending team before there is a resolution. Fans mightn't like it but at present the team in possession gets too much leniency and, unlike Ireland against Australia, not every team is adept at maintaining a maul by holding up the ball-carrier and earning possession through a scrum feed when the maul goes to ground and the ball can't be freed.

There is little chance of that occurring if a player flops voluntarily at their would-be tackler's feet.

The consequences are the defending side get a heads-up to fan out for the next wave of attrition, which creates less space for attackers to work their magic. It is defeatist.

Attacking players need to be penalised for illegally going off their feet and sealing the ball off from a contest. There needs to be a disincentive for players to stand off the breakdown, otherwise the sight of flair with ball in hand out wide will become extinct.