Wynne Gray: Rucking will help sort out the mess

Wynne Gray

The continuing emasculation of forward play is the worst part about the modern game.

Watching officials condone crooked scrum feeds and lineout throws with as much bend as Muttiah Muralitharan's elbow is bad enough.

But the ruck, the section of rugby which defined its character and created space, has been eroded.

That disintegration may have pleased queasy parents and nations who were not as adept at rucking as their New Zealand counterparts, but it is the blight in the modern game. That damage was highlighted in the clatter of cards issued by the officious Matt Goddard a week ago.

There were some who defended Goddard's intervention. After all, he told the viewers and the participants several times it was his game.

When he binned Hurricanes lock Jason Eaton for rucking/stomping his Bulls rival Bakkies Botha, the groan should have been heard all the way back to the International Rugby Board's headquarters. If it was, it is unlikely to have made any difference as they have forgotten how to administer the game and seem only concerned with World Cups.

Eaton may have been a little over-zealous in his dance move, but he had been rendered ineffective because of the laws and Goddard's inability to penalise the culprit. Botha lay on the wrong side of the ruck and prevented the Hurricanes from getting at the ball.

What could Eaton do? He could not wade in with his hands because he would be penalised, but the alternative was waiting for some action from Goddard, who was going through his Ray Charles impersonation routine.

Eaton was left with two choices. Stand by and obey the rules, which have left forwards resembling eunuchs at the breakdown, or mete out some of his own justice. He chose the latter.

Not smart maybe, but understandable. A clip of that episode should be sent to the IRB laws sub-committee with a "please explain" question about the shape of the game.

Every breakdown is a mess. Players who venture into that area are off their feet, coming in at angles, taking players out without the ball, playing the ball with their hands, releasing possession when support arrives rather than immediately - the offences are widespread.

Players sense they have freedom to lie all over possession. A free kick is a minor concession or punishment while teammates regroup on defence in a single line across the park.

Lawmakers have made rucking so hazardous they may as well have banned it. Rugby has suffered subsequently. There were hints the IRB had recognised the flaw, but getting them into action would be like asking both hemispheres to use the ELVs at the same time.