Four new rugby laws aimed at speeding up the game and increasing contests on the pitch were implemented last weekend. The changes, including a 60-second conversion limit and enhanced protection for scrum-halves, have generated mixed reactions, particularly from players like Munster captain Tadhg Beirne who feels the new rules disadvantage those who aim to disrupt opposition nines. Despite this, Munster emerged victorious against Saracens, setting them up well for the final weekend of Champions Cup pool action.
Last weekend's rugby saw the Irish provinces grapple with four new law amendments designed to accelerate the game and generate more on-field contests. The conversion time limit has been reduced to 60 seconds, accompanied by a 30-second limit for lineout setup. An intriguing change permits play to continue following a crooked lineout throw if the defending team uncontests it.
However, the most significant alteration lies in the enhanced protection afforded to scrum-halves during scrums, rucks, and mauls. This means players can no longer extend their arms from rucks to grasp a scrum-half's arms, hindering the ball's rapid progression. Similarly, defenders in mauls are prohibited from grabbing the attacking scrum-half, and defensive scrum-halves cannot maneuver towards the back of an attacking scrum to exert pressure. This change is warmly received by scrum-halves but unlikely to be embraced by players tasked with disrupting opposition nines. Munster captain Tadhg Beirne expressed this sentiment when asked for his opinion on the new laws following his province's hard-fought 17-12 victory over Saracens on Saturday evening. 'They're as well wrap the nines up in cotton wool at this stage,' Beirne commented. 'It's becoming ridiculous in my opinion. I was just joking, I said to Murr (Conor Murray) there's another five years left in his career yet.' Beirne explained that he'd shown referees videos this week and encountered ambiguity regarding the new law, particularly concerning the restriction on touching the scrum-half within a meter of the ruck. He questioned the definition of 'when's the ruck over?' and 'when's the ball out?', highlighting the challenges for both players and referees in interpreting the new rules. 'It's worse for me because it's something I like to do, so obviously I'm not going to like it,' Beirne admitted. 'The nines are probably delighted with it so look, not straight in the lineout, people will like that, it brings more flow into the game but I just think they just don't want scrums in the game.' The added complexity for players like Beirne stems from the need to adapt to these changes mid-season. 'We're just adapting to the law change for the access for catchers and then they throw another curve ball at us with three new laws halfway through a season and give you a week to get ready for it,' he remarked. 'It doesn't make it easy. It makes it harder for fans to understand as well, learning all these laws which are continually chopping and changing. They're trying to make the game quicker. I see it as they're trying to protect the nines and they're trying to get rid of scrums as much as they can as well, so that's the way I would look at it. But look, everyone is entitled to their opinion,' Beirne added. 'Obviously one law affected me so I'm obviously not going to like that. The nines are going to be happy with it.' Every team is on the same playing field. They all have to adapt to these new laws, not just us. So, it's up to you whether you adapt to it quick enough or not, so I think we're prepared as best we could for that this week and I don't think those laws affected us in that game (v Saracens).' The victory over Saracens sets Munster up well for the final weekend of Champions Cup pool action. The province trails Northampton Saints by just one point – who top Pool 3 – ahead of their visit to Franklin's Gardens on Saturday. A win would guarantee Munster the top spot in the pool, while securing home advantage in the round of 16 and quarter-finals if they progress that far. 'It was a bit of a slog out there at times,' Beirne said of the win over Saracens. 'It was probably one of those typical European nights in Thomond Park and getting the crowd behind you like we did today was huge for us and to get them a win was massive us for as well. 'We wanted to give them something to shout about and they certainly did shout out there today and it was class for us to feel that energy behind us so certainly a win today was good. 'Every win in this competition goes a long way. The way it's set up, you can lose three and win one and then you can still qualify but you win two or three all of a sudden you're looking at home last 16 and home quarters so a win is huge.
RUGBY LAW CHANGES SCRUM HALVES MUNSTER SARACENS CHAMPIONS CUP
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Leinster Experiment With New Lineout Tactics Ahead of Rugby Law ChangesLeinster's lineout struggled in their Champions Cup match against Clermont, but coach Jacques Nienaber attributes the performance to experimentation with new tactics designed to comply with upcoming World Rugby rule changes.
Read more »
Connacht Rugby to Host Munster at MacHale ParkConnacht Rugby will host Munster at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar for the first time on March 29th, 2025.
Read more »
Connacht Rugby to Play Munster in CastlebarConnacht Rugby will face Munster in a historic inter-pro clash at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar next March. This will be Mayo's first time to host a competitive Connacht Rugby fixture in the professional era.
Read more »
Munster v Leinster: Live UpdatesFollow the action live as Munster host Leinster in the United Rugby Championship.
Read more »
Leinster Triumph Over Munster in URC ClashLeinster secured a bonus-point victory against Munster in a United Rugby Championship match.
Read more »
Munster and Ulster Announce Injury Updates Ahead of Champions Cup Rugby MatchesMunster Rugby welcomes back four players, Conor Murray, Diarmuid Barron, Diarmuid Kilgallen, and Jack O’Donoghue, to training for their Champions Cup clash against Saracens. Peter O’Mahony’s availability is still uncertain. Meanwhile, Ulster Rugby reveals Michael Lowry’s absence due to a thigh muscle injury, but Iain Henderson returns to the squad for their match against Leicester Tigers.
Read more »