Former Wallabies coach and Springbok consultant Eddie Jones on Wednesday dismissed calls for changes to rugby union’s rules after a drab World Cup final that featured no tries.
Jones, who helped South Africa to their win in Paris, said the demand for change was ”Australia-centric” as the calls in that country have grown since the Wallabies’ defeat by a defensive England side.
He disputed critics who have complained that the emphasis on defence is strangling the life out of the game, saying a good defensive duel could be as entertaining as an attack-dominated match.
”There’s nothing wrong with the game,” Jones told commercial radio in Sydney. ”We’ve had some fantastic games at the World Cup and we’ve had some arm wrestles at the World Cup, but when you’re playing for a big prize you’re going to play quite simple rugby.
”I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
”In Europe, they don’t care about the way rugby’s played. If it’s fast and it’s free, that’s good. If it’s tight and grinding, that’s good. The crowds at the World Cup were enormous.”
Jones rejected Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill’s suggestion that the 15-a-side code could pick up tips on open play from rugby league.
”The game’s not perfect but I think that we’d be very, very foolish to look at changing the game to make it like league,” he said.
”I love league, I love watching league but I love watching union and I like watching all sorts of union.”
He said Australia’s league-influenced fans could not expect the rugby world to implement changes simply because they did not find some aspects of the game entertaining.
”That’s what we’ve got to be careful with, just talking about Australia,” he said.
”As much as I love the way we approach our sport, we’ve got to be careful we don’t change the game just because we want entertainment.”
International Rugby Board chairperson Syd Millar admitted after South Africa beat England 15-6 in the World Cup final that rugby matches could be more exciting.
Australia’s club competition has introduced new rules aimed at reducing the number of stoppages and opening up the game that are tipped to be adopted in next year’s Super 14 competition.
The experimental laws, which reward keeping the ball alive, reduce most penalties to free kicks, force backs to play five metres behind the scrum and try to make the game less reliant on decisions by referees. — AFP
