You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that most of World Rugby’s new law variations are consciously or unconsciously targeting the Springboks’ strengths.
It started earlier this year when it was announced that teams won’t be able to opt for a scrum from a free kick. This comes shortly after Damian Willemse famously put his fists together in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final against France after taking a mark in his own 22.
The scrum is of course one of the Springboks’ biggest weapons, a platform they use to win penalties to secure field position or have a kick at goal to build scoreboard pressure.
There have also been new law variations trailed around the scrum itself, as “a scrum must be set 30 seconds from when the mark for scrum is made by the referee. A free kick shall be awarded at place of scrum against the team causing the delay”.
So, teams who are struggling at scrum time can now essentially delay the setting of the scrum and rather concede a free kick instead of penalty on the back of a retreating scrum.
The most feared scrum in the history of rugby? 💣
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 24, 2023
Here's what the Springboks had to say following their win over England 🗣️#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/TrlD2k5mmZ
Now, over the weekend, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont told The Times in an interview he is concerned the game is becoming over-reliant on substitutes, specifically referring to the Springboks’ “Bomb Squad”.
Beaumont is not the first person do so, after former Scotland coach Matt Williams earlier this year again criticised the make-up of the Springboks’ bench against Ireland, saying it discriminates against the backline players.
Williams also had a lot to say about the Springboks 6-2 and 7-1 bench splits in favour of the forwards during the last Rugby World Rugby in France.
Of course, the Springboks and their coach Rassie Erasmus are well within their rights and the laws to pick whatever bench they want to. But their use of their replacements does seems to be a touchy subject elsewhere in the world.
“My view is that we allow too many substitutes,” Beaumont said in the interview.
The stuff of World Champions ✨
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 6, 2024
The Springboks win a fiery clash against Ireland 27-20.#RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Ax5on5wyPB
“I don’t know if I’m looking through rose-coloured spectacles, but in years gone by the game always opened up in the last 20 minutes, and games were often won in the last 20 minutes.
“The Bomb Squad are very effective at what they do, and very successful — they have won two World Cups. I will not criticise that at all, because it suits their game, but maybe they could run for a bit longer and a bit further.”
Beaumont is set to vacate his seat in November, but no one should be surprised if the laws around substitutes is revisited sometime between now and the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
@JohnGoliath82