Ever felt cheated at the end of a rugby match? Former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman certainly has, and he's taking action to change a rule that often leaves a 'sour taste' in players' and fans' mouths. This is about how games end, and whether the current rules are truly fair.
Jackman's concern stems from a recent Munster versus Leinster match. In the dying seconds, Leinster's Rieko Ioane knocked the ball forward while making a tackle. Although unintentional, the referee correctly blew the final whistle, ending the game with Leinster winning. This outcome, while legal according to the current laws, is what Jackman wants to address.
But here's where it gets controversial... Jackman believes this ending is particularly unsavory when the score is close, like the 13-8 scoreline in the Leinster-Munster game. Munster was aggressively attacking, trying to score a winning try, when Ioane's knock-on abruptly ended their hopes.
Jackman's proposed solution? He's advocating for World Rugby to change the rule. He wants to see a scrum awarded to the attacking team in situations like these, especially in close games. He's stated that this idea has been in his notebook for a while, and he plans to propose it to World Rugby.
“We saw it during the Women’s World Cup. It doesn’t happen all the time but particularly when it’s a one-score game, I see no reason why we couldn’t restart with a scrum [to the attacking team] there,” he told the RTE Rugby podcast.
He feels that the current rule 'short-changes' fans and can negatively impact the game's excitement. He points out that games are stopped for other reasons, so why not here?
The Munster team's subsequent performance, a 28-3 loss to Ulster, further highlighted the impact of the initial defeat.
What do you think? Do you agree with Jackman that the current rule can feel unfair? Should the attacking team be given another chance with a scrum in these situations? Or do you believe the current rule is fair as it is? Share your thoughts in the comments!
