🏉 Sam Warburton’s Frustration with Rugby’s Pace—Time for Change? 🏉
After Wales’ thrilling win over Japan, ex-captain Sam Warburton’s TV analysis was sidelined—thanks to game overruns plagued by stop-start stoppages! 😤 Warburton raced from the TV gantry to pitchside, only to find out that his segment on TNT was scrapped due to time constraints.
In his Times column, Sam vents about the modern game’s sluggishness, citing over-reliance on TMO replays and constant halts that spoil the spectacle. Remember England v New Zealand’s snail-paced three-minute restart recently? 🐌 That’s exactly what he’s talking about!
“Matches aren’t flowing like they used to,” says Sam. Ball-in-play time has nose-dived to 30-35 mins, compared to a decade ago when it was around 40.
There have been efforts to speed things up, like kick shot clocks and faster scrum sets, but it’s like cutting corners—trimming seconds here and taking ages for tackle decisions there. Sam supports fellow ex-captain Gwyn Jones’s radical law change proposal. How about making a mark anywhere on the field, not just the 22m line? This could reduce relentless box-kicking and hasten the game’s pace. 🤔 “Encouraging kicks to space and 50:22 plays have been fantastic, thanks to World Rugby,” Sam adds.
Warburton calls for common sense in refereeing head-contact, praising Karl Dickson for allowing play after reviewing James Lowe’s collision. Some hits, like Japan’s Harry Hockings on Alex Mann, should be permanent reds! 🟥
Even Japan’s coach, Eddie Jones, shares Sam’s TMO concern: “Referees should make calls, not the stadium screens,” insists Warburton. For a game with more flow and less faff, changes need to happen! 🏃♂️💨
What do you think? Is rugby in need of a serious pace overhaul? Drop your thoughts below! ⬇️