THE Rugby World Cup saw South Africa and host nation Japan emerge as the big winners in 2019. South Africa's third coronation as world champions was a landmark because it was the first time they had won with a truly multi-racial side, led by flanker Siya Kolisi, the first black Springbok captain.
Japan also put down a huge marker as the first Asian hosts of the tournament, lighting it up with a scintillating brand of cut-and-thrust rugby which relied more on speed and handling skills than battering-ram size and power.
By beating Ireland and Scotland they shook the world order and turned rugby union in their country from a minority sport into one with a national profile.
However, elsewhere the game has had a plethora of problems. Attempts at a reorganised global season through the San Francisco Agreement have resulted in World Rugby saddling Europe to a virtual year-long season.
The Lions tour, one of the great institutions of the game, has been shoe-horned into a five-week slot, which effectively means a three-week series, rather than a tour.
At the same time, World Rugby's first attempt at establishing an annual World League/Nations Cup was scuppered by a combination of self-interest, fear of relegation among the Six Nations unions, and a lack of clarity over key issues.
One of the main driving forces behind the initiative is the marked decline in television audiences and match attendances in the southern hemisphere's two flagship tournaments, Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship.
In the end, its main achievement was to raise big questions over whether the administration of the professional sport at international level, and club/provincial level, is fit for purpose.
Similar questions were raised by the Premiership salary cap scandal which embroiled Saracens.
It resulted in the most stringent financial penalty in pro Rugby Union history with the English and European club champions fined over £5m and docked 35 league points two months before the New Year.
So, yes, we had a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly in 2019.
Here is a list of New Year resolutions which will hopefully enhance the good in 2020, and show the red card to the bad and ugly, so that this great game goes from strength to strength, both in Britain, and worldwide.
My England wish list for the New Year
England to move on in style
Let's have an unbeatable combination of resilience and flair from an England side which learns from its World Cup defeat from South Africa and goes on to hit the heights.
Their ambition in the next two years under Eddie Jones should be to win a Grand Slam in 2020 by proving they can play like they did against New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final five times in a row – and then try to repeat it in 2021.
Eddie Jones to sharpen-up as a selector
The England head coach has a habit of creating sinecures, with his favourites certain of being selected, irrespective of how well they play. Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, Elliot Daly, and even the Vunipola brothers and Owen Farrell, are cases in point.
The main selection yardstick in each position has to be that it is on merit, and is based on a rich run of form with consistent excellence as the bedrock.
Jones is sometimes guilty of putting loyalty based on past form ahead of clear evidence that a player is not at his best. No player should have an unchallengeable right to an England shirt.
Remember UnderCurry – and repeat!
One of Fast Eddie's great selection success stories has been the way he seized on the opportunity to promote openside flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry in the 18 months before the World Cup. The young raiders rewarded Jones by giving England a breakdown dominance over Australia and New Zealand in the World Cup that had to be seen to be believed – and that paved the way to the final.
Jones must continue to trawl the extensive pool of young English talent available to him, and promote those who have the Test hallmark. More of the same please!
Find a scrum-half shooting star
England have not had a world-class scrum-half since Matt Dawson and Kyran Bracken were neck-and-neck in 2003, and Jones should do something about it. He could start by setting up a scrum-half task force to ensure that the accuracy of closed skills – like whiplash passing from the base, and landing box-kicks on a sixpence – are immaculate.
For reasons that have never been made clear, Jones did not give either Ben Spencer or Dan Robson the chance to challenge Ben Youngs.
Bracken, who has been a stern critic of Jones' scrum-half policy, believes that both have the credentials to be Test No.9s. Jones could do worse than ask Bracken to take charge of the task force, first to hone the skills of Spencer and Robson, and second to unearth and polish a couple of young gems to succeed them.
Rescue National Leagues from the cliff edge
The RFU are meant to be the guardian of the game in England, but they appear to be asleep on duty while a hugely important part of the club structure at National League level – the part-timers just below the Premiership and Championship professional tier – is in danger of going into freefall.
Steve Hill, the Richmond rugby director, whose side are second in National One, said in an interview with the TRP last week, “player numbers are falling off a cliff”.
Hill says that the number of fixtures foisted on the 48 National League clubs by a 16-team league structure in National One, and also in National 2 North and South, is a disaster. He argues that it is causing such fatigue over travel, training, and length of season that whole blocks of second, third and fourth team fixtures are being cancelled, while first teams are ‘on their knees' after playing more matches than their professional counterparts in the Premiership.
Hill says the RFU must take action now, because players are walking away from the game.
My wish list for the game worldwide in 2020
Sort out offside
Referees to police the offside line ruthlessly – because it is the best way of ensuring that the defending side does not get an unfair advantage over the attacking side.
Sort out the scrum – and enforce a straight put-in.
Resets occur so often because the scrum is a convoluted mess. Here's the solution. The referee ensures the front rows remain square, that their shoulders do not go lower than their hips, and, crucially, that initially there is an uncontested engagement, and that the packs only push once the referee has told the scrum-half to put the ball in. That should be the referee's only call, and any infringements incur a full penalty.
All referees who fail to enforce the straight put-in should be sanctioned and dropped one tier.
Bring back the ruck
Make sure that the team going forward at a ruck or maul gets the scrum put-in if the ball is not playable within 15 seconds. The cardinal rule is that in a ruck or maul only players on their feet can contest for the ball.
Clarify the breakdown
This is the area around the tackle where the tackler can challenge for the ball in what looks like an offside position as long as he gets back on his feet and releases the ball-carrier, before grappling to win a turn-over before a ruck or maul is formed.
Cut out the chat
Players other than captains appealing to referees or showing dissent to be penalised and marched back ten metres.
No more cuddling up
Referees to stop coaching players, and also to avoid using first names to prevent claims of bias. ‘Captain' or the number on their shirt is all that is required.
Kill the caterpillar ruck
The lawmakers must put a stop to the long extension, which encourages endless box-kicks.
