I’m sorry, but ‘line rumbles’ are just one long yawn…

THE Junior World Cup in Georgia has thrown up all sorts of talking points. Last week I lamented some pretty poor officiating both from referees and the TMO team and now it is time to discuss rolling mauls which are down to the law makers rather than those officials tasked with implementing the law.

In the midweek semi-final between France and New Zealand five of the first six tries were scored from five-metre rolling mauls from uncontested 5m lineouts. Watching paint dry or the tide go out at Skegness would be an infinitely more satisfying way of spending an afternoon and many years ago I gave up trying to describe them or bringing the process to life in print. Line rumble is the best I can manage and life is too short to try and improve on that.

Six of the tries in Scotland‘s win over Argentina also came from rolling mauls close to the line and many of the games in Georgia have featured similar hauls.

While accepting that at this level exceptional size and coaching can accentuate the problem it’s still just so bloody boring to watch.

The inevitability rankles most, from the moment the attacking team pumps the ball into the corner and the two lineouts start assembling. There seems almost no jeopardy in the score, no way to defend it legally.

And that’s the great enduring mystery of rolling mauls, there seems no explanation as to why they are even legal in the first place, six or seven forwards bound together ahead of the ball carrier obstructing would-be tacklers and then, just to make defence even more futile, you are not allowed to actually tackle the ball carrier to ground.

Why? I’ve never heard a proper explanation. Surely an absolutely core element of rugby is the right to tackle the ball carrier? That’s almost the whole point of the game. So why, when you tackle the ball carrier when he is part of a maul, is it suddenly redefined as dragging the maul down? Why are defences rendered useless, why suddenly are you not allowed to contest the issue… at the exact moment when that’s exactly what you need to do?

I’ve heard safety issues mentioned in the past but again that doesn’t compute. Most mauls are not particularly dynamic, they are slow and lumbering, I don’t see any particular risk to life and limb if you dive and tackle the legs of the ball carrier

Anyway onwards the game lurches, refusing to address this blot on the landscape.