New scrummaging laws cause concern to Bath Rugby forwards coach Neal Hatley

Bath Rugby forwards coach Neal Hatley has raised concerns with the RFU and Premiership Rugby Ltd about how new scrummaging laws will be policed.

With less than a month to go until the start of the Premiership, Hatley says forwards coaches are frustrated about what they claim is a “lack of clarity” from the International Rugby Board about how the new regulations will be interpreted and enforced.

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   Bath Rugby forwards coach Neal Hatley. PICTURE: Ian Johnson / TakingPictures-sport.co.uk

   
   

The IRB has announced a season-long global trial of a new crouch-bind-set engagement sequence at the scrum, with referees also instructed to ensure the ball is not put in unless the scrum is square and stationary.

The changes are intended to improve player welfare and also address the issue of scrums repeatedly collapsing and needing to be reset.

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But at a meeting in Northampton earlier this month, the Chronicle understands that coaches from a host of Premiership teams flagged up their anxieties.

Hatley, who was at the meeting with the RFU and PRL, said: “There’s not been clarity on how it will be policed. There is a real frustration. We would like a bit more notice on how it’s going to be refereed.

“Both the RFU and PRL have been good about disseminating the information when they get it but it seems to be slow coming to them from the IRB.

“No-one is jumping up and down, we are just saying that we are playing games in a few days’ time and we don’t really have a definitive idea of how the scrum is going to be refereed and policed. It’s a general frustration.”

Hatley said forward coaches would be analysing The Rugby Championship, which started last weekend, in order to get a steer on how referees will apply the new rules.

Bath director of rugby Gary Gold has even approached Craig Joubert and Jonathan Kaplan, leading referees in the southern hemisphere, in an effort to understand the application of the new rules.

Hatley stressed that he wasn’t opposed to the law changes but, like other coaches, wanted clear light to be cast on what referees will penalise.

“The powers that be have decided that they want these changes and we have to get on with it,” he said.

“Bitching and moaning about these changes isn’t going to help. We need to adapt but we need clarity.”

New scrummaging laws cause concern to Bath Rugby forwards coach Neal Hatley