‘There is no conspiracy’ – Jake White offers unique theory for World Rugby’s controversial scrum amendment

Bulls head coach Jake White insists that World Rugby are not unfairly targeting the Springboks by amending a law which prevents teams from opting for a scrum from a free-kick.

Critics, especially from South Africa, have accused the governing body of depowering the set-piece and allowing teams to get away with having a weaker scrum.

The Boks have won the past two Rugby World Cups, with their scrum being a primary weapon, but this move from World Rugby could hamper one of their biggest strengths.

White’s theory

White, on the other hand, has refuted that idea and offered an explanation for its introduction.

“I’m aware that some people will create conspiracy theories to explain why this occurred,” the former head of the Springboks told reporters.

“I would like to clarify that rugby’s rules are intended for school-age players. Pro players are not the intended audience for them.

White continued by drawing comparisons between it and an earlier law, this one at the ruck, which was altered due to concerns about safety.“People who read it are naive. For example, in the past you had a so-called squeezeball, where a player got on all fours and pushed the ball through his legs. It was a big thing before they cancelled it,” he said.

When school kids saw that, they imitated it. They witnessed individuals with strong necks, like Malcolm Marx and Lawrence Dallaglio, accomplish this.

When a young child tries to accomplish it and someone falls on him, they risk becoming paralyzed. Then, parents object to their kids playing the game.

Consider it in that light. A lower amount of scrums will encourage more kids to play the game.

Nobody advocates for the scrum to be “depowered.” The school game used to allow you to scrum, but now it only allows you to do so up to a meter and a half in length. It is now different. Regarding that, there is no conspiracy.”

Officiating issues

With this amendment, teams with weaker scrums will no doubt look to take advantage and White says that it is vital the officials punish any potential gamesmanship.

“The number of free kicks awarded during scrum time needs to be determined by the legislators and the referees,” he continued. “More playing around [trickery] is in store.” That’s how coaches are; they’ll figure out a way [to milk it].

Giving a team a free kick might occasionally be a better defensive strategy than defending from a scrum. It is something that referees will need to consider.

“I want to emphasize that the laws are designed to increase the number of players, make the game safer, and make it obvious that it is a game. It is unrelated to the fact that certain teams prefer scrum while others do not.