Player 23

What a brilliant move by the IRB!

The latest ruling to include a 23rd player in a squad - provided he is a front rower - is a masterstroke by the IRB. It plans to alleviate the sneaky tactic used by teams with weaker scrumming power that force un-contested scrums under current rules.

A 23rd player may be included in a squad provided that there are three replacement front rowers in the form of 2 props and a hooker.

The current ruling that allows un-contested scrums, states that when a front rower gets injured and there are no more front row replacements in the entire squad fit enough to take his place, then un-contested scrums are in play.

Recently we have seen more and more teams force uncontested scrums by having a couple frontrowers deemed injured during play and unfit to continue. When no more replacements are available the game is forced into un-contested scrums. This tactic is usually used by weaker scrummaging teams and takes away the competitive advantage of the stronger opposition scrum.

Some may say that scrums do not constitute an entire game, but believe it when I say that being strongly scrummed against takes a lot out of the forward pack as a whole, and contributes to poor performance in other areas of the game. A scrum that is shoved backwards also puts their backline on the backfoot and puts the opposition backline on the frontfoot. Although rugby is a physically brutal sport, the psychology in a game plays a huge part and when a team is being out-scrummed this places huge doubt in the minds of the forward pack.

The new ruling is one that aims to negate the negative impact it may have on a stronger team. At the moment the ruling does not apply to international fixtures and is also not compulsory at any level. The IRB have decided to give the power to the respective unions and governing bodies of domestic and cross-border competitions and let them decide on whether they wish to implement the rule or not.

Further to the ruling, it states that should no more fit front row replacements be available in the squad to take the field and un-contested scrums come into play, then the team forcing the non-contested scrums may not replace the injured front row with another player, meaning that they will effectively play with 14 men from then on.

Great rule and I will be happy for them to implement it at international level as soon as possible - Autralia and Western Province might be devastated by the new ruling :)