Just not rugby: Italy’s tactics anger England in Six Nations

The All Blacks’ most innovative thinker does not believe Italy’s controversial shock breakdown tactics against England in their Six Nations clash at Twickenham will prompt law changes.

“Italy came with a tactic of doing what they did around the breakdown which basically meant there was no rugby being played”, he said. It’s hard when you’re not playing rugby.

A perplexed captain Dylan Hartley resorted to asking referee Romain Poite what his side could do to combat the Azzurri tactic of nullifying the ruck area.

Italy, coached by Irishman Conor O’Shea, is not even in the top six teams in Europe according to the World Rugby rankings. “They [World Rugby] are in charge of the shape of the game and I am sure Bill Beaumont [the chairman] will have watched the game and will take action”.

“Do you remember Trevor Chappell, the cricketer who bowled underarm so you couldn’t hit him for six?”

But afterwards cricket fan Jones compared Italy’s approach to the infamous “underarm” climax of an Australia-New Zealand one-day worldwide in 1981.

That made it impossible for tailend batsman Brian McKechnie – also an New Zealand rugby worldwide – to hit a six.

The Australia-born Jones echoed those comments in his post-match interview, says the BBC, drawing a parallel with an infamous incident from the world of cricket. “Similar rules today. congratulations to Italy, strategically it was smart, so well done to them”. Let’s be serious about it, it wasn’t rugby today.

O’Shea was unrepentant, though.

“Anything that makes you think, slows you down a bit”. Yet Law 16.1 states that a ruck is only formed when “at least one player must be in physical contact with an opponent”. Could we have adjusted even quicker? “We looked at Toulouse v Wasps and Australia v Ireland and thought ‘why not just do it?’ In the scheduled prematch referee’s meeting, O’Shea confirmed their plans with Poite”. “We have a few other animals up our sleeves, not just the Fox”. We found something out there that we’ve never needed to before.

“It’s not up to me (to decide on law changes). You will probably find the solution with your coach”. A lot of what he says is tongue in cheek, and he likes to get into those tit-for-tat situations. If that’s rugby then I’m retiring.

Italy coach Conor O’Shea did not take the insults lying down, however, saying: “I’m sick and exhausted of people having a pop at us. The only ones who knew what was going on was the Italians”.

Italy tore up the form book to lead England at half-time with the home side looking for a 17th straight win.

“We are undefeated, we have a bonus point and are in a flawless position to go on and win the RBS 6 Nations.”We are undefeated, we have a bonus point and are in a ideal position to go on and win the RBS 6 Nations”.

“We talked as a group of coaches and said ‘ok, will we go for this?'”

“Every day is a school day”. “That’s why it’s called a test match”, Haskell said.