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September 4, 2010

Posted on 09/04/2010

Revolution could change face of the game

Ex-England centre Will Greenwood believes the style of rugby being played in this season's Tri-Nations could revolutionise the game, in The Telegraph.

"The reason for my optimism is the quality of rugby played in the recent Tri-Nations tournament. It was breathless stuff – literally. I have never seen rugby played at such pace for such a sustained period of time. Players were moving the ball from all parts of the field, preferring to run rather than kick, daring the defence to stop them if they could. Props were flinging passes that three-quarters would have been proud of, backs were rucking and taking contact.
"This was rugby turned on its head and it sent out a message to teams such as England: play static rugby, dither with the ball at the back of a ruck or maul, try to slow things down, and you will be punished. England will have a lot to think about. They have been trying to move to a more liberated, quick game, the second Test v Australia was exceptional but it can now not be the exception.

"After this last Tri-Nations, they will have little choice but to be even braver in how they play or they will be blown apart. It really will be do-or-die stuff for the team and management, such was the quality of rugby on offer in the Tri-Nations.

"I was getting text messages from friends, both rugby fans and sometime viewers, who could not believe what they were seeing. They all talked about the spectacle of what was going on. This was a style of rugby that could draw people away from football, from Twenty20 cricket, from anything that sold itself as fast, sexy and exciting. Rugby was suddenly seat-of-your-pants stuff that you didn’t have to be a purist to understand."

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