The catepillar - my latest annoyance

[RogerE]

There are various "interpretations" of the laws that annoy me no end, for example

• not putting the ball into a scrum straight, so causing the scrum to be a means of gaining a penalty rather than a competitive restart
  
• the driving maul, which is the only form of legalised obstruction still left in the game
• the incessant running roundduring the leadup to the throw-in at line outs

However the thing that has annoyed me more, the last few years, and no more so than the final on Saturday where Exeter used it at almost every ruck, was the continually bringing-in extra forwards to increase the length of the caterpillar to give the scrum half better protection to enable him to get his box kick away.

It looks like I am not the only one who gets annoyed with it as this Loose Pass articled by Lawrence Nolan from Planet Rugby shows:

The end of the caterpillar

Nearly every law update, every reinforcement of existing laws, every tweak to the regulations covering game play, is designed to do one of three things: make the game safer, improve the flow of the game for the fans, and help referees analyse the game’s contact situations almost algorithmically to help achieve consistency and understanding for all.

Mostly, they work. The game has sped up. Ball in play time is more than 50 per cent up on what it was a handful of years ago. Although rucks are still the issue of many an argument and referees are still subject to deeply unfair scrutiny at every contact situation, they are easier to observe and understand for all.

One of the better ones, so we all at PR Towers thought a few years ago, was the ‘use it’ call, whereby referees would call ‘use it’ when he saw the ball available and then give the attacking team five seconds before giving a scrum to the opposition. Later, this aspect was further simplified by the referee’s ability to declare the ruck won and warn defending players not to try and steal (although counter-rucks were still allowed). And by and large, it worked. Scrum-halves did distribute quicker, the game did speed up and there was less shenanigans from half-backs.

Even more recently, referees have been given licence to be far more explicit about when the ball is out of a ruck and when it is not, with benefit of doubt almost always given to the attacking team and to the protection of the half-backs. Some balls these days are quite clearly out from the back foot, yet referees yell almost apoplectically at opposition fringe defenders to get back and leave it alone.

All of this with the intention of protecting half-backs from the ever-increasing, ever-accelerating hulks looking to bury them into the turf in the same way the players in the Asterix in Britain book would. Half-backs get a lot of slack, not undeservedly as their abilities and distributions make the game tick.

So why, for the love of Aaron Smith, why, are the lawmakers not taking a good, hard look at the caterpillar ruck practice and coming up with a quick piece of legislation to wipe it out of the game forever?

Some of the rucks in the Premiership final took a good 15 seconds to be completed from the moment the ball was clearly presented at the back of it, never mind the moment of contact. Half-backs stood around rolling the ball gingerly backwards with their toes. Back three players shivered in the wind and rain waiting for the inevitable high ball.

    The sooner this ludicrous loop hole gets taken out of the game the better. Looks ridiculous. @premrugby @btsportrugby pic.twitter.com/RRqmcUbFxh

    — 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 (@MrChrisClarkson) November 3, 2019

Granted the conditions were conducive to a kick-oriented game, but we’re estimating that three of the 80 minutes were spent watching one forward after another bind limply onto the backside of the one in front of him while the half-backs attempted a dainty imitation of Cristiano Ronaldo. That’s 3.75% of the game-time, and that might be a kind estimate.

Here are two quickfire common-sense suggestions: a) a half-back (or any player not a part of the ruck) can only touch the ball with his boot once while it is in the ruck, or b) referees should be mandated to call ‘use it’ as soon as the ball is no longer available for the defenders to steal without a counter-ruck.

Neither is difficult to implement, and it would get rid of a really ugly, boring, irritating practice from the game forever.

[Dgwasp]

The main problem with the caterpillar is that the ball will be in the ruck and a caterpillar forming. The ref will say use it and then allow the scrum half as long as it takes to roll the ball all the way to the end of the caterpillar. Which is well over the time alloted to actually distribute the ball.

If a side could deploy the caterpillar and move the ball on in sufficient time I'd be ok with it.  I don't think that is actually possible though.

I'm not sure why refs don't penalise the slow distribution from the ruck, unless the infrequent use puts them on the back foot.

[wycombewasp]

+1

[Chunky24]

Apart from applying the useit law earlier Not sure how you would word it to outlaw the caterpillar ruck, perhaps a limitation of the distance the ball can be from the original tackle before being called out or to use e.g 2 metres? Otherwise you have to somehow word it about a number of players one behind each other not actively part of winning the ruck? Seems a very difficult thing to outlaw specifically and probably just opens another can of worms.

[RogerE]

Dan hardly used it all during the final, whereas Jack Maunder had a 3-4 player caterpillar for every scrum.

Makes you wonder if it is used more by a number 9 who is not so confident in his ability to get a box kick away before he is scragged.

[Neils]

Dan hardly used it all during the final, whereas Jack Maunder had a 3-4 player caterpillar for every scrum.

Makes you wonder if it is used more by a number 9 who is not so confident in his ability to get a box kick away before he is scragged.

+1

[Raggs]

It's rare for a 9 to go over the 5 seconds call in truth. I count in my head every time I hear it. The problem is refs need to call it as soon as the ball is available, not after the scrum half has already started faffing.

[Rossm]

Earlier in the season, I was getting irritated by how slow the ball seemed to be coming out and into play and counted how long it took after the ref had called 'use it'. Like Raggs, I was surprised that, in the game I was watching, most of the time the SH actually got the ball away within 5 secs. However, at least once he took 9 secs and another time he took 11 secs. Can't remember which game but I think the ref was Doyle.

[westwaleswasp]

I don't mind a few seconds for a defensive box kick from coffin corner, but the caterpillar and box kick from 9  as an attacking strategy is just yuk.

[Nigel Med]

How about this; "A ruck is deemed to be over either 5 seconds from when the referee calls Use It, or when the player in the scrum half position plays the ball. Playing the ball is defined as moving the ball from its original position with his hands or feet"

No point in players binding on to form a caterpillar as the No.9 can't move the ball to the back without being tackled. It does allow the 9 to place his hands on the ball while he makes his decision on what to do with it, the ref can call "ruck over" if he sees it moved.

Would that work?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

How about this; "A ruck is deemed to be over either 5 seconds from when the referee calls Use It, or when the player in the scrum half position plays the ball. Playing the ball is defined as moving the ball from its original position with his hands or feet"

No point in players binding on to form a caterpillar as the No.9 can't move the ball to the back without being tackled. It does allow the 9 to place his hands on the ball while he makes his decision on what to do with it, the ref can call "ruck over" if he sees it moved.

Would that work?

It may well do.  I'd simply like to see the position of the ball dictating the offside line.  So if they form a caterpillar the opposing team can simply saunter down the sides of it and tackle the 9 the second he places a hand or foot on the ball.

[Neils]

Far rather see as soon as the 9 touches it (foot or hand) the ref shouts "Out". No long chain because he is moving it with his foot. Certainly speed the game up.

[RogerE]

Far rather see as soon as the 9 touches it (foot or hand) the ref shouts "Out". No long chain because he is moving it with his foot. Certainly speed the game up.

+1

[BG]

Far rather see as soon as the 9 touches it (foot or hand) the ref shouts "Out". No long chain because he is moving it with his foot. Certainly speed the game up.

+1

+ 2

[Chunky24]

Far rather see as soon as the 9 touches it (foot or hand) the ref shouts "Out". No long chain because he is moving it with his foot. Certainly speed the game up.

+1

+ 2

There are times though when the 9 legitimately needs to dig it out from within the ruck to get a clear pass?
Also if the 9 is loosely bound on playing it with his foot then he is rucking so avoiding the out call?