Scrum laws enhance game

Press, 24 June 1985, Page 23

Scrum laws enhance game

By

PETER O’HARA

NZPA staff correspondent London

New laws give players with the strength and ability of All Black prop, Gary Knight, a bigger not smaller impact on rugby, according to a New Zealand Rugby Football Union representative, Mr Bob Stuart. Mr Stuart, in Britain this week discussing law changes with Home Union officials, said reports that Knight had been rendered ineffective were “a lofof nonsense.” >

British newspapers said during the All Black tests against England this month that Knight’s strength and years of experience had been dissipated by the new laws. “Knight’s ammunition locker has been raided by misguided do-gooders,” one journalist, Stephen Jones, wrote in the Sunday Times. Mr Stuart, who skippered the 1953-54 All Blacks from the forwards, told NZPA: “It’s a lot of nonsense to talk about some of the players not being so effec-

tive. “If he’s worth his crust at all he's got his line-out height and we’ve opened up decent rucking and mauling which we didn’t have before.

“A man of Gary Knight’s strength and ability has got an enhanced impact on the game, not diminished.” Mr Stuart is a member of an International Rugby Board committee examining the relationship between laws and subjects including coaching and refereeing. He said i.he had told Home UnicQ officials New Zealand

did not appear to be experiencing any problems with new laws on scrum formation and body positions.

He said critics had to remember the main aim of the law changes was to eliminate neck and back injuries. “Our record shows we’ve got a tremendous range of back-related injuries. It’s spread over the older players as well as the younger ones.

“If we went on power scrummaging we were just going to encourage more back and neck injurisz”