In my quest to spark a rugby revolution, I’ve taken to wearing my Ernesto Che Guevara T-shirt with his beret-clad face emblazoned on my chest.
As Che was also a talented Argentinian scrumhalf, I have appointed him as my spiritual guide in the fight to liberate our backlines from the unjust laws that are starving them of possession and stopping their full participation in our game.
The root cause of the decline in backline participation over the past two decades is the explosion in the number of scrum penalties. Backs are no longer getting the possession that is their right from scrums.
The founding action of any revolutionary movement is to give it a name.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
England target revival against old foe South Africa after successive defeats
Ireland v Argentina: Robbie Henshaw takes over from Bundee Aki in only change to starting XV
Warren Gatland ‘didn’t think there would be so much pain’ in Wales reboot
As the chairperson and sole member of the People’s Revolutionary Council for Backline Justice and their Greater Participation via Law Reform, (PRCBJGPLR) we, or more accurately I, have unanimously voted, 1-0, that the title of our movement will be, ‘Find Your Backs’ Side’.
The mission of ‘Find Your Backs’ Side’ (FIBS) is to bring awareness of the unjust laws that have disadvantaged backlines to the attention of the rugby community.
To put it simply, backlines need more possession and more involvement.
Once backlines were peopled by creative geniuses who, when given their just share of possession, brought us joy and inspiration. Names like Mark Ella, Jonathon Davies, Gareth Edwards, Carlos Spencer, Serge Blanco, Jonah Lomu and David Campese all danced with impossible grace as they carried the ball with superhuman-like qualities.
Back in time, when the ball came out of scrums, our greatest centres such as Philippe Sella, Brian O’Driscoll, Tim Horan and Sonny Bill Williams were our leading try scorers.
Since the turn of the 21st century, backline play has been actively diminished and retreated into the shadows of a dark age.
Today, hookers (actual fee paying members of the Front Row Union) are often the game’s leading try scorers. This abomination is caused by the overwhelming number of scrums that now end in penalties, which in turn has triggered an explosion in the number of mauls formed from the lineouts created by these penalties. From which hookers score tries. All of which have disenfranchised backs’ involvements in the game.
Games across the globe are littered with examples of backs being starved of participation. But perhaps the most troubling example I have witnessed was at a recent match involving a French Under-18s academy, where I help to coach.
With 15 minutes remaining our academy team were three tries ahead when they were awarded an attacking midfield scrum on the opposition’s 22. The pressure was off so the team could run the ball.
With the 16 forwards tied up in the midfield scrum and the defending fullback behind the defensive line, this situation is a Nirvana for backline attack. The first scrum collapsed (time for another cup of tea). The reset scrum was dominated by our forwards who won a penalty.
Instead of forcefully demanding another scrum where the ball is passed to the backs, the outhalf kicked to the corner for a five metre lineout. The forwards then set up a maul and the hooker scored a try.
From the best backline attacking position on the rugby field, there was no participation from either backline, while the forwards had two scrums, a lineout, a maul and a try. The perfect example of the total imbalance of participation that is now in our game.
Later I asked our outhalf why he had kicked for touch and not called for another scrum and then demanded possession so the backs could run an attacking play? He said the forwards wanted the lineout to maul.
I could hear Che’s voice screaming in my ear: “Those bourgeois dogs have brainwashed our children.”
Even though I wanted to give the young man a good shake, in a brotherly tone I told him: “Forwards push the piano into a good position, then the backs play the tune. Forwards do not tell you, the outhalf, what to do. Corporals do not tell their generals what tactics to use in battle. You tell the forwards what you need to attack.”
We may have to re-educate an entire generation.
During the 2003 Rugby World Cup there were 29 backline tries scored from scrums. By 2015 that number had almost halved to 15. Finding the exact number of backline tries scored directly from scrums at this year’s tournament has proven to be a difficult and inconclusive task. If the figures I have been given are accurate, then a minuscule total of 10 tries were scored by backlines directly from scrums across 48 matches.
The unimaginable decline of tries being scored by backlines from scrums over the past 20 years is totally down to the laws and scrum penalties.
To support this generation of backs, I am declaring the first festival of FIBS open to all. Like all good backline movements, its aim is to create time and space. Time for reflection on the injustice of the laws that have diminished the participation of backline play in our game. And the space to restore backline attack by reforming scrum penalty laws that are denying our backs their rightful opportunities to get possession and participation in all aspects of the game.
Justice must be restored to our backlines.
The current generation of backs should heed Erny Guevara’s sage advice that all change starts with civil disobedience. So I would advise our backline comrades not to wait for the forwards to give you the ball. Demand from your coach and the forwards that the ball be liberated. Find your Backs’ Side and play the piano.
Larga vida á la revolución.
