England's Freddie Steward is calling for a law tweak to address the growing issue of spoiling tactics in aerial battles, making it increasingly difficult for players to collect high balls with consistent success. The England full-back believes that teams are resorting to flapping their arms and chasing down opponents simply because they're allowed to, rather than putting in genuine attempts to catch the ball.
Steward's comments come as the Six Nations championship gets underway next week, with Wales expected to be one of the main perpetrators of this tactic. The England coach, Steve Borthwick, has warned that Wales will look to kick the ball 50 times when they visit Allianz Stadium, a strategy that Steward says is putting players at greater risk of injury.
To address this issue, Steward thinks a law change would be beneficial, requiring teams to make a genuine attempt to catch the ball. He's not opposed to the idea of onrushing opponents being discouraged, but feels that the current regulation allows wingers to simply flail their arms and try to knock the ball out of play.
As a result, Steward has had to adapt his own technique to avoid injury, adopting a more aggressive approach in the air and putting himself at greater risk. He's struggling with the expectation that he needs to come down clean with the ball, often finding himself turning into a "battering ram" with his knee in an attempt to catch the ball.
Steward believes that if teams are forced to make a genuine attempt to catch the ball, it would take some of the skill out of flapping and throwing opponents off their feet. However, not everyone shares this view, with South Africa's assistant coach Mzwandile Stick arguing that the current law encourages a fairer contest for the ball.
Stick thinks that the increasing number of loose balls could lead to more opportunities for broken-field running and counterattacks, but acknowledges that some teams are taking advantage of the situation by resorting to repetitive box kicking. As the Six Nations gets underway, it remains to be seen whether Steward's call for a law tweak will be answered.
Steward's comments come as the Six Nations championship gets underway next week, with Wales expected to be one of the main perpetrators of this tactic. The England coach, Steve Borthwick, has warned that Wales will look to kick the ball 50 times when they visit Allianz Stadium, a strategy that Steward says is putting players at greater risk of injury.
To address this issue, Steward thinks a law change would be beneficial, requiring teams to make a genuine attempt to catch the ball. He's not opposed to the idea of onrushing opponents being discouraged, but feels that the current regulation allows wingers to simply flail their arms and try to knock the ball out of play.
As a result, Steward has had to adapt his own technique to avoid injury, adopting a more aggressive approach in the air and putting himself at greater risk. He's struggling with the expectation that he needs to come down clean with the ball, often finding himself turning into a "battering ram" with his knee in an attempt to catch the ball.
Steward believes that if teams are forced to make a genuine attempt to catch the ball, it would take some of the skill out of flapping and throwing opponents off their feet. However, not everyone shares this view, with South Africa's assistant coach Mzwandile Stick arguing that the current law encourages a fairer contest for the ball.
Stick thinks that the increasing number of loose balls could lead to more opportunities for broken-field running and counterattacks, but acknowledges that some teams are taking advantage of the situation by resorting to repetitive box kicking. As the Six Nations gets underway, it remains to be seen whether Steward's call for a law tweak will be answered.
. I mean, what's next? Teams going to start chasing each other around the pitch just for the sake of it? It's like they think winning is overrated. And Steward's right, it's putting players at risk of injury. Can't these guys just try to catch a ball without putting their heads in a spin? 
I'm not sure if a law change would be the solution, but something needs to give. Maybe they should just make them wear helmets or something 
. And what's with all the "battering ram" nonsense? Freddie Steward's right, though - it is frustrating when you have to change your game like that just to avoid getting hurt 
. I'd love to see some common sense applied here, not more rules or excuses 
.
I remember watching those old-school full-backs who could literally jump off the line and catch anything. Nowadays, it seems like they're all trying to avoid getting hit than actually catching the ball 
. I think if they make them make a real attempt at catching it, it'll be better for everyone involved 
. But at the same time, you don't want to stifle the skill and creativity of players who can take advantage of these loose balls 
... anyway, that's just my two cents 
.
! It's not just about the players' safety, it's about fair play too. I mean, can't teams just use their brains and try to catch the ball instead of flapping their arms like a bunch of birds 
? Freddie Steward makes a point that this is putting them at risk of injury, and I don't blame him for wanting change.
Teams are basically doing a bunch of "arm flailing" and hoping the other team messes up to get possession of the ball. It's not even trying anymore! 
Just a thought... 
! I'm like, what's the point of just flapping your arms and hoping to knock the ball away? It's not even a skill anymore 
️. But, Mzwandile Stick makes a good point too... I guess the key is finding that balance between being aggressive and just being reckless 
. I think a law change is defo needed here 
. The Wales team's strategy of kicking 50 times sounds like a real endurance test 
. Not sure if South Africa's assistant coach has a point about the fairer contest though 
!
. Like, what's the point of flapping around like a bird in flight just to try and knock the ball out of someone's hands? 
... but come on, can't we find a balance between fair play and strategy? 
. And now he has to change his game to avoid getting hurt 
.
. But at the same time, I can see why Mzwandile Stick is saying that this could lead to more broken-field running and counterattacks 
... it's a weird situation.
Maybe we need a new rule or something? Like, teams have to make 3 attempts to catch the ball before they're allowed to just throw it away 
. Or maybe they can just encourage more teamwork and communication... that would be awesome 
!
It's all about taking risks now. And don't even get me started on how it used to be - you'd have these epic aerial battles and the players would put their bodies on the line for that one inch of space... now it's just all about not getting hurt. I'm starting to think that's what they want, that we're just expected to be a bunch of wimps now. 
Not that I'm saying teams can't be all aggressive and physical, but come on... use your brain for once 
. Freddie Steward has a point about people just flapping around and trying to knock the ball out of play instead of actually going for it. It's crazy how many injuries are happening because of this tactic, and I don't blame him for wanting to change the rules. But at the same time, Mzwandile Stick makes a good point that sometimes teams are just playing it safe and not trying to take risks. Maybe there needs to be some middle ground? A little more leniency for players who really want to go for it while still keeping safety in mind 
But seriously, if the law changes, it could make the game more exciting again, instead of just being a bunch of guys flailing around 
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. It's crazy that wingers have to resort to flailing their arms and risking injury just to get the ball back 
. And you know what? Freddie Steward is totally right 
. It's time for the rugby authorities to step in and crack down on these teams before someone gets seriously hurt 
.
and yeah, if they had to try harder to catch it, it'd take some of the skill outta it