Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is reportedly one of the prominent rugby voices leading the charge against teams naming forward-heavy benches. South Africa started deviating from the traditional make-up of five forwards and three backs by switching to six and two at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
That then became seven forwards and one back four years later – a tactic which France also adopted in their big win over Italy last month. Prominent pundit Matt Williams has publicly stated that he thinks it is ‘against the spirit of the game’ and ‘an abuse of safety laws’. And now Townsend agrees.
According to The Times, the Scotland boss voiced his concerns at the Shape Of The Game event in London. And there were several other high-profile rugby figures in attendance who share his view.
Critics of the tactic argue that it unfairly benefits teams who are blessed with power forwards. While the issue is expected to be addressed in due course, there is no expectation that the laws of the game will be tinkered with in the short term.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus claims that his tendency towards a six-two or a seven-one split solely comes down to what he feels gives the Springboks the best shot at victory.
“We want to win,” he said. “We want to win for our country. It is about what is best for South Africa within the laws so that we can win matches. For me, it makes sense for the French to pick a seven-one, because they have back-line players that can cover every single position.
“I don’t want people to be out there saying I’m being clever. It’s for us to win. I’m pretty sure that’s why the French did it. I’m pretty sure that’s why teams go six-two. They realise that you very seldom use your third back-line player. You always keep him on the bench for if there is another injury.”
France head coach Fabien Galthie has also defended his use of the tactic, as he feels it makes the best use of French resources on matchdays.
“The choice of a seven-one bench is linked to the profiles of the most competitive players we currently have in the French team,” he explained. “Looking at the performances we’ve had for a while now, that’s what we think is the best way to perform.”
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