World Rugby is considering reducing the number of substitutions permitted in an 80-minute game, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The publication has revealed that the federation is “using data” from competitions such as Super Rugby and the Premiership to determine whether or not to cull the number of substitutes allowed in a match.
EXCLUSIVE: World Rugby consider reducing number of permitted substitutes per match | @KateLouiseRowan & @bencoles_ reporthttps://t.co/lLSIzq4bNY
— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) July 18, 2020
England head coach Eddie Jones has backed the decision, believing that being able to use all eight men in from the bench removes the fatigue factor from the game.
“I would put the game down to six replacements and the referees less communicating about decisions and get on with the game. And I think we have got to find out some way to tidy up the TMO.”
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England and Lions legend Jeremy Guscott has also backed the potential law change, writing in The Rugby Paper: “Half a team coming on with fresh legs and sharp minds against guys, who have been taken to the point of exhaustion, is pushing the game out of the realms of normality.
“We have got to make sure that Rugby Union remains a game in which skill and fitness are paramount – even though the fitness element has been eroded.
“A player like Alun Wyn Jones can go for 80 minutes, and so can Mako Vunipola, but there are a hell of a lot that cannot. The only problem is they are not made to pay the price.”
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