All that glitters....

All that glitters isn't gold

The truth is the game's rules need a real and PROPER overhaul. I know all the chopping and changing as they strive for the perfect game doesnt help, especially when they get it wrong and some teams take advantage to the detriment of rugby (like a certain recent Bulls team), and the old adage says dont fix what isnt broken. Thing is rugby IS broken. There are still rules that just dont need to be there and a hell of a lot of rules that contradict themselves (you want to be really confused?...study the rules for when the ball is deemed in or out of the field of play).
The rule-makers have tried to do certain things like take match deciding decisions out of the refs' hands (how's that one working out?), and just eliminate unnecessary whistling. One rule springs to mind. A few seasons ago the "tackle-release" law was introduced because tacklers who were still playing at the ball while they were regaining their feet were killing the game's attack and making every ruck a 50/50 penalty call either way (so when you played for the Bulls that meant either 3pts for you or, on account of you always kicking the ball when within 60m of your own goal line, a clearing kick for the opposition). Problem is some idiot ref got it wrong in one of the first games and the rule has become what it wasnt supposed to be. There is no reason at all that a tackler who doesnt go off his feet should have to release. And if the refs were more capable then the bigwigs would see that no rule change was even necessary,....any tackler on the ground isnt allowed to play at the ball anyway.
Easy to gloss over all this when once in awhile there is a great game where the ref HASNT effected the outcome and acting like all that glitters is gold when all the new rugby fans dont actually understand the game enough to question....but as i said...the game is broken.