RugbyRebels

So, been in US of A, I did not watch rugby for years. Now the 6N is on NBC Sports, and I watched the game against Wales.

I noticed Italian players often getting through the ruck but gave up when the ref would call the ruck, even when they were trying to pick up the ball. The Welsh rarely cleared the rucks, and it showed because they lost a few.

However when the parts were reversed, the Welsh had their hands on the ball for 3-5 seconds, even when off their feet. And we got 1 lousy penalty in total. In the old times this would be killing the ball, a professional foul. A yellow card. Clearly this changed as well?

Apart from the usual differences in refereeing method (it seems like I never missed a game...) based on the color of the shirt, what are the rules at the breakdown/ruck these days?

And I am not mad at the Welsh: it is the referee.

With one exception: first Italian try and a Welsh player, instead of putting his body on the line to stop the try (as he should), decided to hold up the Italian flanker by his chin. Is this the usual "just a yellow card, no citation", or is such dangerous action worthy of a citation?

As for the Welsh player, he really showed balls there...

'Sup bitch!

Nuffing much

So I watched the game against the French.

First of all, congratulations on your win, French. I feel we should have won, but hey, it went your way.

The rules of the ruck were different for this game than for the Welsh game. Not different interpretation, just different.

The ref for the France game would shout "use it" all the time (never during the Welsh game), called the ball out a couple of times on our possession, and in general the ball was in the ruck only until it was behind the foot of the last man in the ruck.

Particularly the last rule: the Welsh ruck had a man on the ball and the tackled player and 2 guards most of the time. That is why they were vulnerable to counter rucking during the game. The Welsh scrum half would roll the ball out with his foot at least half a meter, sometimes more, from the last foot in the ruck and the ref never called the ball out.

So what are the rules of the ruck again? Because I am familiar with the ones employed in the French game, not the ones in the Welsh game.