Refs Need To Make Sure Justice Is Equal For All

Refs Need To Make Sure Justice Is Equal For All

Les Kiss, Ulster’s director of rugby, and formerly Ireland’s defence coach, has a lot to answer for. It was he who, in 2011, invented the ‘choke tackle’, and it has become a blight on the game.

It’s hard to think of a more negative tactic than a number of defenders holding up an attacker with the sole intention of killing the ball and gaining a turnover. At a time when the world seems to be favouring a more attacking style of play, this is surely an anachronism?

The term choke tackle isn’t an attractive one, and ‘smother tackle’ is nearer the mark, as the intent is to smother the ball ensuring that it never emerges from the maul. However, watching last weekend’s Champions Cup matches, choking seems to now have become part of the technique. Tackle a player above the shoulders and it’s at least a penalty, but set up a smother tackle, and then grab the attacker round the neck, and the chances are you’ll get away with it. Referees need to be stricter on penalising defenders the moment an arm slips above the shoulders, and when the maul collapses, they could allow a few seconds more for the attacking team to get the ball onto the ground.