Try-fests are no help in spotting true talent

Only another week to go until we will at last have what we hope will be some proper rugby. As much as the continuation of the Premiership has been good for keeping the profile of the game out in the public eye, the truth is the games have no meaning.

- JEFF PROBYN

As soon as the restarted Premiership allowed points split for coronavirus cancellation they opened a can of worms that has forced the end of relegation and meaningful competition.With all clubs eyeing a potential legal recourse if they are the ones facing the drop, it leaves the PRL with no alternative but to bring on the freeze.

As a result of the end of relegation, many clubs are fielding weaker teams for certain matches in preparation for what are perceived as harder or more prestigious games in the following weeks.

Even in those matches, much of the competition in the various phases of the game have transformed into a kind of basketball.

The recent Bath v Wasps match had virtually a hundred points scored in a roughly even split. Yes, it was fun to watch for those who don’t understand the complexities of the game and just want to see tries, but it should actually be seen as a failure by both clubs’ defensive coaching teams.

Such big scores were usually the reserve of games against lower level teams in cup competitions of the past. Not something that should ever be seen in a professional league match.

Another unfortunate consequence of such a worthless competition is the increasing difficulty for Eddie Jones to identify real talents for the national side.

Jones has been criticised for picking a number of players in various squads over the years only to drop them after one or just a few games.