Owen Doyle: First game of Lions tour showed why the lineout is heading for same farcical fate as the scrum
Three flashes of sheer brilliance delivered for the
Lions
.
In a poor first-half with many penalties conceded, plus a consequent yellow card, those magical moments provided a handy 14-point cushion. Things then improved in the second period and they
swept aside a tiring Western Force
.
Referee Ben O'Keeffe will reappear for the first test, but this was little more than an evening stroll for him. He can expect a different challenge when
Joe Schmidt
's Wallabies and the Lions share the same den.
The Lensbury Club, near the Thames' famous Teddington Lock, has hosted many rugby events. About 20 years ago the world's referee cohort gathered there under the auspices of World Rugby. There were long discussions concerning the scrum put-in, which was not being whistled if the ball was delivered squint. The active referees argued hard that there were so many other scrum things to look out for that a crooked throw was not very high on their agenda.
READ MORE
My attempted insistence that a reasonably straight throw should be the first thing on their list, not the last, fell on deaf ears. After much huffing and puffing, it was agreed to allow a little leeway. Well, we all know where that quickly ended up; it is never a contest for possession.
It is disappointing to see a similar issue, regarding the throw-in at the lineout, continue unresolved. Referees and their assistants seem happy to ignore it. This phase is in real danger of following the path of the scrum. It is on track to soon become just a restart of play and no longer that vital contest for possession.
Which Irish players have impressed for the Lions?
Listen |
43:53
The Western Force have, apparently, a very good lineout record in Super Rugby. That's hardly surprising if they are allowed to throw in down their own side. We saw enough of it on Saturday and the Lions weren't total saints either. But, ironically, a straight contestable throw by Dan Sheehan was actually nicked by the Force.
The daft law trial of not whistling crooked throws if the opposition don't jump to compete has obviously put coaches into scheming mode. Everybody is at it now. Glasgow recently constructed a try by putting up a dummy jump while their thrower passed the ball directly to his front man. The front man, who hadn't budged an inch before receiving the ball, strode over unopposed.
The Lions' Ollie Chessum contests a lineout with Western Force's Will Harris. Photograph: Billy Sitckland/Inpho
It is technically true to say the Force threw the ball in straight, but often it was straight along the line of their own players. This translates as crooked in line-out law as the opposition cannot contest the ball. However, to trigger the referee's whistle, they must put a jumper up. The problem is that everyone knows match officials ignore the offence, so why would anyone bother putting a jumper up? It's completely counter productive.
Unlike the scrum, there is a simple fix. It requires the match officials to understand that the throw has to be contestable. If it isn't, then they must not opt out of a very basic law, which is what happened to the scrum.
Referees' positioning at the lineout is consistent. Without fail, they stand at the back along the line of touch. A small adjustment would usefully see them stand in line with the last man of the thrower's team. Then, if the trajectory of the ball's flight is directly 'at' the referee, it's safe to say it's not straight.
[
Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing
Opens in new window
]
The scrums were an easier job for O'Keeffe. Some were actually perfect, enabling us to watch backs running at backs. When the Lions bench arrived, their scrum put legal pressure on the Force, rather than driving across. Work done with the coaches, by World Rugby referees manager Joel Jutge, has paid an initial dividend. It is early days, but encouraging. Maybe he'll find time to chat about the lineout.
The Top 14 final was an epic encounter. It was 33-33 at the end of normal time between Bordeaux-Begles and the eventual winners, Toulouse. The match was well refereed by Pierre Brousset. In addition to a jam-packed Stade de France, the city centres of Bordeaux and Toulouse were thronged with spectators watching on giant screens.
It was another demonstration that the northern hemisphere does not have a problem with supporter numbers. However, the unions of the Six Nation must get organised and reject law trials that attack the heart and soul of rugby.
It can be done. History shows that in 2009, those unions did succeed in persuading the reversal of several 'southern' radical proposals which were on the cusp of changing the sport irrevocably. Those particular proposals have never reappeared.
Rugby fans at Optus Stadium in Perth were treated to an impressive Lions showing. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
The 40,000 Lions supporters who travel south will guarantee packed houses. They are true rugby followers who understand the nuances and core characteristics of the game. When the tour is over, if Australia still can't manage to sell rugby for what it is to their own public, then they should certainly not be allowed to meddle with it.
Ian McGeechan, the foremost coach of his generation, brought Scotland to a grand slam in 1990 and then there were his Lions days. He coached the tourists of 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009, having played for them in all eight tests in 1974/1977. Yes, you read all of that correctly. In 1974, in South Africa, the invincible Lions were unbeaten. McGeechan's centre partner for the four tests was Dick Milliken, of Bangor RFC, Ulster and Ireland.
It was a delight to listen to 'Geech' in studio giving us his insights of how the Lions performed and how they'll go about building their test team. He should know – he's done it often enough.
Finally, a plea to World Rugby. Don't do a 'Lensbury' on the lineout.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Keenan and Gibson-Park get chance to remind everyone of their class
OWEN FARRELL WAS recently asked to pick out the best current rugby player and having lauded the individual genius of Antoine Dupont and Ardie Savea, he said he really loves players who 'make teams tick.' Players like Jamison Gibson-Park. 'I love watching the way he brings everybody into the game, and constantly making good decisions is what I'm drawn to,' said Farrell on The Big Jim Show. 'I appreciate massively the individual brilliance, but I've got a massive appreciation for people who make everybody else look good.' So does Andy Farrell. The Lions boss truly appreciates the value of Gibson-Park, who will make his Lions debut against the Reds on Wednesday. It would be an exaggeration to say that Farrell unearthed Gibson-Park but he seemed to see a higher potential in him than nearly everyone else. Even if the framing of Farrell's decision to pick Gibson-Park for Ireland when he wasn't first-choice in Leinster somewhat diminishes the credit the scrum-half himself deserves for his improvement, there's no doubt that they have built a brilliant working relationship. Farrell backed Gibson-Park, and Gibson-Park helped Farrell's team to take off. Now, they're hoping to kick it on to another level with the Lions. Farrell has been patient in making sure Gibson-Park is ready to go. His glute injury was managed carefully because the scrum-half looks like being a key figure in the Test series against Australia. As the unfortunate Tomos Williams' tour ends due to injury, Gibson-Park is ready to belatedly kick his off. Ben White has joined the Lions squad in Williams' place and Alex Mitchell is a fine player, but Gibson-Park is the clear front-runner for the number nine shirt in the Tests. Gibson-Park is the clear frontrunner at nine. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Indeed, his halfback pairing with Finn Russell on Wednesday has the bang of a Test combination about it, all the more so given that this will be Russell's second start at out-half in five days. Gibson-Park and Russell have never played together, so they need to get rolling. Wednesday could be one of just two matches as a pairing ahead of the first Test if they're Farrell's preferred duo. Russell looked comfortable steering the ship against the Force in Perth on Saturday, impressing with his decision-making, kicking, and tackling. Now, it's Gibson-Park's chance to show that he's top dog. His ability to pick out a wide variety of passes is one of his superpowers. The Irish scrum-half has been a leader in terms of firing flat, fizzing passes across the face of defenders into blind spots on their outside. Advertisement He is a master of exploiting the shortside, regularly darting back there after his teams have played away from the touchline and taking advantage of any overeager or lazy defence. Gibson-Park's kicking game has improved out of sight in the last five years, while his pace and appetite for getting stuck in have also made him a strong defender. He ticks all the boxes as a scrum-half and now just needs to get rhythm back in his game as he plays for the first time in three-and-a-half weeks. Hugo Keenan hasn't played for even longer due to a calf injury, his last appearance coming back on 31 May in the URC quarter-finals. It has been frustrating for Keenan waiting for his Lions debut, but he knows Farrell loves what he brings at fullback. Recent form is important on these tours, but Keenan's body of work over the last few years gives him a big chance to start the Lions Tests at fullback. James Ryan will get up and running off the bench. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The excitement of the warm-up games can sometimes lead to performances against relatively weak opposition being slightly overweighted, even if it is paramount that perceived Test starters still show their class in those build-up matches. It was telling that Farrell picked out Mack Hansen's moment of huge work-rate as the play of the day in the Lions' win over the Force. That's the kind of stuff Keenan specialises in, along with his strong kicking game, superb aerial skills, quality in contact, and extremely low error count. Blair Kinghorn is belatedly on his way to Australia, having won the Top 14 with Toulouse, and he is a more electrifying attacking player than Keenan, yet there is more to elite fullback play than that ability to create magic. There is a battle for Keenan, with England's experienced, balanced Elliot Daly also in the mix and Marcus Smith having played at fullback in the Argentina game, but the Irish number 15 must be backing himself to win out. Joining Gibson-Park and Keenan in returning from injury in Brisbane is the experienced lock James Ryan, who was hurt in the URC final. The 28-year-old is an ultra-aggressive presence whose ball-carrying has hit a peak this season, while he is also a strong lineout operator. Leinster and Ireland tend to have their best days when Ryan is fit and firing. He should not be discounted from the Lions Test squad mix, even with plenty of quality in the second row crop.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish roots run deep for James McCabe as he prepares to take Wimbledon stage
Not since Conor Niland, back in 2011, has an Irish player reached the main draw at Wimbledon. While the Limerick man remains the last to play under the Irish tricolour at the famed Grand Slam event, on Tuesday one very proud Irish-Australian player will take to the turf at the All England Club. Twenty-one-year-old James McCabe will face Hungary's Fábián Marozsán in the opening round after coming through last week's qualifiers. Currently 181st in the ATP rankings, his attendance at Wimbledon will go some way towards helping him climb the ladder to the coveted . Quite the achievement, given his unconventional start in the sport. The son of Dubliner Patrick McCabe, who emigrated to Australia from Walkinstown in 1987, and his wife Irene, who is from the Philippines, McCabe's first introduction to tennis was in the complex where the family live in southern Sydney. READ MORE Clay is not his surface. He likes grass and hard courts 'There just happened to be a tennis court there,' Patrick McCabe explains. 'So when he was two-and-a-half I brought him down, and he seemed to have a very good aptitude for it, so I just kept on bringing him down daily.' Patrick himself has never played tennis. 'I didn't know what I was doing. There was a tennis club about a mile away, but we couldn't afford to hire the courts or the lessons because it was really expensive. 'If the tennis court hadn't been in that complex where we rented, then I don't think he ever would have picked up a tennis racket, because he wouldn't have been able to afford it.' But the tennis court wasn't the only sporting facility readily available: there was also a pool, and James took to swimming as naturally as he did to tennis, becoming a national champion in both sports before hitting his teenage years and earning himself a scholarship to a private school. Tennis player James McCabe and his sister Jasmine There, James discovered another aptitude, this time for music, learning the piano and flute before teaching himself to play the guitar. With his swimming and music commitments, tennis took a back seat for much of his school years, bar a stint which ultimately saw him earn a wildcard spot at the 2020 Australian Open junior championships. Unlike many of his tennis contemporaries, McCabe's time on the junior circuit was rather limited, playing in only a handful of tournaments, but it doesn't seem to have hampered his efforts in the senior ranks. In January, he played in the main draw at the Australian Open for a second year running, going one better than 2024 by winning his first-round match against Martin Landaluce, before being defeated by Alex Michelsen in the second. When James was two-and-a-half I brought him down to the courts, and he seemed to have a very good aptitude for it Wimbledon will be his first grand slam event outside of Australia, but the McCabes are confident the Melbourne outings will stand to him in southwest London. 'It's experience, it's just constant experience,' says Patrick. 'He played in the French Open qualifying and he didn't do too well there, but clay is not his surface. He likes grass and hard courts. He does have a very decent serve, so if he serves well and returns well, he's got a good chance.' MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 16: James McCabe of Australia celebrates a point against Alex Michelsen of the United States in the Men's Singles Second Round match during day five of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by) So far in 2025, the ATP 250, Challenger Tour and majors have taken the McCabes around Australia, India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, South Korea, China, Portugal, France, England and the Netherlands. After Wimbledon, it's more of the same. 'Eight months a year we're on the road,' Patrick says of the rigorous calendar. He does have a very decent serve, so if he serves well and returns well, he's got a good chance 'As soon as he's out of Wimbledon, he heads to America, then to Mexico, then to Canada. Hopefully he'll be in the main draw again for the US Open at the end of August. And then we'll be going to Asia – China, Japan, South Korea – and then looking to head back to Australia.' McCabe is proud of his Irish roots, holds an Irish passport and has visited a number of times, as Patrick has three sisters still living here. Tuesday will be a tough ask for McCabe, with his opponent Marozsán currently 58th in the ATP rankings. But his father says his son will treat this like any other tournament. They'll do a quick 20-minute debrief on the Hungarian tonight, but aside from that McCabe will go out and play his own game. 'It's a dream,' McCabe says. Long may his dream continue. ♦ McCabe is scheduled to be in action on Court 11 at 11am on Tuesday. BBC Two will have live coverage of the morning session.
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: First game of Lions tour showed why the lineout is heading for same farcical fate as the scrum
Three flashes of sheer brilliance delivered for the Lions . In a poor first-half with many penalties conceded, plus a consequent yellow card, those magical moments provided a handy 14-point cushion. Things then improved in the second period and they swept aside a tiring Western Force . Referee Ben O'Keeffe will reappear for the first test, but this was little more than an evening stroll for him. He can expect a different challenge when Joe Schmidt 's Wallabies and the Lions share the same den. The Lensbury Club, near the Thames' famous Teddington Lock, has hosted many rugby events. About 20 years ago the world's referee cohort gathered there under the auspices of World Rugby. There were long discussions concerning the scrum put-in, which was not being whistled if the ball was delivered squint. The active referees argued hard that there were so many other scrum things to look out for that a crooked throw was not very high on their agenda. READ MORE My attempted insistence that a reasonably straight throw should be the first thing on their list, not the last, fell on deaf ears. After much huffing and puffing, it was agreed to allow a little leeway. Well, we all know where that quickly ended up; it is never a contest for possession. It is disappointing to see a similar issue, regarding the throw-in at the lineout, continue unresolved. Referees and their assistants seem happy to ignore it. This phase is in real danger of following the path of the scrum. It is on track to soon become just a restart of play and no longer that vital contest for possession. Which Irish players have impressed for the Lions? Listen | 43:53 The Western Force have, apparently, a very good lineout record in Super Rugby. That's hardly surprising if they are allowed to throw in down their own side. We saw enough of it on Saturday and the Lions weren't total saints either. But, ironically, a straight contestable throw by Dan Sheehan was actually nicked by the Force. The daft law trial of not whistling crooked throws if the opposition don't jump to compete has obviously put coaches into scheming mode. Everybody is at it now. Glasgow recently constructed a try by putting up a dummy jump while their thrower passed the ball directly to his front man. The front man, who hadn't budged an inch before receiving the ball, strode over unopposed. The Lions' Ollie Chessum contests a lineout with Western Force's Will Harris. Photograph: Billy Sitckland/Inpho It is technically true to say the Force threw the ball in straight, but often it was straight along the line of their own players. This translates as crooked in line-out law as the opposition cannot contest the ball. However, to trigger the referee's whistle, they must put a jumper up. The problem is that everyone knows match officials ignore the offence, so why would anyone bother putting a jumper up? It's completely counter productive. Unlike the scrum, there is a simple fix. It requires the match officials to understand that the throw has to be contestable. If it isn't, then they must not opt out of a very basic law, which is what happened to the scrum. Referees' positioning at the lineout is consistent. Without fail, they stand at the back along the line of touch. A small adjustment would usefully see them stand in line with the last man of the thrower's team. Then, if the trajectory of the ball's flight is directly 'at' the referee, it's safe to say it's not straight. [ Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing Opens in new window ] The scrums were an easier job for O'Keeffe. Some were actually perfect, enabling us to watch backs running at backs. When the Lions bench arrived, their scrum put legal pressure on the Force, rather than driving across. Work done with the coaches, by World Rugby referees manager Joel Jutge, has paid an initial dividend. It is early days, but encouraging. Maybe he'll find time to chat about the lineout. The Top 14 final was an epic encounter. It was 33-33 at the end of normal time between Bordeaux-Begles and the eventual winners, Toulouse. The match was well refereed by Pierre Brousset. In addition to a jam-packed Stade de France, the city centres of Bordeaux and Toulouse were thronged with spectators watching on giant screens. It was another demonstration that the northern hemisphere does not have a problem with supporter numbers. However, the unions of the Six Nation must get organised and reject law trials that attack the heart and soul of rugby. It can be done. History shows that in 2009, those unions did succeed in persuading the reversal of several 'southern' radical proposals which were on the cusp of changing the sport irrevocably. Those particular proposals have never reappeared. Rugby fans at Optus Stadium in Perth were treated to an impressive Lions showing. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho The 40,000 Lions supporters who travel south will guarantee packed houses. They are true rugby followers who understand the nuances and core characteristics of the game. When the tour is over, if Australia still can't manage to sell rugby for what it is to their own public, then they should certainly not be allowed to meddle with it. Ian McGeechan, the foremost coach of his generation, brought Scotland to a grand slam in 1990 and then there were his Lions days. He coached the tourists of 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009, having played for them in all eight tests in 1974/1977. Yes, you read all of that correctly. In 1974, in South Africa, the invincible Lions were unbeaten. McGeechan's centre partner for the four tests was Dick Milliken, of Bangor RFC, Ulster and Ireland. It was a delight to listen to 'Geech' in studio giving us his insights of how the Lions performed and how they'll go about building their test team. He should know – he's done it often enough. Finally, a plea to World Rugby. Don't do a 'Lensbury' on the lineout.
