It just looks like Rassie can never catch a break. He is the only coach to have won the World Cup, twice but never the Coach of the year.
it stems from Rassie to always question those who run the game. Way back when he pissed of Laurie mains, then coach of the Cats. Rassie wasn't happy with how the line out were working and then took the forwards aside to work on a few new tactics in disrupting and winning the line out. Mains was pissed with Rassie as it went against him as a coach.
Year later, Rassie was at it again, then coach of the Cheetahs and he was swapping his props around every 10 minutes. The poor touch judge ended up becoming an air (Prop) traffic controller with the amount of paddles being waved around.
Then we had the famous video, where he goes and protect poor little Siya and also become the most expensive waterboy on the field.
Rassie has annoyed world rugby so much that they constantly have to change the rules to stop him from exploiting it. Is he genius, most likely. Is he playing in the spirit of the law, probably, but for those stuffy types. they really hate it.
His latest thumb in the nose to them was the kick-offf where he forced a scrum and then playing the pass line-out jump or what ever you want to call that. Again, all are talking about it and rugby is weighing in again and said it should have been a penalty.
Is it good for the game, is Rassie doing the right thing. Well, I can't see Rassie winning many refs over at the moment nor those making up the rules.
But let's go back a bit. Remember that kiwi ref back in 2000's I think his name was Paddy O'brien. I remember him being interviewed. He was sitting on the super sport talk show with Darren Scott and he was talking about how world rugby could change the law.
In 2007 Jake and his team won the World Cup. It was based of a very powerful line out and having somebody like Matfield that could win most of the opposition throws. Remember how frustrated the kiwis got. Using big forwards and having a kicking game with Fourie Du Preez. In the back you had Frans Steyn and Fourie Du Preeze that could launch bombs at the opposition with Habana and Pietersen chasing. It slowed the game down.
So when ever the ball was kicked into the 22, all they did is just drive the ball back and Matfield was there to catch the opposition throw.
So Obrien said that ball in play suits the kiwis. Not long after that, he actually became the head ref and also oversaw the rules of the game.
It is no coincidence that they then got rid of that rule and and that you had to keep the ball in play or the ball is marked from where you kicked.
It is no surprise then that New Zealand was dominating rugby because it now supported their strengths.
The only difference is that Rassie is going in with a sledge hammer where the Kiwis and the Aussies influence world rugby at the laws and sold that rugby needs to be played basketball.
That whole ball in play played to NZ strengths and eliminated their weekness, but it is interesting to see how things have gone around and now they introduced the 50/22.
My only question, why did they make so many changes since 2007. We had a good blend of strategy and entertaining rugby and now every year some coach bends the rules and then they want to change again almost out of panic