
Football
Share
Published 12:36 9 Dec 2014 GMT
Updated 13:15 19 Feb 2015 GMT
Explore more on these topics:
Despite acknowledging that Marler was deliberately forcing his opponent up, Dawson continued: "Also what I love about that is Danny Care screaming at the touch judge, saying, 'Are you looking at this? Are you seeing how much Marler is destroying Ross in that scrum'"?
Not only does it show rugby's common motto that rules are there to be broken, it also enables dangerous scrummaging further.
If Dawson, or any other rugby commentator for that matter, saw Marler crush an opponent with a high or spear-tackle, you can bet your life that he wouldn't be heaping praise on him.
It's a universal problem for the sport, with every side in every part of the world guilty of doing at it some point.
When a scrum collapses, the front and second row players crash into the ground head-first, and because they are bound to other opponents, they have nothing to break their fall.
To take one example of a collapsed scrum, have a look at where Mike Ross' head ends up after a collapse during the Ireland-Georgia game last month. It's not natural, and accepting this as part of the game isn't acceptable.
And it's equally as dangerous when you're driven upwards. With so much pressure coming towards you, and a second row fighting the shove from behind, as a prop your back gets sandwiched, and if the force is strong enough and the prop being lifted is determined enough not to pop out of the scrum, your back and neck can be arched to an unnatural extent you can no longer breath.
We're heading down a road where players are getting bigger and bigger, and the forces meeting in the scrum are only continuing to grow.
By failing to clamp down on dangerous scrummaging, and indeed by praising those who engage in it, it is creating a path for more and more players to do it.
Boring in and dropping the bind is being taught and encouraged at junior and underage level, as oblivious coaches are seeing it praised by analysts and pundits, rather than discouraged for being dangerous.
With so many binds, angles and players to control at the scrum, referees are relying on presumptions and guess-work, routinely awarding penalties on the basis of which team was moving forward, rather than which player was bending both the rules, and often times his opponent.
Referees have a duty to protect the players on the pitch, and if a dangerous bind or angle is spotted, it should be penalised instantly, rather than waiting for the scrum to collapse and play roulette with a player's neck.
World Rugby have made a serious clamp-down in recent seasons on spear-tackles and tackling players in the air, rightly dishing out yellow and red cards, regardless of the injury that occurs.
And it's high time they became brave and did the same for forwards who take their opponents' lives into their hands at the scrum.
Hopefully tragedy doesn't strike before they do.Live sport on TV in Ireland this weekend – Football, GAA, Rugby – April 24th to 26th
Some huge clashes! The ultimate TV guide for live weekend sport in Ireland is back! It’s another huge week in the Premier League with Arsenal hosting Newcastle, there are a host of massive inter-county championship matches in both hurling and Gaelic football, and there is an intriguing Irish derby in the URC to look forward […]
Football
13h
Huge changes in store as Lions launch bid to tour new countries
This could be massive! The Lions could soon be adding a new country to their list of touring destinations, according to an exclusive report from The Telegraph. The iconic representative team – which combines the best players from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales – currently tour South Africa, Australia and New Zealand on a rotating […]
Football
18h
Football
Munster statement defends new coach over historical rape accusations
Football