England’s bench has become one of their biggest weapons in recent seasons, with players like Tom Curry and Henry Pollock making significant impacts off the pine.
But one of rugby’s most respected figures believes the sport has gone too far.
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Nigel Owens calls for major change to substitutions
The former international referee was asked by Ben John on a recent episode what laws he would scrap if rugby union started again from scratch.
Owens didn’t hesitate — his first target would be the bench.
“The first thing I do, I would reduce the amount of substitutions.
“I think eight players on the bench is too much. So I’d reduce that and change the way you can use them, so it can’t be a tactical substitution.
“It can only be, as it used to be years ago, for an injured player. I think that would open the game up because you would have players then who would have to play 80 minutes and instead of carrying 130kgs they may have to carry 115kgs because they need to last 80 minutes.”
It’s a radical suggestion in the modern professional era, where benches — particularly forward-heavy splits — have become strategic weapons.
The rise of the “Bomb Squad”
The trend toward loading benches with forwards has accelerated in recent years, with sides effectively fielding two packs across 80 minutes. The controversial 7–1 split has featured prominently in the Six Nations Championship, most notably by France.
That approach has raised concerns within the game.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend previously admitted he has “misgivings” about teams replacing entire forward units during matches.
Speaking ahead of facing France’s 7–1 bench, Townsend said:
“If you want my view, I don’t think the bench was set up to suddenly have a new forward pack coming on. But that’s for World Rugby to decide what you do with the bench, and to make any changes.”
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Rugby World Cup 2027 Full Draw: England and Wales meet again
The expanded 24-team tournament will be played across Australia from 1 October 2027, with six pools of four teams and a new round-of-16 knockout phase. With fixtures and venues now confirmed by World Rugby, attention quickly turns to how each group will unfold.
Pool A — New Zealand, Australia (H), Chile, Hong Kong China
Group summary
Pool A features tournament hosts Australia and three-time champions New Zealand, making it one of the headline groups of the opening phase. Chile and Hong Kong China will be targeting historic results, while the trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand is expected to be one of the most watched pool matches of the tournament.
Fixtures
1 October 2027 — Australia vs Hong Kong China
Perth Stadium, Perth
2 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Chile
Perth Stadium, Perth
9 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Australia
Stadium Australia, Sydney
9 October 2027 — Chile vs Hong Kong China
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
15 October 2027 — New Zealand vs Hong Kong China
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
16 October 2027 — Australia vs Chile
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
Pool B — South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania
Group summary
Defending champions South Africa headline Pool B and begin their campaign against Italy. Georgia continue to establish themselves as a consistent World Cup presence, while Romania return aiming to challenge for third place and possible qualification via rankings.
Fixtures
3 October 2027 — South Africa vs Italy
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3 October 2027 — Georgia vs Romania
North Queensland Stadium, Townsville
10 October 2027 — South Africa vs Georgia
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
11 October 2027 — Italy vs Romania
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
17 October 2027 — Italy vs Georgia
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
17 October 2027 — South Africa vs Romania
Perth Stadium, Perth
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