Former Ireland star Donal Lenihan is the latest to ask World Rugby to step in after revealing his frustration at the Springboks\u2019 Bomb Squad.<\/p>\n
The likes of Matt Williams and Keith Wood have expressed their disapproval at having forward-heavy benches and they have been joined by Lenihan.<\/p>\n
South Africa<\/a> have claimed back-to-back World Cup titles with their bench being a huge factor in those successes.<\/p>\n The 6-2 split was significant in them winning in 2019 before they used a 7-1 against Ireland<\/a> and the All Blacks in the 2023 tournament.<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus\u2019 bench decision<\/p>\n On Saturday, in their last international of 2025, they opted for a 7-1 with head coach Rassie Erasmus deciding to bring all eight players on at the same time in the 73-0 thrashing of Wales.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether we like it or not, stretching back to the amateur game, exerting physical dominance over your opponent has always been central to winning matches. Unfortunately, the law makers have facilitated that even more, to the point where it\u2019s become the overriding factor,\u201d Lenhian wrote in his Irish Examiner<\/a> column.<\/p>\n \u201cWorld Rugby, the game\u2019s governing body, must now look itself in the eye and wonder if, in an attempt to make the game safer, it\u2019s exacerbated the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Williams, who has expressed his concern that fielding forward-heavy benches are dangerous, Lenihan has queried whether there is a safety issue.<\/p>\n \u201cBy expanding the bench from six to eight players, facilitating the introduction of 22 stone beasts many with the aerobic capacity to play to their optimum for 40 minutes at best, has had the opposite effect,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is it safe for an out half or centre, with 70 minutes of game time behind him, to have to tackle a fresh rampaging behemoth stationed in midfield off a line out, ready to explode down his channel?<\/p>\n \u201cThe bench was originally designed to cover injured players. It added massively to the technical aspect of the game when that expanded to encompass tactical changes.\u201d<\/p>\n