Ex-All Blacks star Israel Dagg is confused by the stance the Springboks and their head coach, Rassie Erasmus, have taken to New Zealand\u2019s desire to change the game.<\/p>\n
The Kiwis, alongside their Tasman neighbours Australia, have looked to speed it up and increase the ball-in-play time, claiming that they being more \u2018fan-centric\u2019.<\/p>\n
Various law amendments have been trialled with some, such as the 20-minute red card, being adopted globally.<\/p>\n
World Rugby have also made some alterations, including the law which prevents a scrum being taken following a free-kick sanction.<\/p>\n
\u2018Rassie\u2019s running the game now, apparently\u2019<\/p>\n
It has duly led to accusations that some key power brokers, led by the Antipodeans, are attempting to depower the scrum and make it more like rugby league.<\/p>\n
Feeling that the traditional elements of the game are under threat, South Africa<\/a> and France have banded together to push back at Australia and New Zealand<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to Kiwi pundit and presenter Scotty Stevenson, who was speaking on Sport Nation\u2019s Scotty and Izzy show, that point was made rather forcefully by Erasmus<\/a> and his team at World Rugby\u2019s recent Shape of the Game conference.<\/p>\n Stevenson claims that \u201cRassie Erasmus turns up to this meeting basically like a small town American gangster with a posse\u201d and then \u201cproceeded to tell World Rugby that whatever their report says into what fans want, he doesn\u2019t put any stock in and he won\u2019t be changing, saying: \u2018We\u2019re going to play rugby our way and we\u2019re not going to listen at all to anything you have to say\u2019.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cRassie\u2019s running the game now, apparently, and France and South Africa look to have formed a cosy little alliance.<\/p>\n \u201cRassie will have his way and the French will do what the French do.\u201d<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus\u2019 influence at key World Rugby meeting revealed as South Africa and France \u2018protect rugby\u2019s identity\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n That prompted Dagg to chime in and insist that Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby are not trying to take away the fundamentals of the sport.<\/p>\n Scrum is here to stay<\/p>\n \u201cScrums, rucks, mauls and lineouts will be what separates our great game from other games\u2026 no one\u2019s taking it out,\u201d the Rugby World Cup winner said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re taking out the dead time, the dead play, when your players are on their knees asking for a bit of water because you\u2019re tired.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to get out of the game. We want more action, we want more opportunities for these players to be under fatigue, for players to come and out and play absolutely fantastic rugby, and there\u2019s more ball in play.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do.<\/p>\n