Yes, tackles made in Rugby Union that then become Rucks or Mauls are not included in the stats for individual tackles. It's a difference in accounting rather than activity.

Yes, tackles made in Rugby Union that then become Rucks or Mauls are not included in the stats for individual tackles. It's a difference in accounting rather than activity.

Rugby union's journey from the dark arts to the dark ages

Something urgent needs to be done to ensure that even a side as unimaginative as England cannot ruin the spectacle.

Is modern rugby union really such a terrible game, or is that just the way England make it look? For the second week in a row, the prevailing noise among the throng leaving Twickenham on Saturday was a low groan of dissatisfaction. Any sort of a win is usually enough to keep England's fans happy, but no longer.

For comparison, there was Ireland's match against Australia at Croke Park the following day. Although this was a game in which backs did not actually suffer a fit of the vapours when the ball arrived in their hands, it still contained long passages of sterility, with scrums collapsing and meaningless kicks flying from one end to the other.

Rugby union's journey from the dark arts to the dark ages

Something urgent needs to be done to ensure that even a side as unimaginative as England cannot ruin the spectacle.

Is modern rugby union really such a terrible game, or is that just the way England make it look? For the second week in a row, the prevailing noise among the throng leaving Twickenham on Saturday was a low groan of dissatisfaction. Any sort of a win is usually enough to keep England's fans happy, but no longer.

For comparison, there was Ireland's match against Australia at Croke Park the following day. Although this was a game in which backs did not actually suffer a fit of the vapours when the ball arrived in their hands, it still contained long passages of sterility, with scrums collapsing and meaningless kicks flying from one end to the other.

The focus is unfortunately on field position and not making mistakes. The simplest way to get both is to just lump the ball down the field and keep it as far away from your line as possible. Low risk, potentially high reward.

The focus is unfortunately on field position and not making mistakes. The simplest way to get both is to just lump the ball down the field and keep it as far away from your line as possible. Low risk, potentially high reward.