johnnyrocket - MyTwoCents

Daily sports briefs | World Rugby proposes new scrum rules, Real Madrid go in all for Paul Pogba - and more!

PROPOSED NEW SCRUM AND TACKLE LAWS NONSENSICAL

World Rugby will this week consider radical proposals to remove the reset scrum to make players less vulnerable to Covid-19 infection. "Studies" revealed that scrum time composed 50% of high risk exposure time for players. The study also found that removing upright tackles would reduce the risk of head injuries by 20%.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Has NDZ somehow found her way on to the World Rugby committee because this one makes as much sense as the banning of tobacco and exercise? There are so many flaws in this proposal, it's difficult to know where to start. Firstly, it assumes that Covid-19 is here to stay permanently. Secondly, does this mean that players will not be stringently tested in the build up to games? It assumes that Covid-19 positive players will be competing against each other. So some scrumming is allowed but not a lot??? Do the authorities know which scrums will be safe and which not? How about the ruck and maul then? How would that be "less contagious" than scrumming. As for banning upright tackles ... can you imagine the confusion that would bring? Owen Farrell would never make another tackle. Seriously though, how about banning tackles around the knees to prevent knee injuries or tackles around the ankles to protect against ankle injuries? Where does this nonsense all end?

REAL MADRID GOING ALL IN FOR POGBA

Real Madrid are reportedly lining up a 4-player swap deal for Manchester United's Paul Pogba. Apparently Zinedine Zidane is ready to offer James Rodriguez, Martin Odegaard, Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz in exchange for Pogba. Pogba has been eager for a move away from Old Trafford for some time now but United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eager to reintegrate Pogba into his squad when he recovers from his injury.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Great player. Injury prone. Massive ego. Bad idea and unlikely to happen anyway.

HALES NOT YET WELCOME BACK AFTER CROSSING "LINE"

England's white ball captain, Eoin Morgan, has explained that Alex Hales still needs to earn more trust from the team before he can be invited to return to the squad. Hales was kicked out of the team in 2019 for repeated use of "recreational drugs" ... word on the street is that it was cocaine use, and ended up missing England's World Cup triumph on home turf as punishment.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: While he clearly crossed a big white line, surely the punishment should fit the crime? He has already missed out on arguably the biggest prize in cricket. Would the team be as unwelcoming if it had been Ben Stokes? Remember his off-field issues and he was back in no time. Maybe there is more to the story that we don't know about.