The Six Nations have jumped the gun on a controversial rule Ireland and France were strongly against implementing.
This year’s tournament will commence on Friday when France host Wales.
However, players from the six competing nations and referees will have to hit the ground running thanks to a number of amended laws due to be trialled throughout.
One of these new laws is the 20-minute red card.
Brought in during the November internationals last year, referees were able to issue a 20-minute red card or a permanent one.
Should the first option be used by a referee, the player who committed the offence would not be able to return to play but after 20 minutes down a man, the team could replace that player so it becomes 15 against 15 again.
The 20-minute red card would be dished out by referees for ‘technical offences’, with the permanent red card reserved for foul play ‘deemed to be deliberate and dangerous.’
The tweak to the red card law had backing from southern hemisphere nations such as Australia and New Zealand.
But with the Six Nations trialling it for this year’s tournament, it hints the north are coming around to the idea.
Curiously, the 20-minute red card is being trialled by the Six Nations before it had been officially been selected by World Rugby as one of their global law trials in January.
However, Six Nations chief of rugby Julie Paterson felt the Autumn Nations Series was a ‘great case study’ to show progress has been made.
“Across the game, everyone is working together to ensure we are exploring new and innovative ways to make the game as safe as possible, alongside ambitions to enhance the spectacle for fans, and the experience for players,” Paterson said.
“The Autumn Nations Series was a great case study for the progress that is being made, and it is going to be incredibly exciting to see this continue and evolve through the Six Nations Championships.
“The law trials and innovations being introduced are intended to enhance the experience for fans, but they are also there to clarify areas of the game for teams, coaches and players, while supporting match officials, with a spotlight the vital role they play at the centre of our sport.”
The decision to use the 20-minute red card comes despite Ireland and France making it clear they were against the introduction of the law.
In October last year, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) released a statement in which they opposed the ‘permanent adoption’ of the rule.
“Player welfare and safety are paramount to the core values of the game and the option of a permanent red card for deliberate and intentional acts of foul play supports those values and protects the integrity of the game,” the statement read.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) also issued a strongly-worded statement against the rule.
“Turning this sanction into a temporary expulsion could encourage dangerous behaviour, thereby compromising player safety, which must remain the top priority,” the statement read.
“French professional clubs and national team management emphasise the need to maintain a firm attitude towards unfair play.
“The red card as a collective sanction aims to preserve balance and fair play, and its reduction to an individual sanction would weaken this essential function.”
The divisive 20-minute red card is not the only new rule being introduced throughout the Six Nations.
There will be a 30-second time limit to form a lineout or a scrum, while kickers have a 60-second shot clock when attempting a conversion.
New technology to identify exactly where the ball crosses the touchline will also be brought in, allowing for precise lineout locations.
Another law trial to be introduced at the Six Nations that has generated controversy is ‘protecting the 9’.
It means the offside line will be set at the centre line of the tunnel for the team that does not have possession during a scrum.
Scrum-halves, who wear the No. 9 shirt, cannot be played when the ball is near a tackle, ruck or maul.
The law is designed to promote cleaner play and minimise stoppages, but by effectively taking away scrum-halves’ chance to compete at the scrum, not everyone is happy.
“They may as well wrap the nines up in cotton wool at this stage,” Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne said earlier in January.
“It’s becoming ridiculous, in my opinion.”
Beirne added: “It’s making life more difficult for them in terms of that law, in terms of you can’t touch the nine within a metre of the ruck.
“When’s the ruck over, when’s the ball out, when can you come through the ruck?”
Six Nations – Full fixture schedule
France v Wales – January 31, 8:15pm
Scotland v Italy – February 1, 2:15pm
Ireland v England – February 1, 4:45pm
Italy v Wales – February 8, 2:15pm
England v France – February 8, 4:45pm
Scotland v Ireland – February 9, 3pm
Wales v Ireland – February 22, 2:15pm
England v Scotland – February 22, 4:45pm
Italy v France – February 23, 3pm
Ireland v France – March 8, 2:15pm
Scotland v Wales – March 8, 4:45pm
England v Italy – March 9, 3pm
Italy v Ireland – March 15, 2:15pm
Wales v England – March 15, 4:45pm
France v Scotland – March 15, 8pm