Banning the jackal – the means by which players compete for the ball at a breakdown – has been proposed as a radical law tweak to make modern rugby union safer.
Dr Barry O’Driscoll has devoted most of his life’s work to safeguarding the sport he loves, with a particular focus on limiting the dangers of head injuries and concussion.
In 2012, he stepped down from his position as a senior medical advisor to World Rugby in protest against the introduction of specific concussion protocols, namely the head injury assessment (HIA). At the time, O’Driscoll predicted trouble on the horizon. So it proved.
World Rugby, the RFU and WRU remain locked in an ongoing legal case with former professionals, who are suing the game’s authorities for alleged negligence over the brain diseases they are suffering with in retirement. Now, O’Driscoll believes more can be done.
‘The amount of contact will have to be reduced,’ he told Rugby Confidential. ‘They’ve already attempted to take the contact with the head out and rightly so. That was a dramatic change. They need to be strict on that. The hits are so hard now.
Barry O’Driscoll resigned as World Rugby’s senior medical advisor in 2021 over their concussion protocols
Barry comes from a talented family – his cousin’s son is Brian O’Driscoll, one of the greatest Ireland and Lions players of all time
‘The next step for me is the jackal. That has to go. I think we’ve also got too many players on the field. I’d take it to 13.
‘I know some people would say “Oh gosh, old boy – that’s rugby league”, but I think that’s an option, even if the authorities will fight that.’
When a player is tackled, creating a breakdown, opposition defenders attempt to compete for possession in what is known as a ‘jackal’.
Attacking players attempt to limit the jackal by clearing out that threat at the breakdown, the end result being a brutal physical contest in which serious injury is common.
Removing that contest entirely would, as O’Driscoll says, bring union more in line with its league counterpart.
It would be unpopular among union’s traditional fanbase and also eliminate the strengths of breakdown specialists such as Toulouse’s English flanker Jack Willis. The likes of Sam Warburton and David Pocock are other players who have thrived in that area of the game in years gone by.
Former Wales and Lions captain Warburton recently argued that international rugby has become much safer and that those working in the media don’t do a good enough job of delivering that message. Rugby has undoubtedly taken positive strides in this area.
But O’Driscoll believes radical action has to be taken. He predicted rugby’s current legal case and, cruelly, is now battling early-onset dementia himself.
Wales legend Sam Warburton made his name by being a king of the jackal
Australia’s David Pocock is another who was a genius at winning the ball at the breakdown
He was left ‘very disappointed’ by the 20-minute red card trial which was introduced for this year’s Six Nations. That rule allows a player who is sent off to be replaced after 20 minutes.
‘You have to victimise a side for foul play,’ he said. ‘In most cases, the head is involved. It’s mad. Any side can make up for a player being off for just 20 minutes, but not for longer.’
O’Driscoll won four Ireland caps as a member of a family full of international stars and medical professionals.
His cousin’s son Brian is the most famous member of the clan, having won 133 Irish caps and eight with the Lions.
His son Gary is currently head of sports medicine at Manchester United, having previously held the same role at Arsenal.
‘I’m from a medical and rugby family,’ said Barry. ‘I got an awful lot out of the game and I’ve been very lucky to get to 83 with just early dementia.
‘I’ve no regrets over playing it. I got so much more from rugby’s comradeship than any penalty I’m about to pay. I’m one of the lucky ones.’
Slade’s spicy jibe as England head north
England set out to win northern hearts and minds on their visit to York for a training camp last week, but it didn’t go entirely to plan.
Supporters in the area who struggle to attend matches in London were invited to watch open training at the LNER Community Stadium, home of the local football and rugby league teams, and a few thousand people came along for the session.
England trained in front of thousands of fans at York’s LNER Community Stadium last week
Henry Slade was less than popular when he made a quip about being up north
Following their delayed arrival, the England squad set about engaging with the crowd – including many school children – as captain Maro Itoje thanked them for coming along and World Cup-winning team manager Richard Hill also spoke at length and received warm applause.
But when centre Henry Slade, who has been dropped from the side to face Italy on Sunday, was interviewed while on an exercise bike next to the pitch, the clapping gave way to boos. The reason?
When he was asked if it was good to be in York, the Exeter back – a long way from home – said: ‘It’s a bit too far north for me. It’s quite cold.’
Whenever he retires from rugby, a career in diplomacy does not beckon…
No brotherly love in Varsity
A pair of brothers – one of whom has switched sides – and an arctic explorer are among the players set to star as the universities of Oxford and Cambridge do battle this weekend.
On Saturday, the men’s and women’s sides from both prestigious establishments will bid for Varsity glory at StoneX Stadium, the home of Saracens.
In the men’s match, James and Harry Pratt will both be among the Oxford replacements. In last year’s game, James was on the bench for Cambridge and played against Harry as they hammered their biggest rivals 56-11.
It was the Light Blues’ biggest win in the match’s history. Now, James has switched universities, meaning the siblings will team up as Oxford look for revenge.
In the women’s match, Cambridge’s Phoebe Jackson will take a break from her PhD in Antarctic Glaciology to bid for rugby glory.
Jackson is a flying centre, but away from the pitch her PhD research focuses on Antarctic atmospheric rivers and their influence on ice-shelf stability.
How Henry pepped up Les Bleus
France’s camp hailed the cross-generational appeal of the country’s football legend Thierry Henry after he gave Les Bleus a pre-Ireland pep talk.
Henry, a World Cup winner with France in 1998 and an Arsenal icon, spoke with and posed for pictures with his country’s rugby stars, including captain Antoine Dupont.
Thierry Henry’s famous handball that stopped Ireland from going to the 2010 World Cup
Ireland were furious, but the handball was not spotted – and now Henry is plotting an Irish defeat again
His presence before Saturday’s Six Nations title decider with Ireland was particularly noteworthy given the identity of France’s next opposition.
Henry’s handball in a 2009 World Cup qualifier controversially stopped Ireland’s football team from reaching the 2010 global showpiece in South Africa.
French rugby’s attack coach Patrick Arlettaz said of Henry: ‘He’s a person that speaks to many generations.
‘It was really nice. He spoke about his life, his experience, his journey – it all appealed to our players. He did it without reticence, by fully opening up. We felt his sincerity.
‘It’s what we look for when we ask inspiring people to talk to the squad.’
Italy’s secret weapon to help take down England
Italy’s bid for a first win over England at Twickenham on Sunday has seen Azzurri boss Gonzalo Quesada pick the brains of Argentina football great Javier Zanetti.
The 51-year-old Zanetti is a hero in Italy after playing for Inter Milan between 1995 and 2014 and making the most league appearances as a foreign player in Serie A.
Javier Zanetti is a hero in Italy with Inter Milan, who he won the Treble with in 2010
Zanetti is now Inter vice president, but swapped a round ball for an oval one in Rome when he watched Italy’s rugby side train and met Quesada at the team’s open session.
England are the only side Italy have not beaten since they joined the Six Nations in 2000.
Who will fill crucial Wales roles?
The Welsh Rugby Union is currently in the midst of a heavyweight recruitment process to fill three key jobs that will define the organisation’s future direction of travel.
Michael Cheika is one of the leading contenders to take the Wales head coach job
Simon Easterby (right) is another prominent contender to take over from interim head coach Matt Sheratt (left)
While chief executive Abi Tierney’s top priority is finding a long-term replacement for Warren Gatland as men’s head coach, she is also on the lookout for a new director of rugby and a chief growth officer – two vital positions in terms of on and off-field matters.
Tierney hopes to get the director of rugby in place by the end of this month and, in an ideal world, before the coach is hired.
That’s because whoever the coach is, they will report to the director of rugby. Michael Cheika, Simon Easterby, Franco Smith and Pat Lam are contenders for Welsh rugby’s most important role.
Wales’ chief growth officer will be tasked with increasing the organisation’s commercial revenue – a difficult job at a time when rugby worldwide faces financial challenges.
