Former England international Jeremy Guscott has called for a radical overhaul of substitutions in rugby – for the good of the game’s future.
Guscott, who was capped 65 times for England and eight times for the British & Irish Lions, wants to see the number of changes available to coaches cut to four to encourage teams to have better fitness levels and smarter tactics.
The Bath stalwart said: “For me rugby now needs a big change, and the biggest change we could make is going down to four or five substitutes, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to do that. It is the biggest change rugby could make and it would be unbelievable.”
Player welfare in the game has never been under the microscope as much as it is now, particularly given the size of players and impact in contact.
Guscott says that reducing the big, fresh players coming on against tired opponents would help limit injuries.
“There would be three of four fewer big units coming on who are going to smash into weaker people,” he said.
“It becomes more a game about fitness and how smart you are so you have to change tactics, and it becomes a game, again, for all shapes and sizes. Players would be smaller as they would have to get fitter and go for longer.”
The only area he would guarantee substitutions would be the front row – with just one other replacement allowed.
“All the front row would have to change, and I would then go for one other change. A back can go all the way through a game, you can’t tell me anyone from 9-15 can’t play for 80 minutes.
“I would do it next season. Get it done, it would be so exciting.”
