Former All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith has voiced his support for reducing substitutions in rugby, arguing that such a shift could give Kiwi teams a natural edge.
His comments come as outgoing World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont recently expressed regret for not reducing substitutions during his tenure. Beaumont argued that fewer subs could bring back the late-game “opening up” seen in past matches.
The substitution debate has sparked heated opinions, particularly after the Springboks’ Bomb Squad approach, where Rassie Erasmus has famously loaded the bench with forwards.
Erasmus pushed back on Beaumont’s comments through social media, tweeting, “Good thing games [are] won or lost on the field and not in the boardrooms.”
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Smith, now New Zealand Rugby’s performance coach, supports law amendments aimed at speeding up play, including shot clocks on scrums and lineouts.
“That [law changes] will give coaches the challenge to enhance it and make the game even faster,” Smith was quoted by New Zealand’s Herald.
“What are our athletes going to look like? I think over time they’ll look at fewer substitutions.
“There’s talk in World Rugby about trying to create more fatigue. They’ve woken up to the fact we need to change.”
Smith, who helped steer New Zealand to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015, believes New Zealand teams would adapt fastest.
“Whenever there’s been law changes or style of game we’ve reinvented quicker than anyone else, so any changes that happen will be an advantage to New Zealand’s pioneering spirit,” he said.
Photo: World Rugby
