‘Ban coaches to help prevent head-on-head tackles’

According to former England women’s coach Simon Middleton, the rugby union should think about exchanging head coaches for players who engage in head-on-head tackles at matches.

France’s Gabrielle Vernier received a head-on-head hit in the opening round of the Women’s Six Nations, followed by Wales’ Georgia Evans with a second yellow card for a similar tackle in their defeat by Scotland.

Garry Ringrose, Ireland’s centre, was sent off for a head-on-head tackle on Wales’ Ben Thomas in this year’s men’s Six Nations.

Middleton, England’s head coach from 2015 to 2023, suggests that the head coach of that team should be given a one-game touchline ban for each illegal head-on-head tackle in a game.

Middleton told BBC Sport, “You want to make it powerful and resonant.”

“I’m probably going to be more diligent and aware of the consequences of what I am coaching if I know the actions of my player will have an impact on the availability of the head coach.”

The head coach ultimately loses control of the coaching group because “you are responsible for overseeing your coaching group.”

“I do believe that reducing head contact in rugby is going in the right direction, but there has also changed significantly in how frequently incidents are head-on-head rather than shoulder-to-head.”

Middleton led the Red Roses to the 2022 World Cup final, but their team lost to New Zealand after playing the majority of the game with 14 players as a result of a high, head-on-head tackle by wing Lydia Thompson.

The 59-year-old claims that his coaching team could have given the tackle height more information to stop the red card.

He said, “We paid a lot for it in the World Cup, and rightfully so because that was the right choice, and we have to accept that.”

What part did we play in the World Cup’s preparations, I ask myself? We undoubtedly played a role.

Middleton left England’s coaching staff in 2023 to become the women’s high-performance advisor for Japan.

He claims Lesley McKenzie, the head coach, “teaches a safe and entertaining” style of rugby that could be applied to all other sports.

More than 300 former British football, rugby league, and rugby union players filed for legal action last year for brain injuries they claimed they suffered while playing.

A double tackle is a double tackle where one player chops the opponent’s legs while the other targets the ball to prevent offloads, according to McKenzie, who also serves on World Rugby’s women’s high-performance rugby committee.

Lesley “is obsessed with tackle technique, body management, and functional movement in the contact area,” adds Middleton.

Physically speaking, there are many differences between Japan and most other countries, so they must be outstanding at their craft.

“I can’t recall ever receiving a red or yellow card for any high shots or head contact penalties in the two years I’ve been with them,” he said.

Middleton believes that fewer stoppages to review high tackles result from coaches being more diligent with tackle technique, making the game more entertaining to watch.

He disagrees with the claim that tackling teams at lower will make them break defenses more easily through offloading.

I don’t agree with the assertion that you can’t risk tackling on the ball because you can still tackle on it safely.

Most offloading games are caused by teams tackling the ball rather than using a very low and aggressive approach.