South Africa Rassie Erasmus would look to hire Joe Marler for very specific role

Erasmus suggests that having expert referees specifically for the scrum could lead to more consistent and accurate decision-making. He wrote: “Decisions made by scrum experts like Graham Rowntree, Petrus du Plessis, or Joe Marler would go unquestioned if they adhered strictly to the law book. This way, nobody in the game would need to adapt unnecessarily.”

Erasmus supports the idea of using two referees during matches, particularly around the breakdown. He acknowledges that while the idea has been tested before, it could bring significant improvements if executed correctly. “The idea of two referees sounds radical, and it has been tried. But if done efficiently and without intrusion, it could have a massive impact on the tackle and breakdown areas,” he explained.

Erasmus believes time-wasting during penalty and conversion kicks could be minimized with stricter enforcement of the shot clock. “There’s a 60-second limit for penalties and 90 seconds for conversions. Fans want more ball in play, so why not enforce these time limits more strictly? Too often, we see kickers going over the allotted time by 20 seconds or more,” Erasmus stated.

These proposals are aimed at making rugby faster, fairer, and more enjoyable for players and spectators alike.