It's an increasing and infuriating trend in rugby. A ruck forms, the scrum-half makes a call, players are drafted in and he slowly rolls the ball to the back of a mass of bodies and delivers a box-kick forward.
Once a referee calls 'use it' a scrum-half is supposed to play the ball within five seconds but often it is twice that. Recently we have seen some referees, like John Lacey, penalise this and it's a good thing too because it is a boring and inactive break in the game.
The alternative is the Joe Marler approach. Harlequins took on Exeter today in a game crucial for their top four hopes. The English prop was not impressed with the length of time Nic White was taking and let him know.
You're fucking boring me, hurry up."
Scrum-half lines up a box-kick.
"You're fucking boring me, hurry up." ?
Joe Marler speaks for us all. pic.twitter.com/bYcLN5piDx
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) April 27, 2019
On the field, it ended in a 17-15 victory for the Chiefs. That result means Wasps versus Saracens takes on added significance, as Dai Young's side can still make the top four as well.
