Jones feeling frustrated

ELVs have "stuffed the game up" according to Sarries boss

Last updated: 3rd January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Jones feeling frustrated

Jones: Frustrated

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Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones was left frustrated after his side's 22-16 Guinness Premiership defeat to Gloucester, both by the laws of the game and England's insistence on resting internationals.

The Cherry and Whites came from behind at Kingsholm in a match largely shaped by the kicking contest between Olly Barkley and Sarries' Glen Jackson - the home centre winning by five penalties to three.

Each side scored a try - Olly Morgan touching down for Gloucester and Richard Haughton doing the same for the visitors - but Jones refused to criticise his players.

Instead he targeted both England's desire to rest players such as Saracens lock Steve Borthwick ahead of the Six Nations and the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) recently introduced.

Jones said: "His (Borthwick's) presence in the line-out would have made a difference."

He added: "There is something wrong with the rules. The game is very difficult to referee.

"I'm not blaming the referee but it is too difficult to referee and there is so much contest at the breakdown that other things are being missed.

"The best side won today but there was no rugby played and everyone wants to see rugby.

"We have to have officials out there who want to referee, but the IRB have made the laws so difficult for referees to referee and the game is immeasurably worse than it was 12 months ago.

"The referees have not got worse and neither have the players. So what's the one missing? The ELVs.

"They (the ELVs) have stuffed the game up and it is very hard to play rugby."

Jones called the laws 'Rafferty Rules' - an Australian saying for an unruly person.

He added: "Nick de Kock was late tackled by a bloke, one touch-judge ran on and the touch-judge in front of him did not see it.

"There is something wrong here. We got our half-back punched and the touch judge came on and there was no sin-bin.

"You have got to have a game where you attack off your ball and off the opposition ball. I'm as frustrated as anyone. I want to play rugby and we can't."

Achilles injury for Vainikolo

Meanwhile, Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan said the club would discover the extent of an Achilles injury suffered by winger Lesley Vainikolo on Monday.

"Les has an Achillies injury which we will have to wait to see the extent of it. He slipped. We get injuries every week and he got one this week," he said.

Ryan also acknowledged the contribution of Mike Tindall, adding: "I think he has been strong in the last couple of weeks around the gain line and his defence was outstanding today.

"He is growing in confidence with Olly (Barkley) and whether or not (he will return to the international fold) is someone else's decision."