WARRIORS director of rugby Mike Ruddock feels the new directives governing the tackle area have over-complicated the game and would be glad to see them scrapped.

The Sixways chief believes the paying spectators are getting less quality rugby for their money as teams are forced to commit more players defensively at rucks.

Although Ruddock recognises the new directive, which gives the first defender to a ruck rights on the ball, does create more turnovers, the former Grand Slam-winning coach would prefer a return to the status quo.

He said: “I’m not a fan of it (the new directive). I said right from the beginning, what I liked about the laws of rugby is that they were pretty simple, a ruck was a situation where you couldn’t use your hands and a maul was a situation where you could.

“So the supporters knew, the players knew, the referees knew and the coaches knew that — so it was pretty simple to differentiate.

“Now you have got this hybrid situation where there is hands in the ruck and everyone is having to commit more bodies either offensively or defensively.

“It is not helping the quality of rugby across the board. Having said that, we turned over Llanelli eight or nine times, the value when it does work can be good, but as a product it is not quite as good as it has been in the past.”

However, the Welshman is not expceting things to change any time soon, but would like to see some stability in the game after many recent upheavals — such as the experimental law variations (ELVs).

He added: “It is highly unlikely it will be reviewed mid-season, in the last few seasons there have been a lot of changes for the players, spectators, journalists and everyone.

“The coaches have had to contend with the ELVs, the maul goes out and then comes back in.

“It would be great to have some stability, perhaps a good look at them in the summer and maybe there could be a few tweaks.

“Possibly they could tweak that one so it can go back to the old way of refereeing the ruck and settle it down for a couple of years.”