Rugby World Cup Referees’ chief Paddy O’Brien has finished his briefing to his World Cup referees and told them to focus in on five big areas. Has Paddy got it right? Are there any other areas you’d like to see referees clampdown on?

1.The breakdown – tackler must roll away and assist tackler must release, while arriving players must come through the gate.

2.The scrum – slow sequence of four calls, the loosehead must have his head and shoulders above hips and the tighthead must bind on the body of his opponent, not the arm.

3.Offsides – strict policing of offside players close to the breakdown and players in front of kicker must remain stationary until put onside.

4.Mauls – the ball-carrier must be available to be tackled by the defending team.

5.Foul play – high tackles, grabbing and twisting of the head and tip tackles to be emphasised, with referees to start at red and work backwards.

With thanks to the New Zealand Herald – see full article here