Let us permit No.8s freedom of expression

"We must hope and pray the liberty awarded to No.9s is extended by at least one digit"

- CHRIS HELETT

THE great and good of World Rugby are clearly intent on turning scrum-halves into the union equivalent of goalkeepers, but if they're serious about maximising "entertainment" by trading the glorious mess and mayhem of the game for something neater and tidier, why stop with an exclusion zone around the No.9s? Imagine how many scores we would see if they allowed only one team on the pitch at a time.

Leaving aside the fact that some international sides would struggle to complete an attacking move if their opponents were locked in the dressing room, there can be no dispute over the non-governing governing body's direction of travel. "More is more" and "points mean prizes", scream the law-makers as they double down on lineout lifting, crooked set-piece feeds and all the other contest-denying ordinances. "Roll up, roll up: it's the greatest show on earth. Twelve tries guaranteed or your money back!"

Yet there is reason to be cheerful and it has nothing to do with ever-greater freedoms extended to Antoine Dupont, who is not obviously in need of outside help from anyone, least of all people in business suits blessed with a zillionth of his instinct and vision. It concerns another of the "spine" positions: namely No.8, a role that was once so wide-ranging, no one could come up with a title commensurate with its scope, "God" being too much of a stretch.