Tadhg Beirne questions direction of modern rugby

Munster captain Tadhg Beirne has raised concerns about the direction of the modern game, saying the overall style of rugby has “gone backwards” following the club's defeat to Leinster Rugby at Thomond Park.

Speaking after the match, Beirne said his frustration was not limited to the result, but extended to what he sees as a growing trend across elite rugby. He suggested that the sport is increasingly dominated by kicking and set-piece battles, rather than sustained attacking play.

Leinster, who are the reigning URC champions, have built a reputation for physical dominance and defensive disruption under senior coach Jacques Nienaber. That approach again proved effective, with Leinster disrupting Munster’s maul and breakdown platforms throughout the contest.

Beirne contrasted that with Munster’s preference for a more fluid attacking game, echoing previous comments from the province’s coaching staff about law interpretations encouraging conservative tactics. He pointed to aerial contests and scrum rewards as reasons teams are increasingly choosing to kick rather than keep the ball in hand.

“If we’re being serious, teams are just kicking the ball,” said Beirne.

“Why? Because it’s a 50-50 chance of getting the ball back. Teams are going to set-pieces more because if you go up for a 50-50 in the air and you get a knock on, you get a scrum. And if you have a good scrum, you can get a penalty into the corner.

“It’s just becoming a set-piece and kicking game with the way they’ve changed the rules.

"You see teams kicking more and more and I think it’s just going to continue going that way unless they decide to do something about it.

“You want a bit more flow to the game, personally.”