Shaun Edwards calls for Ireland’s trademark choke tackle to be banned from rugby

Granted, we were always going to be biased on this one.

Welsh assistant coach Shaun Edwards has called for the choke tackle to be outlawed in rugby, calling it a "blight on the game" at a press conference on Monday. Edwards has claimed that the technique - which involves holding up the ball-carrier to create a maul - is becoming dangerous and contributes to the slowing down of the game. He said: "I think it's very, very dangerous. I think it encourages people to tackle high," before going on to say that it has become a blight on the game of rugby. Edwards invited the room of journalists to debate the issue with him if any of them thought otherwise, resulting in absolute silence. "Do any of you think it matches the game more exciting? What happens after a choke tackle?" However, Edwards is a pretty intimidating figure, so even if any of them supported the tackle, I can imagine they weren't exactly keen to pipe up. The choke tackle has become a key weapon in Ireland's arsenal over the past few years, and for those of you who aren't familiar with the technique, here's a brief masterclass on it from the folks at Rugby Tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEwHf-eTZ4w Hat-tip Wales Online