Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins would support countdown clock in rugby

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins would welcome the introduction of a countdown clock to help speed up matches.

World Rugby is considering introducing a timer on scrums, lineouts and kicks at goal, according to the BBC.

Matches this season have been dogged by lengthy delays, with Connacht's game against the Bulls in September taking over two hours to complete.

"There's real positivity in that," replied Wilkins when asked about the possibility of a countdown clock.

"Anything that speeds the game up for spectators, but also brings tempo into the play is going to bring excitement and more opportunities for the players. I fully support anything that speeds the game up.

"The key thing with any of these changes is to make sure there’s the resources and consistency in how they’re delivered, whether that’s having shot clocks on the pitch or the required match officials to monitor that. It’s got to be consistent and available.

"If that happens then all the better for the game."

"We always associated Connacht as being this free-playing, free-spirited attacking side, and it has changed." Murray Kinsella analyses Connacht's struggles in attack against Munster. #RTERugby #AgainstTheHead pic.twitter.com/fUtszpWxN5

The tempo to Saturday’s derby between Munster and Connacht was disrupted by the time it took to set scrums, as well as the mandatory drinks breaks. It leads to frustration among supporters, players and also coaches.

"The scrum has been a hot topic for many seasons in terms of how long that takes," said Wilkins.

"It’s that catch 22, if they want to get scrums functioning and not collapsing all the time, they’re taking longer to make sure all the bits are in the right places for that to happen. I sympathise with that, although it’s not