By that second serious is meant dirty play. Everything that the Laws call misconduct, dangerous play . They stand there, tense, solemn, hyped up, emotional. The importance of pace in rugby cannot be overstressed. The Laws say a lot about it.
Wasting time is a punishable offence.
Kicks must be taken without delay . A tackled player must do this and that immediately . The instructions have an urgent tone. Worse than being punishable, wasting time kills the game and devalues it as an experience and as a spectacle. The word season used to be associated with games.