Mailbox: Delving into ELV's

With the first round of Super 14 action fumbling to a close at the weekend, the daggers were hauled out to slice up the new Experimental Law Variations, which were supposedly introduced to speed up and simplify the game. Here's your autopsy of the new ELVs and what you thought of Round One…

With the first round of Super 14 action fumbling to a close at the weekend, the daggers were hauled out to slice up the new Experimental Law Variations (ELVs), which were supposedly introduced to speed up and simplify the game. Here's your autopsy report on the new laws and how you thought it made a difference…

“So disappointed. That's my reaction to the first round of the Super 14. And I'm a devoted Super Rugby fan (Kiwi) from its very beginning in the mid 90's. For the first time ever I walked out of a game ('Tahs vs 'Canes) early. It was rubbish! Thank goodness for the Magners League and Guinness Premiership games being replayed on Sunday our time. Good rugby with rugby rules played the way its supposed to.

“In my opinion the free kicks especially for the so called, unplayable ball are crap. The Ref's blow the whistle far too quickly instead of waiting to see what happens while players scrap it out. It slows the game down even more than before.

“Umaga said a few years ago “we're not playing tiddlywinks” well sorry Tana, but they are now!”

– Chris

“This was just the first round, and as such there's probably a high degree of rustiness present. It happens every year, in every competition.

“It should also be noted that all three SANZAR countries are in the middle of their summer sports seasons, with a rather gripping contest between NZ and England going on right now. Quite frankly no one really cares about rugby at this time of year, let alone going along to a game.

“I think those in Europe will probably have a degree of fear about the new rules that promote running rugby and athletic ability. I'm thinking the highly overrated competition that's only interesting because of the foreign stars poached from other countries and hardly sees the ball get to the outside backs won't know what hit them when the time comes.”

– Jason Harrison (NZ)

“As all other sports and registers degrade the demands of their athletes and increase TV commercial time during play, rugby seems to be ever more demanding. The ELVs sound great in theory, but there are too many tired athletes out there and the requirement for size and bulk has become irrelevant; thereby, making elements such as scrums, line-outs and breakdowns of lesser significance.

“One disappointment was the breakdown – now there is no contest at all. Refs have quickly blown this area and awarded free-kicks. The biggest discrepancy in the game has now become more confusing and to almost an unpunishable offense. This law was supposed to invite a contest for people to get stuck into a real “tug-of-war” or scrap. I also do not think the 'use it or lose it' law does any justice here.

“Quality will drop? The reality is that we need scrum-resets, extended territorial line-outs, and competitive breakdowns because players need idle time to recover such that when they do compete, it is done so with maximum effort and quality and it invites a contest from the opposition. We simply cannot expect “Superman” athletes – these ELV's require to be re-thought.”

– The Balls

“New ELVs rules seem to be giving the game more of a rugby league feel, quick tap and go stuff… not the game I grew up with, which seemed to have structure, tactics…almost chess-like. Too early to see how these will impact the game.”

– Kevin

Well, the handling wasn't great overall. But WOW! Is this quick or what?

– Allen

“As a rugby union fan and ex-referee, I have just had the misfortune to watch the first two televised matches of the new Super 14's season, where the new Experimental Law Changes have been introduced. On reflection, I have come away feeling completely bemused as to how these changes are supposed to improve the game.

“From what I observed, the changes have created a faster, “headless-chicken”, version of the game, incorporating an increase in “mistakes” and turnovers caused by a huge reduction in the application of basic skills. Careful thought and strategy seem to have disappeared beneath athletic power and speed.

“Furthermore, pressures on referees have increased to the extent that infringements in basic laws (scrummaging, line-out, ruck and maul) are overlooked as the referee tries to keep up with the speed of the game. Rucking and mauling have, in fact, become a free-for-all, where huge amounts of 'cheating' in order to gain an advantage, are punished by innumerable free kicks, proving no deterrent to re-offending.

“The idea of improving the game by reducing stoppages in play is laudable providing the skill levels of the players are at least maintained. Size and speed are only beneficial when linked to the application of high quality skills by the players and officials involved. However, on the evidence of the matches I observed, this is not the case.

“In conclusion, my first thought was to say that Rugby Union now appears to be fast disappearing and become almost indistinguishable from Rugby League. However, on reflection, that would be doing a disservice to Rugby League, which has raised skill levels amongst it players and officials to the extent that in terms of quality of expectation from its spectators it leaves Rugby Union trailing far behind.”

– Andrew Nash

“Are all the people involved or interested in rugby in SANZAR nations suffering from attention deficit and get bored easily? There seems to be a constant desire to make the game more “exciting” by fiddling with the laws. For heaven's sake, why? Perhaps they all need to watch the oval ball equivalent of basketball with a try scored during each period of possession, giving match scores of 92-86. Perhaps, more insidiously, they need to tilt the balance of world power more in their favour by giving advantage to the “open” style of rugby they insist everybody else seems to want! Go on then, get rid of the skill of kicking (see new laws on kicking from the 22 and replacing some penalty decisions with free-kicks) and make it harder to keep a properly constructed maul going (check the law on the legal ability to pull mauls down) and rewarding slack mauling by ignoring truck and trailer. This is reminiscent of calls to de-power scrums by people who are no good at them (stand up Australia). All in the name of superficial “flowing” rugby.

“What poppycock. Hang it all, why stop here? Let's free space up on the pitch by removing a couple of players. And those line-outs, rucks and mauls just get in the way of throwing the ball about so let's stop doing them altogether. Sorry, there's a game like that already.

“Who, exactly, is calling for these changes? Not the people who continue to pack out grounds for ELV-free Heineken Cup matches or Six Nations fixtures, it seems. And after all of this experimentation, then what? Will the IRB adopt these variations and force them on everyone, temporarily unfairly disadvantaging those countries who haven't been working with them? I