Better Rugby Rules

Source: Rugby need to entertain again – Toby Robson

Hanson extract…

Assistant coach Steve Hansen wasn’t hiding from the issue upon arriving at the All Blacks’ High St hotel.

Rugby was in need of an entertaining and free-flowing test match.

“Kicking has overtaken most of the game,” he said. “They tried to change all the rules [with the ELVs] and then halfway through the process they decided to play differently up here [in the north].

“They only want to play some of them, so we’ve got a kind of hybrid type of game and it’s ended up with everyone kicking.”

Hansen repeated Graham Henry’s call for the mark to be introduced anywhere on the field before indicating the All Blacks would not let up in their quest to play running rugby.

“They’ve always played differently up here and we have to just accept that,” he said. “I think the game of rugby needs a good game of rugby and not necessarily just a battle up front, but some ball movement and some good tries.”

COMMENTS: Well the best way to defeat a kicking game, is to play a ‘catching’ game. The ABs didnt do this against the BOKs and lost 3-0 in this years Tri Nations. Also the positional play of the back three is also important. So if one team kicks the ball, and the receiving team CATCH IT then thats an excellent chance for counter attack.

Once again Henry and Hanson call for RULE CHANGES when in truth it was there own selections and tactics that let them down.  Dont believe this spin.

ABs have idiots coaches in charge…

The ABs shouldnt worry about the entertainment factor, they should focus on the winning factor, once again Henry is getting sidetracked by issues that dont steer the ABs ship to RWC glory.

Source: Sky cuts Mexted ‘for criticising NZRU’

Extract…

Rugby personality Murray Mexted has claimed he was suspended from the Sky commentary team after criticising plans to cull four teams from the Air New Zealand Cup.

Mexted made the revelation while speaking at a breakfast to Wairarapa businesspeople and his comments were picked up by the Wairarapa Times-Age.

The former All Black No 8 said that after criticising the New Zealand Rugby Union on air, he received a letter from Sky’s director of sport, Kevin Cameron, pointing out that the NZRU was a commercial partner of the network and that he should “refrain from being critical”.

Consider this: NZRU was a huge support of the  now failed ELVs, and as there partner is SKYTV, all the paid  TV commentators were required to tow the line and support the ELVs.

SKYTV is the spin machine of the NZRU. If the NZRU are not for it, and you are a free thinking TV commentator you had better change your attitude otherwise all those great paid rugby trips will end rather quickly.

SKYTV commentators: Fox, Nesbit, Smith, Johnstone, Robinson are all cheerleaders for the NZRU. If they personally dont like something and its against the NZRU, you wont here it.

The are no true opinions when there are dollars behind it.

Watching the first three weeks of international rugby downunder it was great to see the French, Lions and Sth Africans use the mual. The ELVs by default had removed it from the game, now its back and good to see as an option of forward power. See blog villians for those that dont understand rugby and who got it wrong.

Danie Craven, the most important authority on the laws in the history of the game, once said that when one change was made it often affected other aspects of play. He used the analogy of pulling a thread from a jersey and seeing, say, the bottom half unravel. His argument was that coaches must have the insight to see the implications of changes.

The ELVs allowed the maul to be pulled down, it did not offer just a method to defend it, it allowed a method to remove it from the game completely, some how the blog villians didnt see that ! Cause there not good thinkers of the game, thats why ! Jes wayne, and some of them are in charge of this great game !

Source: Deans one step ahead of Henry in adjusting to whole new maul game– Spiro Zavos

Danie Craven, the most important authority on the laws in the history of the game, once said that when one change was made it often affected other aspects of play. He used the analogy of pulling a thread from a jersey and seeing, say, the bottom half unravel. His argument was that coaches must have the insight to see the implications of changes.

The ELVs that were played in the Southern Hemisphere to the end of the Super 14 tournament favoured a free-flowing game. Because the rolling maul could be pulled down, sides moved the ball away from the set pieces. With short-arm penalty sanctions in force at the ruck, teams got plenty of quick restarts to keep the flow of the match going.

The laws now allow for more driving and mauling. Play is more structured in that there are more set pieces. The rucks have become more of a contest if a side has a genuine openside breakaway to get his hands on the ball first.

COMMENTS: What ! Coaches now have to select rugby players on the basis of there specialised skills rather than there ‘free flowing’ rugby influence, shock horror ! Spiro statement supports the argument that the ELVs diluted traditional rugby roles, as this blog has said from the beginning, and what the north also saw from the start. Spiro was an ARU ELV cheerleader, but he new all along that the ELVs were not rugger ! The above statement also shows why the “Blog Villains” are on the list, because they were just plain wrong. Mr Tew (NZRU CEO) had statistics for Africa to say otherwise, or so he thought, another reason why his analysis skills are questionable.

Source: Full ELVs deserve a fitting farewell– Spiro Zavos

Extracts…

THE Super 14 final at Pretoria next Saturday night between the Bulls and the Chiefs will, unfortunately, be the last major match to be played under the full ELVs. Unfortunately, because the two semi-finals were matches that reflected the best of the rugby code, with sweeping attacks and hard-shouldered defence in contrast to the intense, but dour, slog (lifted from time to time by Rocky Elsom’s ferocious charges) of the European Heineken Cup final.

The clash between Leinster and Leicester was played under a modified ELVs regime imposed on the IRB by the northern hemisphere nations – with the result that world rugby had the curious experience of the two hemispheres playing under different sets of laws. The main difference was that the southern hemisphere laws allowed for full-arm penalties for only three offences at the ruck and maul, whereas the northern hemisphere laws (which become the world laws after next weekend) have full-arm penalties for all offences at the ruck and maul.

In the Heineken Cup final, there were 18 full-arm penalties. The flow, energy and attack and counter-attack so evident in the Super 14 finals, with far fewer full-arm penalties, was generally lacking in the Heineken Cup final, where the action tended to wind down when play stopped for the full-arm penalties.

The running in the Super 14 finals was dynamic, especially by Pierre Spies for the Bulls and Sitiveni Sivivatu for the Chiefs. The ball was in play longer and what could be called the “running of the bulls effect” – the big players becoming leg-weary – came into play, allowing the faster, skilful players to make their mark. The pace of the Bulls-Crusaders match was so ramped up that even Richie McCaw was reduced to a slow trot by its end, and the massive, hard-working Bakkies Botha was substituted as sweat poured off him like from a draught horse forced to make too many long gallops.

COMMENTS: Sure, this single GAME may support his argument, but rules are played over a season, over many matches, and one must consider the mean of performance over a wide distribution of data.

1. ELVs encourage the break down of traditional rugby roles between backs and forwards. Every ELV game has seen the promotion of forwards running with the ball outside a back. This ruins attack. A prop just doesn’t have the same skill as a 2nd five eight.
2. ELVs encourage bodies over the ball at the breakdown. Awaiting the ref to determine who wins. The defending team know that the worse case penalty is a free kick to the opposition, that is an easy trade off compared to slowing the ball down illegally to prevent a try.
3. ELVs saw the reduction of classical back line play, the only time that backs and forwards are completely separated are during scrums, and they were infrequent.
4. ELVs encourage the ‘field wide defensive trench’. The long horizontal line of players fanning out across the field became more dominate due to the fact that forwards didnt need to go to the breakdown, as forward play has been eroded under ELVS and modern rugby.
5. ELVs promoted kicking to over come (4) above. We all have seen this blight on the game. There will be less kicking when forwards return to their traditional roles and more space is found out wide.
6. ELVs destroyed the maul. Further traditional forward play removed from the rugby.
7. ELVs promoted short lineouts, with more opportunity for forwards to stand in the back line. I refer you to (3) above.

So I say, see ya ELVs, good riddance…Spiro Zavos watches too much Rugby League and doesn’t know one game from the other !

On May 13 the IRB Council approved…the following…

Recommendations for the IRB CouncilThe following is recommended to the IRB Council for adoption into Law:

Law 6 – Assistant Referees able to assist Referees in any way the Referee requires
Law 19 – If a team puts the ball back in their own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch there is no gain in ground
Law 19 – A quick throw may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s goal line
Law 19 – The receiver at the lineout must be two metres back away from the lineout
Law 19 – The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the five metre line and touch line and must be two metres from the line of touch and at least two metres from the lineout
Law 19 – Lineout players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in
Law 19 – The lifting of lineout jumpers is permitted
Law 20 – Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the Scrum
Law 20 – Scrum half offside line at the Scrum
Law 20 – The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post

Union-specific ELVs Recommended to Council:
Unions may implement rolling substitutions at defined levels of the Game
A Union having a jurisdiction over a Game may implement a half time interval of not more than 15 minutes
A Union may implement the Under 19 Scrum Law Variation at a defined level of the Game under its jurisdiction

The following is not recommended to the IRB Council for adoption into Law:

Law 17 – Maul – Head and Shoulders not to be lower than hips
Law 17 – Maul – Pulling Down the Maul
Law 19 – Freedom for each team to determine Lineout Numbers

The Sanctions and Tackle/Ruck ELVs will not be recommended to the IRB Council for adoption into Law. However, the Rugby Committee has deferred these areas for further consultation

COMMENTS: The ELVs rejected confirms the success of this blog supporting the correct side of the debate. Overall the correct result was achieved, thanks rugby world. Steve Tew and John O’Neil what were you thinking !!!

Source: Referees making rugby a lottery – Marc Hinton

Just a short posting today..

Most of the whistle occurs around the ruck. Hands in, off the feet, off side, dangerous play, etc.

The RUCK is the most important phase during an attack as it allows continuation of the attack before (hopefully) the defending team reforms its defense. A failure to allow this makes rugby a game for defenses and not attack.

The above line is the one of the most important understandings of rugby union, that has not been supported adequately.

If you increase the methods that the ref can police the ruck this will result in more stoppage [note: The ELVs tried to make the stoppage quicker with free kicks rather than scrums, well that didnt work out so well, did it] with more confusion on how the individual ref saw the particular situation. The term ‘refs interpretation’ has become more prevalent since the rucking laws where made too tough to allow the player to implement the rucking process.

Either educe the refs involvement in the ruck, and/or allow the players more slack in applying the rucking rules, allow ‘collaterial damage’.

BRING BACK THE 1990s RUCK !

Previous Post: Rucking, Ref’s should allow ‘collateral damage’, ELVs: Mains is soo fooking correct !

Source: Deans predicts ‘perfect game’ from ELV changes – RugbyHeaven.co.nz

Extract..

“Now there’s an average of about 24 total sanctions, 17 of them would be free-kick, seven would be penalties.

“You turn those around, you’d be close to the perfect outcome and we agreed on that.

“We’re not far way, personally I think, from the perfect game.”

COMMENTS: If you go from 17 free kicks out of 24 to 17 penalties out of 24…that’s still more stoppage, and more of worse type, penalties! (da). How about if 12 out of 24 issues are solved by rucking.Now, doesn’t that sound better ! Less stoppages for sure !

Claiming to have the perfect game going from a lot of free kicks to a lot more penalties gives me the inclination Deans had a few beers before this quote !

Source1: Thank goodness aweful ELVs have left the building – Stephen Jones
Source2: The Laws that killed rugby – Stephen Jones

Extracts..Source1

Those tests that had not already been sent back to the Frankensteins of the International Rugby Board’s awful Laws Project Group were voted out of existence. The main European unions took a lead, South Africa finally revealed their dislike for the measures and other unions weighed in.

The pouters have claimed that the European unions attacked measures that they had not even trialled, such as the sanctions laws, which were run only Down Under. That is a bit like saying you cannot have an opinion on being murdered if you have never been murdered yourself.

What next? Resignations, surely. The LPG is totally discredited. Rod Macqueen of Australia, Graham Mourie of New Zealand and Bill Nolan of Scotland, the prime movers, must surely go.

Extracts..Source2

Recent schisms in the TriNations grouping (normally a block vote) has seen South Africa breaking ranks in the ELVs debate – another heavy blow to the IRB, Australia and New Zealand. We spoke to several leading officials and learnt that South Africa are now opposed to most of the radical ELVs. One of South Africa’s most famous coaches, who has been advising the country’s delegation for tomorrow, says: “We are under pressure from our Sanzar partners and the IRB, but we want most of the ELVs out.

If you feel that only the northern hemisphere is against the ELVs, the southern façade is crumbling too. Todd Blackadder, coach of the Crusaders, the Super 14’s most successful team, says: “The same issues that people are talking about in the north are happening here. The mindless kicking. The ELVs are supposed to encourage more running rugby, but everyone’s ended up kicking it aimlessly. It’s something that needs addressing urgently. I don’t see it as North v South, it’s a global rugby issue.”

Soon after Ian McGeechan had expressed some reservations, he was descended upon by IRB heavies; when Victor Matfield, the Springbok lock, was asked about the ELVs in a press conference, he felt the need to ask his own team manager if he was allowed to express an opinion, before he revealed how much he disliked the experiments. Dick Marks, one of the most respected Australian coaches and authorities, reflected in a report, which spectacularly savaged the whole ELVs phenomenon, that most of the gushing praise for the laws was worthless, since it came from paid employees – be they players, referees or officials – of unions who were desperate to support the measures.

COMMENTS: Good on SARFU for seeing sense ! You notice the rugby scribes down under do not print news of  the NZ/AU rugby administrators received a right spanking and were sent home with a FAIL !(NOTE: If a NZ rugby scribe bags the NZRU, it becomes a little hard to make a living as the NZRU wont speak to you anymore, just ask Murray Deaker !). More evidence that some, if not all, of the management of the NZRU are just idiots. Stephen Jones has a bias against NZ rugby, sometimes it is not fair, but this time it is. This was a very large humiliation for NZ and the AU boards, after two years of trumpet blowing for the ELVs with out any objectivity there ‘rugby thinking’ as been exposed. I hope the board members of the NZRU see sense and have a clean out of the dead wood at the NZRU.

Blog Opinion.

The Y2K fear of rolling over dates from 1999:11:59:59 to 2000:01:01:01 created fear that our digital computer world could come to stop. The fear of this sparked massive IT expenditure 3 years prior the year 2000. The IT world loved it, yet most of it didnt need to happen, a clever industry spin to get more corporates to spend more money on IT. Mind you that worked for me, real good !

The ice bergs falling into the ocean, Iceland melting, sea temperatures rising have all sparked another fear of global warming, and the alarmist are saying the ‘man’ is to blame. Yet the energy that is doing the damage is the big nasty orange thing in the sky, the sun, and ‘man’ only contributes about 0.9% to global warming. But dont tell that to the political correct UN scientist who are after budget expansion for there pet science projects. More spin to pull funds a certain way !

The game of rugby must be fast and free flowing and non stop action, as this is better viewing and more attractive to the average punter. This is another con. This type of game sees the fatties running outside inside backs that dont have the speed or skill to do anything other damage the grass there running on. Good running rugby comes from structured setups (scrum/full lineout/mauls) where like players of skill and athleticism are put against each other.  If you have no traditional rugby structure you will not need the fatties, and you will end up selecting 15 loose forwards and having ‘golden oldie’ scrums and ‘ball throw ins’ from the touch line. Jes, that sounds like another code out there !

Free flowing rugby, running rugby is one of the many styles the game has to offer, yet it is not the only style, other styles suite other teams and this strategy mix should be maintained.

King Andrew and his team saved rugby from the liberal thinkers ! All Hail the king !

Source: RFU celebrate victory in ELVs battle – Scrum.com

Rob Andrew – RFU Director of Elite Rugby England
Kevin Bowring – RFU Elite Coach Development
Chris Cuthbertson – RFU Council member RFU ELV task group
Ian McGeechan – British and Irish Lions coach

These fellows saved rugby union from the mess that it is in now. However this blog accepts that they didnt go far enough and fix the breakdown by bring back the slipper in the ruck !

Well done from down under !

Many in my age group ( thats over 40) thank you. As we have seen 20 plus years of rugby union and we know what the before and after ELVs looks like.

Extracts..

“The whole idea of the ELVs is to improve the sport and while we support the majority of the globally trialled ELVs, the feedback from the Game and our game analysis indicates that pulling down the maul and unrestricted numbers in the line-out have not improved the game.”

British & Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan, a long-time critic of some of the ELVs, also welcomed the decision. “We’re now keeping variety in the game and that is very important,” said McGeechan, who is also Wasps’ Director of Rugby. “The maul allows you options, as do the numbers in the line-out. It makes sides think. The attacking side have got choices and the defensive side has got to make decisions. That’s what rugby is about.”

Source: Fitzy blasts New Zealand rugby  – Greg Ford

Sean Fitzpatrick Ex All Black and major donut on the English scene said some home truths that should not be ignored.

“In terms of what I am seeing in Super 14 compared to the Premiership and Heineken Cup, it is quite clear one game is better than the other.

“What’s happening in Super 14 is lacking structure. The teams that are doing well the Bulls and Chiefs are the teams that are playing with structure. Unfortunately with the short-arm penalty, it encourages teams and players … to cheat.”

His comments will come as another body blow for the game here, which is under siege.

Fans struggle to understand its rules, are turning off in droves and not attending games.

Fitzpatrick also slammed the ELVs, saying: “The ELVs and some coaches are encouraging our younger guys to play this helter skelter rugby which is fantastic at schoolboy and club level but against the big boys in international rugby it won’t wash.”

COMMENTS: Sorry Fitzy …”helter skelter rugby which is fantastic at schoolboy”…NO it is not, ‘basket ball’ style rugby is a bore ! Fitzy has joined the choir with his mate Grant Fox, I wonder if Fitzy got his bravery for his latest comments after researching what his mates have being saying on the web, he rarely is first, a bit of a cheerleader is our Fitzy. But he is not wrong, that’s for sure!

Much fuss has been made about the ruck and the how to police it, NZRU Ceo Mr Tew finds favour with the current southern ELVs with the free kick approach, yet the northern six nation teams find favour with the stiff arm penalty, and they have attracted much criticism for not trialling the new ELVs. The northern nations have and consequently voting against the southern ELVs ( yes I know they are IRB ELVs). The northern nations made there judgement by viewing 2008 Super 14 rugby matches and said “NO” to the free kick approach. Why was this approach given the raspberry, whats the big deal ?

Consider this:
1) I know the moon is round, yet I have not been there !
2) I know Elle Macphersons boobs are fantastic, yet I have not played with them !
3) I know Eva Braun loved Adolf Hitler, yet I did not go to the wedding !
4) I know Austrialians dads breed with their daughters, I have never seen this!
5) I know Jona Lomu was the most destructive winger to walk on the rugby field, yes I have seen this !

The point is, sometimes is soo bloody obvious to know what is right ! Well done Six Nations, using the two inches up top before the big hooves down below !

NOTE: Free Kicks or Stiff arm penalties are the options the current ELVs support, this blog supports 1990s style rucking more so. Read previous posts, thanks!

Source: Frustration with some Super 14 refereeing  – Grant Fox

Grant Fox one the most brilliant first five eights to ever put on the boots, was not thinking so smart 12 months ago, and good on him for going on record to say so, he got some elements of the ELVs so very wrong. I also will never forget when he slotted a penalty with 2 minutes to go against my 1st 15 at high school to win the game, dam he was good !

Previous comments can be read here : ELVs – ‘No intelligent life forms here Scotty! (Grant Fox)

What he says today…

In my view, there’s an easy way to keep players on their feet – allow rucking. The lawmakers will say you can still ruck. Reality is different. The whistle-blowers simply don’t let it happen.

As a result, we continue to battle with the most perplexing area of our game for all involved – the breakdown. It’s still a mess.

I originally supported the ELV allowing mauls to be collapsed by the defending team but in practice it hasn’t worked. It unfairly favours the defending team – a wider problem rugby now has.

COMMENTS: About time the Auckland Grammar boy woke up. Grant Fox, Laurie Mains, Inga the Winga and Wynne Gray (many more no doubt) have called for rucking to be reinstated back to 1990s style. The jungle drums have started to beat !

Source: Teams to pay the penalty  – Toby Robinson

Is it possible the old fuddy-duddies up north have got a point?

We got the ELVs because fans and players complained the game had become too slow. Too many rolling mauls, too many reset scrums, too many lineouts, too many shots at goal.

The theory behind the changes remains sound. A good game’s a fast game.

But freekicks have not worked. They have given referees and players an easy out and are destroying the “structure” of rugby union.

It is the set piece kicks to touch, lineouts, scrums and kickoffs that separates rugby from that other code. That make it a more tactical battle. That provide for all shapes and sizes.

From a fan’s point of view, they also build tension, provide a breather to take in the situation, understand what’s going on rather than wondering what the five freekicks in the last passage of play were for.

They also allow the players to formulate their next move on the chess board.

Quick taps create mayhem. Set piece creates structure

COMMENTS:I am going to have to get in touch with a copyright lawyer, rugby is like chess metaphor is been used by others far to often, I wonder if they pinched it off my blog !

Source: Forget mauls – bring back rucks  – Inga

Legitimate rucking, and I’m not referring to stomping here, would free this area up. I know the image of the game needs protecting and violence cannot be tolerated.

So to further help in this regard, I would also propose that rugby introduce the league-style report system, whereby referees can signal incidents they are uncertain about which can be reviewed later.

Any rucking has to involve the player driving forward and removing players on the ground with a backward motion of the feet. It can’t involve static players stamping directly down. Players would have to be told very clearly what rucking meant, and the penalties for not doing it correctly.

A big point about the impact of rucking is that it discourages players from illegally slowing the ball down in the first place because they know the consequences of getting their bodies or hands in the wrong place.

COMMENTS: NOT bad for a wing ! All he says on rucking makes sense to me, yet he is short sited on mauls. Hey, let the forwards have some fun !

NZRU CEO Tew just doesnt get it !

Source: Tackle zone remains game’s spaghetti junction  – Martin Davidson

…”Rugby’s spaghetti junction remains an unresolved mess despite ongoing efforts by administrators to clean up the adjudication of the breakdown area.Officials are still grappling to find a universal answer to clean up the tackle zone to ensure a fair contest for the ball at the breakdown.”…

…”Southern hemisphere nations have trialled new refereeing sanctions, with free kicks used to speed up the game.However, other than France and Scotland, northern hemisphere nations have not even bothered to road test such sanctions and they continue to argue offences at the breakdown constitute a full arm penalty despite the fact frequent stoppages are a blight on the game“…[BLOG: Both stiff and bent arm penalities requires the game to stop, yet rucking does not]

COMMENTS:The breakdown has two forms of policing, the first by the referees the other by the players. The method applied by the referrers has failed. Why: they dont see all, they are too slow to react and when they do react it requires the game to stop, the second method is by the players and its ‘rucking’. Rucking has worked tremendously well. Yet the mothers of little school boy Johny must be appeased. Wake up Mr TEW there is only one answer and the fact as a New Zealander you dont see this argument is a dam disgrace, it provides evidence that you dont understand the game that you lead. Please move aside. Laurie Mains please apply for the NZRU CEO job, thanks !

UPDATE1:Recently Mr Tews said the statistics support his case, well statistics can be molded any way you like to get any story you like, the way to design rugby is the same way an artist would design a canvas, gut instinct, feel, mood, with the lead from your design concepts. Tew does not have the ‘eye’ for great rugby design, I suggest you check out the “Heros of this Blog’ to see who does! One the great things rugby has in its concept is ‘self rule’,  that is push that player onside, ruck players infringing (used to be), why you ask, because its a CONTACT sport, you cant have refs policing all aspects of the physical contests for possession (unless its dangerous), the physical contest must be sorted out physically. The PC world has fooked this up, and people like Mr Tew cant see that as they see money first and rugby concept second.

Last Point: Thank god for the Six Nations having large balls, and slowing down the destruction of traditional rugby union. In the last year mauls, long lineouts and back play have been diminished to near nothing of what they used to be.

Source: Ian McGeechan joy as maul preserved in ELV shake-up – Mick Cleary

ELVs RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION INTO LAW:

• Assistant referees allowed.
• Kicking directly into touch from ball played back into 22 brings no gain in ground.
• Quick line-out throw may go backwards.
• Player in opposition to player throwing in to be two metres away from line-out and touchline.
• Pre-gripping of line-out jumpers allowed.
• Lifting in line-out allowed.
• Receiver must be two metres away from line-out.
• Five-metre offside line at scrum.
• Scrum-half offside line at scrum.
• Corner posts no longer touch in goal.

ELVs NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION INTO LAW:

• Head and shoulders not to be lower than hips in maul.
• Pulling down maul allowed.
• Freedom for each team to determine line-out numbers.

Require further discussion…

..”Finally, the controversial sanctions ELV, which downgrades many offences to a free-kick and which has been in use only in the southern hemisphere, has been sent away for further review. That sounds like a death-knell. “..

COMMENTS: Did they bring back the ruck ?%?@$%?@%?  The break down mess will continue…the IRB couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery or a brothel !

The ELVs devalued the long lineout (fixed), the maul (fixed), and the infringements(work in progress) and ruck(needs work). So 2 out of 4 is not so bad.

Source: Problem ELVs bite the dust – Dan Retief

Members at the ELV IRB conference

Bernard Lapasset (IRB chairman)
Bill Beaumont (IRB vice-chairman and Laws Project Group)
Mike Miller (IRB chief executive)
Oregan Hoskins (IRB executive committee)
Giancarlo Dondi (IRB exec)
Peter Boyle (IRB exec)
David Pickering (IRB exec)
Jean Pierre Lux (IRB rugby committee)
Geraint John (IRB rugby committee)
Francis Baron (RFU)
Rob Andrew (RFU)
Kevin Bowring (RFU)
Chris Cuthbertson (RFU)
Roger Lewis (WRU)
Joe Lydon (WRU)
Bob Yeman (WRU)
Phillip Browne (IRFU)
Eddie Wigglesworth (IRFU)
Owen Doyle (IRFU)
Roy McCombe (SRU)
Frank Hadden (SRU)
Colin Thomson (SRU)
Andre Watson (SARU)
Johan Prinsloo (SARU)
Peter de Villiers (SARU)
David Nucifora (ARU)
John O’Neill (ARU)
Robbie Deans (ARU)
Santiago Phelan (UAR)
Ricardo Garcia Fernandez (UAR)
Marcelo Toscano (UAR), Steve Tew (NZRU)
Neil Sorensen (NZRU)
Steve Hansen (NZRU)
Nick Mallett (FIR)
Francesco Ascione (FIR)
Carlo Casagrande (FIR)
Rene Hourquet (FFR)
Jean Louis Barthes (FFR)
Didier Retiere (FFR).

Laws ProJect Group
Bill Nolan (Laws Project Group chairman),
Dr Syd Millar (Laws Project Group),
Bruce Cook (Laws Project Group/IRB development manager),
Ian McIntosh (Laws Project Group),
Dr Mick Molloy (Laws Project Group/IRB medical officer),
Graham Mourie (chairman of IRB Rugby Committee & Laws Project Group),
Paddy O’Brien (Laws Project Group/IRB Referee Manager),
Pierre Villepreux (Laws Project Group),
Richie Dixon (Laws Project Group),
Rod Macqueen (Laws Project Group).

COMMENTS: Bring the bloody ruck back idiots !

Source: ELVs have had their fun but don’t deserve fairytale ending – Wynne Gray

..”Rugby lost its way and a fair chunk of its soul when rucking was eliminated.

The dynamic attacking action which encouraged continuity was considered too dangerous, both for players caught lying near the ball and in the battle for parental approval….the greatest crime was reducing rucks to some sort of scrabblefest while the referee resembled someone blindfolded at a children’s party trying to pin the tail on the donkey. Add to that approval for a minority of defenders to pull down rolling mauls and the game quickly lost its mojo and many of the facets which delivered its uniqueness.”….

Source: British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan to warn IRB over ELVs  – Gavin Mairs

Important Extract:

..”There has been widespread criticism that the impact of the ELVs, which include removing the maul as an attacking option because the defending team are now allowed to legally collapse it, has led to mindless kicking and resulted in backlines being clogged up with forwards.”…

Source: Rugby World Unites to Drive out ELVs – Stephen Jones

Extracts..

..”RUGBY union is set to abandon nearly all the radical experimental law variations (ELVs) that have been trialled this season. The Sunday Times understands that the sport is preparing to deliver a damning verdict this week on the experiments, which many believe are responsible for reducing games to a tedious festival of kicking and the elimination of many of rugby’s key distinguishing features, such as the scrum and the driving maul. “…

Chris Cuthbertson, the RFU’s ELV task group leader, says: “We have areas of concern in many areas of the experiments. Rugby is meant to be a game of chess, and we are in danger of turning it into draughts.” [Guess who’s been reading my BLOG – See original post Chess vs Checkers]

Ian McGeechan, coach of the 2009 Lions, has been asked to address the conference. McGeechan firmly opposes the measures: “They are changing the game, and not for the better. It has become so much more difficult now for teams to attack with the ball in hand.

And that cannot be right.”

COMMENTS:First of all I dont mind my analysis been used by the powers to be, I say thank god they saw sense.

The $64,000 question is, will they bring back the RUCK !

The above instrument is required to fix the ELVs.

Wynne Gray and Laurie Mains this last week have written articles stating what rugby has missed in the last 15 years, and readers of this blog know what I am going to say, BRING BACK THE RUCK ! Revolution is in the ranks, let’s hope the journos pick this argument up and push it through the rugby world print writers. Taking the ruck out of rugby is like taking dribbling out of basketball, or headers out of soccer, or spin bowling out of cricket. It should have never been done.

Source: Rucking will help sort out the mess – Wynne Gray

Extracts..

The continuing emasculation of forward play is the worst part about the modern game.[Blog: Exactly, this blog supports this statement 100%]

Watching officials condone crooked scrum feeds and lineout throws with as much bend as Muttiah Muralitharan’s elbow is bad enough.

But the ruck, the section of rugby which defined its character and created space, has been eroded.

That disintegration may have pleased queasy parents and nations who were not as adept at rucking as their New Zealand counterparts, but it is the blight in the modern game.

Every breakdown is a mess. Players who venture into that area are off their feet, coming in at angles, taking players out without the ball, playing the ball with their hands, releasing possession when support arrives rather than immediately – the offences are widespread.

Players sense they have freedom to lie all over possession. A free kick is a minor concession or punishment while teammates regroup on defence in a single line across the park.

Lawmakers have made rucking so hazardous they may as well have banned it. Rugby has suffered subsequently. There were hints the IRB had recognised the flaw, but getting them into action would be like asking both hemispheres to use the ELVs at the same time.

COMMENTS:Wynne Gray and Laurie Mains have basically said that the IRB’s tree loving ELVs have fooked up rugby, and the many TV money taking ex internationals who commentate on the game have no balls to state the obvious the ruck must be brought back, and immediately. Stand up Grant Fox, Murray Mexted and Stu Wilson ( well two of these are backs and wouldn’t know jack sh*t), and draw a line in the sand, cause there will be a revolution, and we will remember those that supported the issues and those that didnt! Heads will role !

PS: I have used harsh words in the last couple of postings, I cant say I am sorry ,I am loosing it, the rugby is so bad in the 2009 Super 14, its just gotta stop !

Laurie Mains, along with Wynne Gray (NZ Herald Senior Rugby Writer) have said it out loud “BRING BACK TRADITIONAL RUGBY RUCKING”…

Source: Laurie Mains in laws plea – Richard Knowler

THIS ARTICLE DESERVE A FULL REPRINT

A frustrated Laurie Mains has slammed rugby’s lawmakers and pleaded with them to stop changing the rules.

He also despaired that “PC crap” was having an impact on the code.

Former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe got former All Blacks coach Mains’ hackles up when he claimed rugby fans were switching to league because it was more exciting and less predictable, and that rugby officials had their “heads in the sand”.

And what irked Mains most is that he agreed with a few of Lowe’s sentiments.

“If the lawmakers would get their act together and go back and look at rugby when it was a great game and use that as a starting point and get rid of this debacle that we have around the tackle area, and get forwards involved instead of having them as defenders out in the backline, then we could get back to the great game that we used to know,” Mains said.

“I think our current administrators have a heck of a lot to answer for.”

Mains, who coached the All Blacks from 1992 to 1995, slated the Experimental Law Variations that were introduced last year.

“The ELVs are not working. The idea is fine but under the current law and with a lack of rucking and a lack of driving in our forwards and the debacle that is the tackle, the ELVs are not a band aid on it really.”

Rulemakers and referees have a lack of empathy for what happens at the breakdown and need to understand it is near impossible for players in the heat of battle to make accurate judgments and do everything right: “To issue yellow cards for that is absolute nonsense.”

Mains said players would still be able to play good rugby if the administration brought back the rules of 15 years ago, when rucking was allowed in an attempt to generate quick ball.

“I would still hold out hopes that we put the PC crap aside and preserve the game because some of what Graham Lowe says is correct. Rugby league is gaining popularity because it is simpler and if you look at its laws they have not changed dramatically over the years, unlike rugby.

“If they don’t do that, then rugby is in serious trouble.”

Mains is also worried that the technical skills of forwards coaches from yesteryear are being lost.

“There is no forward coaching as we know it. That is also a major tragedy binding, driving and looking after the ball were an integral part of coaching, Mains said.

He also believed the game in New Zealand had suffered since former chairman of the laws Tim Gresson was tossed aside six years ago. Gresson, Mains said, had a firm grasp of what laws the game required and would not amend them unless he believed it benefited the code.

“Let’s hope rugby does not decline too much further before they see the errors of the last 10 years or so and go back to the basics of what rugby was and fix it up.”

COMMENTS: How did rugby get where it is today, lost. It got there because the leaders (CEOs) allowed it to get there, the CEOs listened to NON RUGBY LOVERS, thats sponsors like ADIDAS who dont know sh*t about the sport, plus they listen to market surveys taken with mums that are too scared to see little Johny get into a bit of scrap and a little bloody. Also the birth of professional rugby provided the impetus for PC administrator idiots to tweak this and that that took the game away from what the ‘founding fathers’ of rugby had been built up over a 100 years.

Mr Tew (CEO NZRU) this has happened under your 15 year watch. Fix it, or you will go down as a admin bumpkin who assisted in ruining this once great game.

Read the foundation posts ( top right hand corner of this page) for more !

Prev Post on the subject: I want 1990s rugby back, and I am not alone !

Source: We need to sort out ELVs  – Marc Hinton

Cooper said..

But the Hurricanes coach was prepared to speak out on the subject of the ELVs and the controversy that’s swirling around the IRB’s pet law changes.

“The ELVs have just given a whole lot of knockers of the game an opportunity to have a crack at us, at our game. That pisses me off because I’m not only hearing it in the media, or from fair-weather fans, but I’m hearing it from coaches, ex-coaches, and profile people who are having a crack at our game.

“I don’t think that’s good. The sooner we sort out the ELVs, the better. We need to unite as a group of rugby administrators, coaches and players and get behind the game, because at the moment it’s taking a knocking.”

COMMENTS: Is there free speech in rugby or not!  Cooper says unite, close ranks and stop the knocking. What rubbish, the idea of free speech means that if it smells like a duck, walks like a duck, then its a gotta be a duck ! Yes, you fan, you can make the big calls, promote ideas, say what is wrong, put ideas forward to fix it. IF YOU DONT, no body hears you.

If the game is getting a real knocking from loving adoring fans and coaches then it probably deserves it. So the IRB better fix it, the ELV meeting May should be very interesting.

Ronan O’Gara enters the history books..FOREVER !   

POINT: With all the rugby on this weekend around the world the best game of rugby can be awarded to the GRAND SLAM game. Question, how can you see the north taking a liberal view on the southern ELVs? Well you cant! The southern ELVs will be watered down to the northern style of ELVs. The rugby shown the Super 14 this year has been awful, I painfully watched the Chiefs vs Blues last night, and all I saw was 30 loose forwards playing a tackle bull rush, what a mess.

If you cant see it, then you must be under 40 and cant remember the good old days !!