ELVs work no magic on northerners
ELVs work no magic on northerners
By DAVID LONG - Sunday News | Sunday, 09 March 2008
ELVs work no magic on northerners - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz
IRB vice chairman Bill Beaumont fears the Super 14 coaches have scuppered the ruling body's hopes of bringing in all 30 of the experimental law variations.
The IRB already face an uphill battle convincing the northern hemisphere nations that ELVs are good for the game and with the Super 14 coaches deciding to only use eight of them this year, Beaumont concedes that's it's now going to be difficult to get the green light on the other 22.
"If you had them all there then it would have been easier to make a decision on them," Beaumont told Sunday News.
"South Africa are playing with them all (in the Currie and Vodacom cups), what we've got to do now is an in-depth analysis of the effect they've had on the game."
Super 14 coaches voted before Christmas to accept the eight current law changes, but the more controversial laws like hands in the ruck and allowing the collapsing of mauls have not been introduced.
A decision on the laws will be taken at a meeting of the IRB full council in November.
Former All Blacks captain Taine Randell says the ELVs have been greeted with scepticism in the northern hemisphere.
"They're pretty much scorned," Randell, who lives in London, told Sunday News.
"Everyone over here is just waiting to see how it goes, some of the rules will work but others might get ditched."
But Wales coach Warren Gatland can't see any need to change the laws in the first place.
"I don't think there's a huge amount wrong with the game," he said.
Saracens first-five Glen Jackson is equally non-plussed.
"Some of them are very good but others are pretty ordinary," he said. "The freekicks are good, but teams will start cheating more."
