Serial offenders allowed to kill our game

[Flamethrower]

Serial offenders allowed to kill our game
By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Monday, 31 March 2008
Serial offenders allowed to kill our game - RugbyHeaven - New Zealand's home of Rugby news, coverage, video & pictures


It hasn't taken long for a major flaw to emerge from the much-touted ELVs with serial cheating at the breakdowns clearly more evident than it was under the old rules.

If scrums were the blight of 2007 then free-kicks have quickly become equally tiresome in 2008.

Offenders are happy to put their bodies on the line at the breakdowns and do everything possible to slow down the ball, arguably even more than 12 months ago.

Why? Because they know that predominantly they will only be conceding a free-kick rather than a penalty.

And when a team is under defensive pressure they can live with a free-kick because even if the opposition takes a quick tap, they still have a bit more time to get their defensive lines sorted.

The more I've watched play evolve under this law, the more I've become frustrated with it. I'm sure I'm not alone.

The referees have the right to penalise at the breakdowns but they seem to be slow to get tough.

The Hurricanes-Crusaders match was a classic example. The second half evolved into a stop-start affair dominated by Steve Walsh's whistle for free kicks - and the odd penalty.

Walsh needed to get tougher earlier - dish out penalties or go to his yellow card a long time before he gave Mose Tuiali'i a spell in the sin-bin late in the second half.

The tap-kicks really are turning top class rugby into touch footy.

Yes they speed the game up a bit but they are in danger of becoming as tedious as scrum resets because of where most of them are coming from - repeated offending at the breakdowns killing genuine attacking opportunities.

David Nucifora has been quick to point the finger at this area to explain some of his Blues team's recent difficulties.

Is he just another moaning coach or someone with a genuine gripe? I tend to back him on this one.

The Blues were ripping everyone apart in the early rounds. It's no coincidence that the more teams have learned how to work these new rules, the better some have become at cheating.

The best way to stop the Blues with their dangerous backline is to slow or stop their supply of ball.

That's not a new theory but it seems to be easier to accomplish under the new rules.

The Sharks laid down the blueprint with their fourth round defeat of the Blues in Durban where they smothered everything they could at ruck time. The Western Force, Stormers and Bulls have followed suit over the last three rounds. The Force tipped over the Blues while the Stormers and Bulls took them to the wire at Eden Park.

The Blues haven't helped themselves with some sloppy handling and other inaccuracies but one of the hottest teams in the tournament doesn't suddenly become stone-cold overnight without other evil forces at work.

It's going to be interesting to see where rugby gets to with these ELVs.

I don't see there being blanket acceptance, especially from our cynical friends up north who may have a growing support network down this way.

Nor do I see them being turfed out the window after all the investment the International Rugby Board have made in them.

I believe there will be some form of compromise. Some of them clearly make sense like quick throw-ins and stopping the pass-backs into the 22s to kick into touch on the full.

But their attempts to sort out the breakdowns don't appear to be working.

I read somewhere last weekend that on average the ball in play under the ELVs had increased by just 30s to 33m 30s in matches played in this year's Super 14.

If that's correct then it's a pretty meagre return.

The same column suggested that negative coaching was to blame.

At the risk of sounding negative, I think that's spot-on.

[gustafsl]

Can't say I've noticed this too much.

I'd say there are more free kicks being given this year compared to penalties last year. But I think this is because referees are more likely to call stuff knowing it is only a free kick. For instance I think there are a lot more holding the ball calls this year. I wonder if the refs would be giving as many if it was a kick at goal. Perhaps if they think it is a problem they could change it so on a free kick you can kick it out on the full and it is still your lineout.

The thing that was the most annonying to me in previous years were teams getting a free three points in cases where they weren't disadvantaged that much. For instance holding the ball just on your side of half. In most cases it is unlikely that the opposing team would have been able to grab the ball and make a clean get away for a try. The free kick is perfect for this situation because it replicates what you would have had to do had you been able to steal the ball, ie you still have to get by all the other defenders.

The one thing that is annoying me this year is once the free kick is awarded, the offending team is either kicking the ball away or not releasing it, allowing their defense to get all set up.

The other issue about the ball not being in play. Maybe they should just stop the clock when there is a kick at goal. Some of them are taking ridiculous amounts of time, and it is even worse late in the game with a small lead.

[no.8]

The same was said of lifting in the line out.
Everybody does it and it provides for cleaner ball than in the past.
A tall guy or short guy you adapt.
Plenty of teams use their locks to lift a flank forward.
The Brumbies with George Smith and The Hurricanes with Rodney So'ailo.
Then there are more traditional Nathan Sharpe, Ali Williams and Bakkies Botha.

We've all got use it.
ELV's has more positives than negatives.

[shasta]

They have merit - with the exception of the breakdown. Perhaps the referees need to be instructed to issued yellow cards after just a few infringements - by the team rather than the individual. If we've only gained an average 30 seconds extra ball in play perhaps allowing the non-infringing side the throw is worth a try. Theres no advantage in a free kick for territory when the infringing side just get an easy quick throw & counter attack. But I can't see any more tinkering any time soon when the ones already on trial are so unpopular in the NH.

[BLR]

The problem with issuing cards willy nilly is that we'll get a situation like in the ARC when more often or not there were at least 1 player on the bench with a card....didn't the Spirit get down to 13 players for a ten minute period?