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More tries and action, thanks to trial laws
Greg Growden | May 23, 2008
MORE tries and more ball in play have been the rewards of using the Super 14 experimental law variations this season.
Official statistics comparing last year's Super 14 with this season shows that the number of tries scored in the 91 round matches is up from 426 to 483.
The average time per game the ball has been in play increased from 33 to 36 minutes.
Elsewhere there have been subtle changes. Rucks and mauls per game increased from 137 to 148 while the number of scrums stayed the same - averaging 20 per game.
It is clear that while early in the tournament this year many teams opted for scrums rather than free kicks, this changed in the final rounds with teams more often opting for the quick tap.
Lineouts dropped from 31 to 26 per game, while the make-up of free kicks and penalties changed dramatically.
Last year, referees blew up the game on average 21 times - awarding 19 penalties and two free kicks. This year there were 27 stoppages - 12 penalties and 15 free kicks.
The number of passes and kicks per game remained relatively the same - 236 passes this year compared with 228 last year, and 54 kicks this year to 51 in 2007.
The Super 14 was also more popular in Australia than New Zealand, where fans are still clearly suffering from last year's World Cup fiasco.
South African crowd attendances averaged 26,630, Australian 20,305 and New Zealand 15,759.
Meanwhile, Brumbies flanker George Smith was last night named Australia's Super 14 Player of the Series for the third year in a row. But he took the tournament's top honour by only a narrow margin over his long-time NSW rival, Phil Waugh.
In the award, which was decided by media and player representatives, Smith finished with 51 votes, Waugh drew 49, followed by Matt Giteau (32), Dan Vickerman (25), Nathan Sharpe (24) and Wycliff Palu (24).
The Smith celebration continued with his youngest brother, Tyrone, winning the Rookie of the Year award. The Brumbies centre was adjudged by the media as the best newcomer in the Australian teams, finishing with 26 votes, ahead of the Waratahs' Tom Carter (13), the Force's Tom Hockings (7) and Queensland's Leroy Houston (5).
Ewen McKenzie picked up the Coach of the Series, which goes to the highest-ranking Australian team. It was the third time McKenzie had won this award.
The solo effort of Queensland winger Peter Hynes in scoring against the Crusaders was adjudged the Try of the Series.
Australia's most experienced referee, Stuart Dickinson, was named the Super 14 Referee of the Series.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...183000941.html
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