Rugby and more rugby

The Experimental Law Variations adopted in the Stellenbosch league, Australian Rugby Championship and NZ B provincial championship are to be trialled in the Super 14.

I can’t confess to have been an avid viewer of the ARC so I am anxious to view how these laws impact the game. The new laws are (in some semblane of importance):

1) “Scrum: The offside line for players who are not in the scrum and who are not the team’s halfback, is five metres behind the hindmost foot of the scrum.” Brilliant rule! This gives backs even more of an opportunity to shine and will serve to offset the images of four man rucks and lines of forwards strung out across the pitch.

2) “Breakdown (tackle/post tackle): a) Players entering the breakdown area must do so through the gate. b)Immediately the tackle occurs there are offside lines. c)The halfback should not be touched unless he has his hands on the ball.” I’m glad that they’re clearing up the tackle rule. As a coach, it is the single hardest individual law to teach new players. I think the half back law is really clarification. Referees have been penalising interference with the half back but not uniformly. This is still a tough one to referee. Do we punish accidental contact as well?

 3) Sanctions: For all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and Law 10-Foul Play, the sanction is a free kick.” Again, good news. Too many times, the referee’s whistle at the breakdown has been a lottery. By all means punish accidental interference, but not with 3 points.

4) “Lineout: On a quick throw in, the ball can be thrown straight or backwards towards the defenders goal line, but not forward towards the opposition goal line.” More a commonsense acceptance of reality. The quick throw in is an accepted offensive weapon and cannot really be adequately policed by the linesman, so one may as well allow the backwards throw in.

 5) Inside the 22-metre line: When a defending player receives the ball outside the 22-metre line and passes, puts or takes the ball back inside the 22, the following can occur -
a. If the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is in line with where the ball was kicked.
b. If a tackle, ruck or maul is subsequently formed and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is where the ball crossed the touch line. I’m very much in favour of this one. I’ve always felt the current rule was incomplete.

6) Posts and flags around the field:
i. If a player is in possession of the ball and touches a corner post, he will not be in touch unless he touches the touchline or the ground beyond the touchline.
ii. If the ball is not being carried by a player and it touches the corner post, the ball will be deemed to be touch in goal. Makes nothing but perfect sense to me.

I’m broadly in favour of the new laws. My reactions waver between uncertainty but willingness to experiment to sheer joy (ok not sheer, but contentment).
I was even happier to see that some laws are not being adopted, in particular:

• allowing hands in the ruck,
• pulling down of mauls

Super 14 commences on february 14th 2008: Crusaders v Brumbies at 5.35