[caladanbrood]

So, I fully expect there to be a very well defined north-south split of opinion on this...


http://news.bbc.co.u...ion/7378416.stm

The IRB, in their "wisdom", has decided that a number of the new Stellenbosch Laws will be trialled in the Northern hemisphere (at all levels, from grass-roots to internationals), after their trial in the Super 14 this season.

Thankfully, the majority of the stupid ones are going to be restricted to just one competition. They haven't announced which one yet, but probably the European Challenge Cup, which no one cares about anyway.

The rules which will be trialled across the board are:

• Players can defend a maul by pulling it down.
  
  
• Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.
  
  
• No restriction on the number of players who can participate in the lineout from either side (minimum of two).
  
  
• The receiver in a lineout must stand two metres back from the lineout.
  
  
• Flags are no longer considered to be in touch in-goal except when a ball is grounded against the post.

Of these, only the pulling down of the maul will and the 5-meter offside line cause major ruptions, I suspect, although I fully expect some teams to have 14-man lineouts just to make a point.

On the other hand, the three other laws to be trialled in the unspecified competition will have a much more significant effect, I suspect.

• For all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and Law 10 - Foul Play, the sanction is a free kick.
  
  
• If the ball is unplayable at the breakdown, the side that did not take the ball into contact will receive a free kick.
  
  
• If a maul becomes unplayable, the team not in possession at the start of the maul receives a free kick.

Now, obviously under current rules the team who takes the ball into contact has possession if the ball becomes unplayable, and these last two laws, along with the pulling down of the maul appear simply to ruin the concept of what we currently see as the role of the forward, by encouraging them to spoil and stop the ball at every occasion.


Now, I haven't seen any of the games that have so far used these laws, so I cannot properly judge them until next season, but as a forward myself, this apparent downgrading makes me rather unhappy.



Has anyone seen the Stellenbosch Laws in effect in a match? Comments from anyone on these law changes, changes they would rather see, and the seeming bias towards the southern hemisphere game they would indicate?

[q21]

Stellenbosch... that's only an hours drive from here. Have they been using those rules in the super14? If so it would explain a few instances where I was confused as to the ref's rulings.

I don't know about downgrading the forwards, but it certainly changes their role. You're going to see them get to the breakdown point as fast as possible and smother the ball.

[Aptorian]

I like the fact that I understand absolutly nothing of what Brood writes in this thread. Silly Brits.

[q21]

Hey! I posted in this thread... AND I'm NOT a brit!

[Grumble]

:eek: I think someone had a few over the 8 Stellenbosch :heyhey:

Still as a league man I am glad to see they have left in the following Union rules

1) Forward pass allowed anywhere on the field

2) Ball will spend a minimum 50 minutes off the pitch

3) 10 points for a sucessful penalty kick

4) More pointless rules no one understands

[caladanbrood]

Oh, also:

• Thou shalt not compare League to Union in a favourable manner.

[caladanbrood]

Aptorian;299080 said:

I like the fact that I understand absolutly nothing of what Brood writes in this thread. Silly Brits.

Rugby is the sport of Kings.

Go. Learn. Now.

[Coco with marshmallows]

caladanbrood;299213 said:

Rugby is the sport of Kings.

no, equestrianism is the sport of kings. Rugby is the sport of men who enjoy getting their heads jammed into their team-mates nether regions:p

[Fid]

At some point I fully expect the Oz administrators to propose that the player numbers are reduced by 2, we get rid of line outs and we adopt 6 tackles to me ake the game more free flowing....wait we already have that, it's rugby league - and Oz have been quite good at it.

I enjoy both codes - but making union more like league is total b*ll*x - if they cannot compete with strong forard power then dont move the goalposts.

S14 games I have seen this year have been more like sevens with more players - and that is not what I want to see in 15 a side games. It does not bode well for the future of the game.

[Cougar]

Anything that reduces the amount of penalty kicks is a good thing in my opinion.

I've been playing league since February and I played Union for the first time at the weekend, I'd forgotten how wanky the contact rules are,the ruck area is a fucking nightmare, it's almost unrefereable. Hands all over the ball, ref can't see everything going in in it. You might as well just let them wrestle for it.

I'd like to see a halfway version called Rugby Unigue. 6 Tackles, mauls allowed, multi tackler strip, 13 players, uncontested scrums, no lineouts, 2 points for all shots at goal (inc. drops) 5 for a try and ermmmm....heavy machine guns for fullbacks.

[caladanbrood]

So currently watching Wales-SA, the first international match I've seen using any of the ELVs...

Horrible in the ruck. Players all over the place, so many people off their feet, basically huge wrestling matches on the floor. Ugly ugly ugly

[Sir Thursday]

They're using the ELVs in internationals now? I thought they were just confining them to the domestic competitions...


Sir Thursday

[caladanbrood]

Not all of them, but there was a lot of handling in the ruck, which the referee saw and didn't penalise, so they must be using some of them!

[Koryk of the Seti]

not really a fan of the new rules at all! pulling down the mauls is just ridiculously dangerous nearly had my neck broken a number of times in this season and it makes the whole maul itself fairly useless off a lineout. the unlimited numbers in a line out isnt too bad as it lets us do inventive things puttin a full linout up against a halved one and making up fun stupid calls in trainin is always good for an auld giggle. but the offside behind the scrum is stupid, like wat is the point in it? as a player i tend not to actually complain about these things and just get on with the game but as a forward im a lil tiffed at some of the more stupid ones.

[Falco]

Northeners whinging about the ELVs. I'm shocked.

[caladanbrood]

If we wanted to watch League, Fishy, we'd watch League...

[Cougar]

Well I've had a half a season playing them now and I can tell you they are not being enforced properly at all. The refs are not giving short arm penalties at all just going straight to full penalties which was the most siginifcant rule to be trialled. The ruck area is a worse mess than it ever was which is odd since the rules haven't changed. The refs have a directive to ping anyone at all off their feet, fair enough but sonmetimes you can't keep your feet at all. The refs are not getting to grips with collision so the tackling players are killing the ball in inital contact then when the side in possesions back rows get there they are forced to ruck illegally and there are loads of penalties, it's stupid and spoiling the game for 60 or 70% of all matches played.

Lineouts are working well, pulling the maul down encourages expansive play and as a blindside I'm the one doing the pulling down, very very painfull since the tactic I use is to grab the man at the front by the waist (you can only pull it down in between the neck and waist) then collapse so the whole maul falls over me. It's worth it though.

I played 8 last week and the 5 metere rule at the scrum is an excellent addition for plays of the base although typically the refs control of the opposition scrum half being offside is very poor.