With next year's Southern Hemisphere Super 14 set to test rugby's Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) to the limit, the sport could change forever on May Day.

That is when it will be decided whether to introduce, on a global basis, those laws which include radical changes to the breakdown, scrummage and lineout.

Another of the changes is the equivalent to football's pass-back rule in that players will no longer have the easy option of kicking direct to touch and so gaining ground from behind their own 22-metre line.

The ELVs were applied in last season's Premier One Super Cup in Scotland after their introduction at South Africa's Stellenbosch University, followed by their use at a higher level of club rugby in Australia.

Consensus has been growing in support of the ELVs and, for many, the style of play adopted by most sides in the knockout stages of the World Cup has highlighted the need for that to happen as soon as possible.

Given the way the Wallabies in particular were bullied out of the tournament by England's pack there was admittedly more than a hint of whingeing when John O'Neill, chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union, criticised those matches before voicing his hope that the ELVs be used in Super 14.

This week he said of his expectation that Super 14 will be asked to introduce the ELVs: "I think SANZAR would have rocks in its head if it didn't accept the invitation."

At what was by far the best World Cup to date due to improved competitiveness throughout, those knockout matches were intense and compelling, while it is hardly unusual in any sport for players' ambitions in the closing stages to be limited because of the fear of losing. Even so, if rugby wants to build its audience, changes to the laws seem essential to let it become easier to understand and watch.

Bill Nolan, the Scot who chairs the International Rugby Board panel looking into the ELVs, confirmed that they want to see them tried at what is the highest possible level short of Test rugby.

"It is fair to say we are inviting Super 14 to trial them and we will be conducting a comprehensive medical survey to assess whether there are any increased risks to players," he said.

The pace of Super 14, at times even faster than the international game, should test every aspect to the limit since fatigue is acknowledged by medics as a major factor in increasing players' exposure to serious injury.

Certainly the ELVs have the capacity to encourage a much faster, more open game, as was apparent at times in the midst of the last Scottish winter.

There have been various tweaks since the first trials at Stellenbosch, the latest of which has corner flags - previously situated on a line parallel with the pitch as is the case with all other flags - put back on to the touchline because they are deemed important sighters for officials and players. However, they will now be treated the same as goal-posts in that if a player not otherwise in touch strikes the flag-post with the ball it will be deemed a try.

The fundamental changes have survived the process, with the introduction of an offside line five metres from the back of scrums being widely welcomed, while there is increased understanding of the benefits of getting rid of limiting numbers in lineouts.

The breakdown remains the most contentious area and, as Nolan admits, it is almost impossible to remove all subjectivity there. However, allowing players to use hands in rucks has gained more support since the initial proposal was changed, with players now forced to be on their feet if they are going to handle there, while referees are finding it easier to focus on the key area of ensuring that players come through what is known as "the gate".

Super 14 will, then, be the last testing ground ahead of the final decision-making process.

"We recently presented everything to a general assembly of all Unions and got a lot of positive feedback," said Nolan.

"We then presented it to the IRB's rugby committee and thereafter to the full IRB council. Unions will be asked to submit their views ahead of a council meeting on May 1 next year and after that the intention would be to introduce the agreed ELVs on a worldwide basis from July 5 for the next year with a view to their adoption into the law book in November 2009."

12:59am today



By KEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer

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This article was posted on 27-Oct-2007, 10:21 by Hugh Barrow.