africa.com’s Rob Peters wonders why the laws of rugby need to be changed simply because the All Blacks aren’t winning…
It was only a matter of time really. Let the All Blacks and Wallabies lose enough games and they blame the laws — not their inability to adapt to them. The Springboks, of course, are ‘boring’. They don’t play rugby like New Zealand and Australia like to play. The Kiwis and Aussies play for the fans, provide them with a spectacle, and the latest law variations are not allowing them to do that — they’re also to blame for why they are losing.
The Boks don’t care about the fans, they just want to win, doesn’t matter how they do it either… how selfish of them. All Blacks coach Graham Henry reckons there is an over-emphasis on kicking and the game has suffered as a result. The laws need an overhaul to ensure the game becomes a spectacle again. He’s all about the fans is Henry. Wallaby coach Robbie Deans, meanwhile, says the Boks don’t play rugby. In fact, they won the last World Cup without playing any rugby.
The ELVs should never have been abandoned because the result has meant more kicking. He too feels the laws need to change. What a load of bollocks. Firstly, the Boks won the World Cup after running in 33 tries. They also lay claim to the tournament’s top try-scorer, with Bryan Habana running in eight tries and equalling the record by Jonah Lomu in the process. Secondly, the laws were changed recently when the ELVs were trialled by the IRB and all it resulted in was mass confusion — for the players, referees, media, and yes, also the fans that Henry cares so much about.
The last thing rugby needs is more of the same by giving them another go or, even worse, coming up with another variation of them. The reason the All Blacks — and Wallabies — have been losing to the Boks this season is because the South Africans have exposed and capitalised on their opponents’ weaknesses — notably the lineouts, scrums and ability (or lack thereof) under the high ball.
Isn’t that what rugby is all about? Searching for a weakness in the opposition and then exploiting it? The All Blacks were woeful under the high ball, while their lineouts were horrible in both Tests in South Africa and they paid the price. It is up to them to rectify the situation, not the IRB. The Wallabies have been moaning about the laws for years. They were the biggest driving force behind the ELVS. Why? It was not to make the game more of a spectacle, but rather to move the play away from the set-pieces, where not coincidentally, they are historically weak.
The Australians were admittedly better under the high ball, and their lineouts were not quite as dodgy against the Boks at Newlands, but they were monstered at the breakdown, bettered at the lineouts, and, ultimately, they were simply not good enough. This weekend’s Test match between the All Blacks and Wallabies had only one try. It was littered with handling errors, poor kicking and even worse decision-making. The All Blacks squeaked home at the death courtesy of a Dan Carter penalty. The Kiwis, unsurprisingly, hailed it an epic Test match, one of the best ever. It was a spectacle and the fans loved every minute of it. Of course they did. It’s only boring if you’re losing…
AB’s/convicts is Suurgat Janne
Yes, I’m sick of hearing about “the product” and “it should be more of a spectacle” blah blah, rugby union rates 3rd or fourth in Australia and they are just trying to make more money by competing with the other sports/codes here, as a Saffas i’m not interested, every lineout, every scrum and every kick is already a spectacle for me, why must we change the laws to suit a nation that’s barely interested in the game, stuff em I say.
In Aus rugby union is a private school phenomenon, unlike S.A. where everyone plays rugby, regardless of the “prestige” of the school, it is not a game only for the “upper class”. They already changed the rules while we were missing during “isolation”, like staying on your feet in the ruck etc., now that we’ve caught up again they want to change them again, smacks of Anzac conspiracy to me or just plain sour grapes.
I don’t get it, The Australasian guys must be real dumb. What are they on about, they are a real bunch of losers. Lets look at some 3N stats thus far.
Tries scored. SA 4 in 3 games. 3 by backline players
NZ 4 in 4 games. 2 by backline players
Aus 3 in 3 games. 3 by backline players
The real interesting one is the kick rate
SA 73% kick rate
Aus 86% and
NZ 84%
@rugbybal – I was really wanting to see those stats as to the number of kicks. It just goes to show how far perception travels in the rugby world. I couldn’t help but notice how many kicks there were in the AUS vs AB’s match, especially in light of the fact that the coaches on both sides said that they were going to run the ball.
Not only are they kicking a lot during the Tri Nations, but also during the NPC( NZ Curry Cup). I watched a couple of games this last weekend with my Dad, and kept on saying why are they complementing the kicker, isn’t that what they are critisizing the Boks for doing. I honestly came to NZ thinking I could support the locals, but after meeting the One Eyed Cantabrians and meeting their Rude supporters at Jade Stadium I quickly reverted back to my old tried and trusted Sharks & Boks. And now having to watch the Tri Nations listening to Fox and Co. & the Ausie’s commentating in a very biased fashion during the SA home leg it made one feel sick. Every time Bakkies tackled somebody it was ” did you see his knee strike that player. did you see that cheap shot etc etc”. You guys in SA are lucky if the English commentary is poor you can switch to Afrikaans and visa versa we are stuck with these A$%@holes Downunder.
I really hope that we beat the thugs on Saturday. It will be very sweet.
@rugbybal –
Hello daar.
Ek is oppad uit, sal later praat.
Het jy darem die tifoon oorleef, lyk maar woes daar in Kaoshiung?
Ons het dikwels Sondae in daai berg wildewark op die spit gebraai.
Btw, check mail.
Tjeers.
@Pietman –
tifoon was maar rof, gelukkig het ons die ergste gemis
Taiwanese wilde vark? Klink interesant
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