By Valkerie Mangnall
February 19th 2008 @ 12:31am
Habana slams Super 14’s ELVs
Rugby World Cup star Bryan Habana has criticised the new rules being trialled in the Super 14 competition, saying they are turning the game into rugby league.
After watching the opening round, do you agree with Habana?
Having played three games under the new format, the South African and Bulls winger is not a fan and hopes the so-called Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) remain experimental.
“It’s got a lot more of a rugby league feel on it,” Habana told reporters at the Laureus World Sports Awards, where the World Cup-winning Springboks were nominated for Team of the Year.
“There’s no stop-start, the essence of what rugby is, anymore.”
Rule-makers believe the ELVs will speed up the game and increase the amount of time the ball stays in play by cutting the long periods in which the ball is at the bottom of a ruck, secured in a maul or out of action while scrums are set and reset.
The rules provide for free kicks instead of penalties for many infringements around the tackled area, meaning play is often re-started immediately by the non-offending team taking a tap kick and returning the ball to play.
“If guys wanted to play rugby league, they’d go out and play rugby league,” Habana said.
“The essence of what rugby is about is something that I don’t think any player or any supporter wants to see lost.
“There’s something special about rugby … your forwards pride themselves on the scrum and the line-out and your backs pride themselves on that contest against the opposition.
“The backs are running against the forwards now and the forwards are running against the backs, so it’s a little bit of a mix-up at the moment.”
Habana also said changing between the new and old rules put added pressure on players from countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
“I don’t really understand because the southern hemisphere teams are playing with it in the Super 14, then come the June Tests, we revert back to the old laws, then come the Tri-Nations, we revert back to the new laws again,” he said.
“As players, we just want to go out there and play this wonderful game we call rugby and hopefully they won’t change what the essence of rugby is all about.”
Habana also believes Australia, like the Springboks, are in a crucial re-building phase following last year’s World Cup.
Both teams have a new coach, and Habana pointed out the Wallabies faced a challenge to fill the shoes of retired stars like halves pair George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, who quit with a combined total of 235 Test caps.
“It’s not something you can really replace, so there’s probably going to be a lot of building and a lot of new guys, hopefully they’ll put up their hands,” he said.
“Matt Giteau is a prime example. He’s going to have to fill the role that Bernie (Larkham) had.”
The Springboks recently appointed Peter de Villiers as coach, while New Zealander Robbie Deans has become the first foreigner to be put in charge of Australia.
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jools-usa said | February 19th 2008 @ 1:33am | Report comment
It’s easy for Brian H, he’s been busy chasing Cheetahs & working on his speed, whilst I and other fanatics have
suffered the slow torture of only having 6-Nations games on the tube.
Just when my group of frustrated watchers were channel surfing looking for ANYTHING with some life, we saw the ‘Tahs/Canes game and the beer flowed, nearly as much as the game, which was compelling.
Bring it on every weekend & tell the sponsors they’re onto something here.
Jools-USA
Woy Woy Boy said | February 19th 2008 @ 10:23am | Report comment
If we want to see people running around like a mad woman’s s..t we can always watch AFL. No wonder the players are dropping with cramp under the new rules.
As they say - “if it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it”.
Why don’t the powers that be get the refs into shape and sort their myopia out first? They are the ones that are ruining the game with incompetence ( a la World Cup fiasco).
How is it the Sth African ref on the weekend “did not see” two blatant punches - yet he could award two tries that every possible camera angle filed to see?
Woy Woy Boy - NSW.
Harri said | February 19th 2008 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
There’s been too much tinkering with the rules over the last couple of years and I agree with Habana’s comments. Have a look at the Sharks vs Force game: there was far too much kicking and if it continues that way, there is a danger it will be become a variation of AFL, instead of the old style Rugby we grew up with and loved
Photon said | February 19th 2008 @ 5:37pm | Report comment
Hi guys
I agree with Bryan if we wanted to watch league we would get a NRL subscription, the way things are going rugby will soon not cater for any player who isn’t between 100 and 110 kilograms, that’s goodbye Matt Giteau, Goodbye Bolla Conradie,cheers Os du Randt, Jason Leonard your services are no longer needed. I thought rugby was meant to be a game for all sizes, guess those days are gone. Anyway that’s just what I think
Benny said | February 19th 2008 @ 7:08pm | Report comment
There has been ONE round of the Super 14 played and all you guys (jools excepted) can’t wait to bag the new laws. C’mon give the ELVs a decent go!!!
jools-usa said | February 20th 2008 @ 2:11am | Report comment
Agree with WOY WOY BOY, re refs.
But having been one once dealing with inebrated touch judges & irate fans wanting to kill me for decisions, I feel the powers-that-be MUST have the touchjudges be more vigilant.
How about 2 touchjudges on each sideline, each covering one half?
Gotta help the poor ref & we can’t have major games decided by his missing stuff.
Jools-USA
DT said | February 20th 2008 @ 9:34pm | Report comment
Haban’s comments don’t bear close examination, I’m afraid.
Stop start is the essence of rugby? Really?
If he has serious objections, he should be specific.
bob said | February 26th 2008 @ 12:16am | Report comment
Bryan is right. It’s a joke that SA rugby should ahve signed up for the ELV’s which will only suit the aussies and maybe the kiwis. The new laws wont be adopted in europe because we have different conditions and a different emphasis, we like power plays, set pieces, scrums…as do SA. The aussies can’t handle it so they try to change it by loud mouthing in the IRB, and the kiwis go with them because they’re stupid enough to think anything new is good. But the ELV’s will kill the game over the next few years, and nobody will develop poerful props or locks because developin them takes years and years, and why bother when you can tap and go? So the scrummagers will get lighter and weaker and we’ll be just like league! The solution for SA is to give up on the super14 rubbish and the aussies and kiwis, and come into europeaan leagues and contests under the real rugby laws that we still honour up here… after all, you are geographically closer to europe than youa re to auckland! And I bet you get a better reception here in the UK than you do in Oz or NZ! Come north and play it like it’s meant to be played!