Australia bombed out of it by the new laws

 
Pot Hale Roar Guru

By pothale, 27 Aug 2009 Pot Hale is a Roar Guru

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Australian winger Peter Hynes believes he is being bombed out of the game of rugby by current playing methods. And it’s all because of the Laws adapted into the game this year, apparently.

Hynes was giving out about the current habit of Garryowens or up and unders which South Africa have used in their recent Tri Nations games against Australia and New Zealand.

In contrast, they didn’t use them – or get a chance to use them – in their recent series against the British and Irish Lions. Both lots of games were played under the new Laws adopted into the game following the IRB’s decision on the ELVs trial earlier this year.

According to an article filed by AAP, “the laws adapted this year, wingers must now play as second and third fullbacks as they are tested by garryowen after garryowen with opponents looking for field possession by keeping their kicks in play.”

“I think that’s becoming a huge part of wing play, the ball in air,” Hynes is quoted as saying. “Teams that kick well, it’s very hard to get that ball. Under a good contestable kick you are standing still and the opposition runners are coming through, it’s very hard to take.”

Some might think that Hynes hasn’t been paying much attention to world rugby over the last few years where kicking a high ball to allow players to contest for it has been going on for quite some time.

Argentina made it a feature of their performance in the last World Cup. This year, a classic kick and catch resulted in Tommy Bowe of Ireland scoring a scintillating try against Player of the Year, Shane Williams, in the final Grand Slam decider match versus Wales.

The match was played under the Global ELVs being trialled at the time. (The S14 and domestic matches in SANZAR got a derogation to continue using the free-kick sanction during the Global trial.)

According to the AAP article, “the (adapted) laws – which have reverted to full-arm penalties for ruck infringements – have also seen a reduction in tries and a huge increase in penalty goals in the Tri Nations. With less expansive, ball-in-hand play, wingers are rarely receiving it in space and getting the opportunity to show their try-scoring wares.”

This sweeping claim about the effect of the adapted Laws is not supported, however, by evidence that awarding full-arm penalties for ruck infringements have directly been the cause of less tries being scored. (Let’s not forget that less than 10 international matches have been played under the adopted Laws.)

Nor are other possible causes cited.

No account seems to be have been taken of teams conceding more infringements than usual. A game flaw that dogged England earlier this year in its opening games of the 6 Nations, before correcting it to finish in second place, and scoring the most number of tries in the competition.

The dropping of the Free Kick derogation for SANZAR, has logically led to an increase in penalty awards in SANZAR matches, under the new global Laws.

However, Southern Hemisphere teams have chosen to take the kick at the posts every time, rather than kicking for territory, or running with the ball – despite an apparent penchant for running rugby by SH teams and the option of getting a try.

This was in marked contrast to some of the games in the recent 6 Nations and in the various Northern Hemisphere leagues last season where penalty kicks were turned down in favour of gaining territory and scoring a try – under the Global ELVs.

However, even allowing for the effect of having less ‘free-flowing’ rugby, and more penalty kicks, it’s interesting to note the try-scoring tallies between Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere this year without the free-kick sanction option.

The 6 Nations Championship (which had no free-kick sanctions) still managed 56 tries across 15 matches in 2009 under the Global ELVs.

The Lions three match series had 12 tries scored under the Adapted Laws (and no free-kick sanctions.)

And in the five Tri Nations matches played so far, we’ve had eleven tries scored.

Hynes has clearly bought into the hype about the perceived effect of the revised Laws of the Game.

“From a back three perspective, I’d like to get the ball in hand and see a bit more free-flowing rugby and have it thrown wide but at the same time the South Africans have showed they have a certain game-plan … and they’re winning,” he is quoted as saying.

“There’s a huge emphasis on territory and penalties and at the end of the day it’s winning games.”

Unfortunately for Hynes and his career development, his Super 14 coach Phil Mooney simply agrees “pure finishers” will become a dying breed under the new laws.

“If you’re purely a finisher your effectiveness is reduced quite significantly, he said. A comforting thought for the player from his mentor.

Tommy Bowe, of Ospreys and Ireland, would disagree.

He had no problem scoring tries for his club, in the 6 Nations and during the Lions series – experiencing both the Global ELVs and the Final Adapted Laws. Even Shane Williams finally recovered his form, scoring two opportunistic tries in the final match of the Lions series.

With the current South African style winning them games, and New Zealand and Australia not appearing to have any answers to counter their tactics, it looks like we might have to wait for the Autumn Internationals to see whether the New Laws adapted into the game, have actually wrought such a game-changing travesty.

The Northern Hemisphere teams will get an opportunity to re-gather their rolling maul and lineout skills when the NH season starts in two weeks across the Magners, Guinness, 10, and Top 14 leagues.

Then they’ll just have to wait for the angry and confused SANZAR teams to arrive in November looking for retribution.

Well, two of them will anyway.

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