I have mixed feelings about the ELV rule that states that you can’t kick the ball out on the full from your own 22 if it has been passed back into the 22. But it serves two purposes.
The first is that it ensures that more rugby is being played during the match – the ball is being kept in play more.
The second is that it provides wingers an opportunity to counter-attack with the ball in hand more and bring them into the game more.
I don’t think anybody can question that wingers are touching the ball far more often under the ELVs than they were under the old established rules.
Last year during the first Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney, the All Blacks kicked the ball down Loti Tuqiri’s throat and their kick-chase was poor.
Under very little pressure, Loti counter-attacked.
He counter-attacked in a way you seldom saw from wingers before the ELVs were introduced because teams usually made touch in that situation.
He proceeded to beat three players before being tackled. One ruck later the ball came quickly to Ryan Cross, who scored a try.
I think the entertainment value of a piece of rugby like that shouldn’t be underestimated.
That try brought the house down in Sydney and clearly the fans enjoyed what they saw, not just because the Wallabies scored the try, but because what they saw had clear entertainment value.
Last weekend we saw Percy Montgomery – a player renowned more for his kicking than attacking bursts – attack with the ball in hand. His counter-attack was entertaining and resulted in Bobo scoring what was probably the most entertaining try of last week’s Super 14.
The simple fact is this rule is presenting opportunities to players willing to exploit it for what it’s worth.
But there’s an ugly aspect of rugby which has developed as a result of this rule.
You can try to change this all you want, but kicking is just part of the fabric of rugby in the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps more so than in Australia and especially New Zealand, where players like Mils Muliaina are encouraged to counter-attack with the ball in hand as much as possible.
So what results is an ugly display of aerial ping-pong where teams will kick back and fourth, and when I see that, I think I’d rather watch the likes of Chris Judd playing in the AFL than that rubbish.
For what it’s worth, I don’t find kicking in rugby boring to watch – purposeful kicking that is. The England side of 2003 was tremendously entertaining and it was because Jonny Wilkinson always kicked with intelligence you could appreciate.
This idea that the ELVs are better because there’s more running rugby isn’t correct. Kicking can be entertaining and quite often you need good kicking in rugby because any proper running rugby can be played in the first place.
Nothing and nobody can change the fact that Northern Hemisphere sides would prefer to kick the ball, which isn’t always a bad thing.
But when Northern Hemisphere side play under this rule, it results in a dreadful display of rugby.
There may be more rugby being played under this rule, but I’d rather someone kick the ball out, followed by a line-out, resulting in teams actually playing proper rugby, than a pointless back and forth kicking game.
That way some actual proper rugby is being played.
It that sense the old rules achieved something the ELVs can’t achieve – they have a leveling effect in that they don’t place any country at a disadvantage.
Rugby is a tremendous game because of the wide scope with which it can be played. Regardless of whether you kick or run with the ball, so long as teams play positively I can appreciate what I see.
I’ve been critical of England in the past because they’re first, second and third instinct has been to kick the ball straight to the opposition, almost putting the onus on them to make a mistake.
But England played positive entertaining rugby under the old rules in 2003. Their past problems have been in their approach, not the rules.
There’s nothing wrong with a side passing the ball back into their own 22 and kicking the ball out on the full. It might not be entertaining like Tuqiri’s counter-attack, but it at least ensures some real rugby will be played.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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