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The maul is set to become a major feature in rugby union once again after a meeting of the sport’s leading figures recommended on Tuesday the rejection of the Experimental Law Variation (ELV) which allows it to be pulled down.
The ELVs, currently the subject of a global trial, have caused a split in world rugby.
Their supporters, who come mostly from the southern hemisphere and in particular Australia, say they will speed up the game and make it more entertaining.
But critics, who are mostly based in Europe and include former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, argue that the game’s rulebook did not require major surgery.
They also say that some of the ELVs, rather than increasing entertainment, have made the game less of a spectacle.
Particular attention has focused around the maul and the sanctions law, which is only being trialed in the southern hemisphere.
Some observers claimed the maul, where a pack of forwards drive ahead in a tight-knit group with the ball, made it all but impossible for the defending side to engage in a fair contest for possession unless they had the option, previously denied to them, of pulling it down.
But others said this was dangerous. The experience in European rugby this season appears to suggest that, in the absence of mauling, defending sides are able to leave more forwards out amongst their back-line thereby reducing the space in which teams can attack.
After a two-day International Rugby Board (IRB) conference in London, featuring some 60 of the sport’s leading administrators, coaches, referees and players’ representatives, it was announced on Tuesday that they’d recommended the law allowing mauls to be pulled down be thrown out.
The sanctions law, currently being trialled in the southern hemisphere only, tried to simplify rugby union’s complex set of laws.
Another aim was to encourage matches to be decided by the scoring of tries by replacing the bulk of offences punishable by a penalty-kick at goal, worth three points, with a free-kick, from which no points can be scored directly.
However, this was labelled a “cheats charter” by many observers who said it would simply mean foul play went unpunished.
Now officials have decided that the sanctions ELV requires further review.
The conference was not a decision-making body but was designed to assist the IRB to finalise their own list from the 23 original ELVs for permanent incorporation into the sport’s rulebook when their governing council meets on May 13.
It also rejected the ELV allowing teams to select as many players as they want in the lineout.
But ELVs which got the green-light from the conference included the pass-back rule, which prevents teams making ground with a kick directly into touch from the 22 if the ball has first been played back by their own side into that zone.
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.