English give ELVs a cold reception
September 25 2008
After nearly a month of playing under the new laws, Guinness Premiership players and coaches alike are fairly united over the ELVs: it's not going well.
Be it the confusion in the officiating as a result of poor instruction, or the proliferation of kicking away from danger, or the apparent stifling of open play, it appears that the new laws are set for a bumpy ride.
Martin Corry, who played his first game of the season last weekend, said to the Daily Telegraph that the curertn climate was simple confusion.
"Interpretation of the breakdown is the key change. You can pick any breakdown and you can penalise either side," said Corry.
"They (the laws) were introduced to speed up the game, but there is more kicking."
Coaches, who presumably fire off the kicking instructions, are also disgruntled. Eddie Jones has previously gone on the record with some gusto about the shapelessness of the current game, and he was joined on Wednesday by Harlequins coach Dean Richards in the Daily Mail.
Both coaches are particularly concerned at the inconsistencies which have brewed in the officiating, with Jones adding that under the pressure of the new laws, referees were showing "great indecision".
Wasps boss Ian McGeechan might be suffering more than most. His side, so long synonymous with attractive winning rugby, is sitting at the wrong end of the table, and his latest remark suggested even he was struggling to get to grips with the new laws.
"It seems to me that a strong kicking game and a decent chase are enough to win you a match, while anything more imaginative stands every chance of losing you one," he said.
"It might boil down to coaches trying to stop good players playing."
Back to Richards and those inconsistencies. Richards was furious at the way his team was 'refereed out of the game' at Gloucester last weekend, and said it was impossible to prepare for particular referees under the new laws.
"Coaches and players are pulling their hair out because you do not know what's going to happen next," he said.
"We try and prepare for the referee who is taking charge of our next match, but the amount of second guessing at the moment is unbelievable.
"There isn't any consistency from one match to the next and that is something every coach and player wants to see. Frustration is building up."
Jones suggested there was a serious element of distraction from the old laws by the new ones, meaning some players could get away with infringements that were previously impossible.
"There are still problems and great indecision about the tackle and ruck and what is allowed," said Jones.
"I believe referees are looking so hard at the ELVs they find it difficult to see the other laws. The line-out has become an extremely difficult area.
"The ball is being slapped down to the scrum-half, players are being squashed and it's a result of the referees looking at other areas."