Hope must be IRB council will reject changes

RUGBY EXPERIMENTAL LAW VARIATIONS:EVEN THEIR name, the ELVs, sounds harmless. They could be misconstrued for a bunch of the cuddly helpers that might, of a Christmas, accompany Santa on his sleigh.

But when the Experimental Law Variations are debated and decided upon at the International Rugby Board's council meeting in St Stephen's Green, Dublin, today, they could fundamentally change the game of rugby union as never before.

They were initially devised by a group called the Laws Project Group, containing such luminaries as Rod MacQueen, Ian McIntosh, Pierre Villepreux and Graham Mourie. Having been tried in full in South Africa's Vodacom Cup, and in an abbreviated form in the Super 14, the ELVs had not been due for decisive discussion until November. But because now new laws can be implemented in the two years prior to the World Cup (in 2011), the IRB have brought forward a decision to today.

As the chairman, Bernard Lapasset, and vice-chairman are not permitted to vote, for all or some of the ELVs to come into being they would have to be passed by a clear two-thirds majority. This translates into 19 votes out of 26.

Initially, it is believed, the ELVs will be voted for en bloc and then, if defeated, voted on individually.

Ireland (represented by Noel Murphy and Peter Boyle), England and Wales are all opposed to the ELVs en bloc. France's clubs haven't been consulted, leading to a fear their delegation will toe the Lapasset line.

Canada, generally aligned with the RFU, Argentina or Italy could therefore be the key votes; given the six regional associations are so dependent upon the IRB's largesse they, too, may toe the party line.

If passed, the ELVs would come into effect on August 1st for a year's trial. But they would potentially ruin the Northern Hemisphere season, not to mention the Lions' tour. And, laughably, they would also apply down to the very grassroots of the game.

Besides which, by then the horse will have bolted.

Opposition on this side of the world reflects the fact you can hardly find a coach, player or official supportive of them, even from the Southern Hemisphere. Owen Doyle, who is leading the IRFU's Law technical group on this vexed issue, commented yesterday: "The IRFU are very concerned that the key identities and characteristics of rugby union will be hugely changed if they were to come into being, and our views are shared by Wales and England."

The home unions have sent down analysts as well as reviewing videos and statistics, which suggest that under ELVs union would become a version of league, depowering scrums, making lineouts a joke and leading to a glut of tap penalties. Indeed, studies show the average number of penalties per game in the Six Nations, around 18, has risen to 35 with ELVs.

The ruck and tackle area is the most contentious; among other changes, players are allowed play the ball with hands if on their feet.

A rash of offences, previously sanctioned with full penalties and even indirect penalties, have been demoted to indirect free-kicks. It raises the question as to why the yellow card was introduced.

It all seems like a knee-jerk response to the latter stages of the World Cup, designed for TV and the countries, such as Australia and Scotland, whose game is struggling the most. At a stroke, for example, these laws would have turned Australia's quarter-final loss to England into easy victory.

Rugby Union is the only field sport that continues after the tackle and therefore it needs fast ball, which in turn requires tough sanctions for slowing it down. And a sport that also prides itself on accommodating a variety of shapes and sizes could well end up with a uniformity of physique à la rugby league.

On a recent visit home, Warren Gatland found not one person with a positive word for them, and he points out that, contrary to the express intentions of the ELVs, the ball was in play significantly longer in the Six Nations.

"The big area of concern was always the breakdown, but once you get a strong referee who controls the breakdown then you'll have a good game of rugby," says Gatland, speaking for a multitude, "and I don't think that's changed with these new rules.

"I know the IRB ethos is to have a game for all shapes and sizes," he adds. "I've looked at the stats closely . . . and lineouts don't have a massive impact on the results of (Super 14) games. I'm looking at that and thinking . . . as a coach the best of thing for me is not to have a 6ft 8in lock at lineout time, I'm better off having a 6ft 3in ball carrier. So we've got to be careful of going against the values of what the game is supposed to be like."

It seems doubtful the cuddly ELVs will be passed en bloc, whatever about some of the more radical ones. One fervently hopes so, but with the IRB you never know.

ELVs: Some of the proposed changes

TACKLE/RUCK
A new offside line will come into play with each tackle in line with the tackle whether a ruck is formed or not, thereby meaning no retreating defender can play the ball even when it is played back from the tackle.

Handling in a ruck. Players who are on their feet may play the ball with their hands.

If the ball becomes unplayable at a tackle/ruck, instead of a scrum to the attacking team the referee will award a free-kick to the defending team. Coupled with the change to the law on handling, this will, in effect, encourage what is now considered cheating.

SANCTIONS
The following have been changed from penalty kicks to free kicks: lying on the ground on or over the ball; falling on or over a player lying on the ground; going off feet at a tackle/ruck; lying on the ground and playing the ball.

In short, a further cheats' charter.

LINEOUTS
Pulling a maul down will be legal provided the player grabs an opponent anywhere from the hips to the shoulders. This has not been tried in the Super 14.

Numbers will no longer apply; teams can put in as many players as they wish, regardless of the opposition, between 5m and 15m. Not tried in the Super 14.

A crooked throw will be penalised with an indirect free rather than a scrum.

Kicking directly into touch from within the 22. If the ball is passed or brought back inside the 22 by the defending team, the lineout will take place in line with where the ball was kicked. The IRFU supports this.

SCRUMS
The offside line will be moved back five metres from the hindmost foot. Creating space for the attacking team, this is one of the better ones and is likely to be passed. The IRFU supports it.

A number of scrum offences will be reduced to free-kicks - having too few players in a scrum; props pushing in at an angle; incorrect binding; handling in the scrum; falling on the ball as it emerges from the scrum; scrumhalf kicking the ball in the scrum.