Comments on: How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Rugby and Love the Stellenbosch Experimental Laws http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/ Straightforward rugby commentary from a North American perspective Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:50:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Vic http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-3195 Vic Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:54:16 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-3195 <p>The copy I originally saw was copyrighted. I recommend contacting your local union, referee society or the irb.</p> Sorry i couldn't be of more help. Where r u based? The copy I originally saw was copyrighted. I recommend contacting your local union, referee society or the irb.

Sorry i couldn’t be of more help. Where r u based?

]]> By: tmcnicol http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-3194 tmcnicol Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:48:54 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-3194 This isn't a comment but plea for help. Can I get a copy of the Paddy O'Brien videos on ELV's to play at a site with no internet capabilities? This isn’t a comment but plea for help. Can I get a copy of the Paddy O’Brien videos on ELV’s to play at a site with no internet capabilities?

]]> By: Clyde Mix http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-1774 Clyde Mix Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:16:13 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-1774 Here is the things I take from the new laws and the AMERICAN game... 1)Different sized players(chunky Ollie Le Roux type props, tall slower locks) are done for with the new laws. You will have to be of a certain fitness to move around the park....bigger guys-unless supremely fit- are through. 2)Again the upped fitness requirements...with the quick taps instead of penalty kicks i.e. rest breaks, it will be the most fit team wins period. For my team, I will look to recruit cross country runners...we will win even if we have to come back from 30 down in the last 15 minutes. I think the new laws will benefit the watching of the game on tv...but ruin the amateur sport for players. My biggest concern is the quick tap free kicks...it will make scoring towards the end of the game a mess. Here is the things I take from the new laws and the AMERICAN game…

1)Different sized players(chunky Ollie Le Roux type props, tall slower locks) are done for with the new laws.
You will have to be of a certain fitness to move around the park….bigger guys-unless supremely fit- are through.

2)Again the upped fitness requirements…with the quick taps instead of penalty kicks i.e. rest breaks, it will be the most fit team wins period. For my team, I will look to recruit cross country runners…we will win even if we have to come back from 30 down in the last 15 minutes.

I think the new laws will benefit the watching of the game on tv…but ruin the amateur sport for players.

My biggest concern is the quick tap free kicks…it will make scoring towards the end of the game a mess.

]]> By: Chad Herth http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-940 Chad Herth Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:32:21 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-940 There comes a time when changing a game just to please the fans becomes dumb. I've seen so many changes in the last thirty years that the game I came to love so much no longer exists. Its about time we as players and fans stop trying to fix something that isn't broken. There comes a time when changing a game just to please the fans becomes dumb. I’ve seen so many changes in the last thirty years that the game I came to love so much no longer exists. Its about time we as players
and fans stop trying to fix something that isn’t broken.

]]> By: Vic http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-796 Vic Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:37:39 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-796 This article really sums up the effect of tactics and how they relate to the game play: <a href="http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/story_51107160244.php" target="blank" rel="nofollow">Why the All Blacks really lost </a> This article really sums up the effect of tactics and how they relate to the game play:

Why the All Blacks really lost

]]> By: Josh Houston http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-763 Josh Houston Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:07:05 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-763 "It's floodin' down in texas......"Hahaha Stevie Ray Vaughn, very funny. Stop picking on me, with the number of concussions I've sustained over the years, I'm lucky I can still read and write at all. “It’s floodin’ down in texas……”Hahaha Stevie Ray Vaughn, very funny. Stop picking on me, with the number of concussions I’ve sustained over the years, I’m lucky I can still read and write at all.

]]> By: Yue-Houng http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-714 Yue-Houng Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:46:20 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-714 the xdforum article is interesting enough. however, the author treats the resurgence of english and french vision and attack as an inevitability. as long as this kind of rugby is successful, i don't see any reason why teams would get more expansive. his/her argument about the super14s only serves to prove this point. eventually, teams figured out that it was more beneficial to kick away pressure and set up strong defenses than to give free reign to the backs to attack. and it also comes back to one of the points in vic and my article. it's always going to be easier to set up a strong defense than it is to "change the attitude" to attack or to cultivate the talent to break the defenses. i don't think the elv's purpose is to tell teams that they MUST play open rugby. it's just a means of encouraging it. the idea is not to do away with the traditional forwards game of the english altogether, but to perhaps tell other teams that perhaps, they might be better served with their own strategy. a strategy that may better suit their personnel. remember, forward dominance can still be attained by opting for scrums at the free kick. this isn't to say that i 100% agree with all of the laws. i'm still skeptical on how hands in the ruck might work out. i'm worried it might relegate rucks into huge armwrestling matches at the breakdown. also, i think bringing down the maul is dangerous, 3 years of sparse statistics be damned. the new truck and trailer law should also be looked at very very carefully since it opens a huge bag of questions and our line between blocking becomes ever thinner. but hey, at least their hearts are in the right place. on a somewhat similar note: i think the crackdown on the boots on players is crap and perhaps one reason why the knockout rounds were so dull to watch. you see players throughout the tournament lying all over the ball. when they get the boots, the booter gets carded. this is ridiculous. i say, if the boots are not on the head or the genitalia, it's fair game. when you allow defenses to lay all over the ball without any repercussion, they will do it. this of course slows and kills the quality of the ball, and expansive rugby becomes even more difficult to implement. also, josh. SRVs? stellenbosch rule variations? texas flood? the xdforum article is interesting enough. however, the author treats the resurgence of english and french vision and attack as an inevitability. as long as this kind of rugby is successful, i don’t see any reason why teams would get more expansive. his/her argument about the super14s only serves to prove this point. eventually, teams figured out that it was more beneficial to kick away pressure and set up strong defenses than to give free reign to the backs to attack.

and it also comes back to one of the points in vic and my article. it’s always going to be easier to set up a strong defense than it is to “change the attitude” to attack or to cultivate the talent to break the defenses.

i don’t think the elv’s purpose is to tell teams that they MUST play open rugby. it’s just a means of encouraging it. the idea is not to do away with the traditional forwards game of the english altogether, but to perhaps tell other teams that perhaps, they might be better served with their own strategy. a strategy that may better suit their personnel. remember, forward dominance can still be attained by opting for scrums at the free kick.

this isn’t to say that i 100% agree with all of the laws. i’m still skeptical on how hands in the ruck might work out. i’m worried it might relegate rucks into huge armwrestling matches at the breakdown. also, i think bringing down the maul is dangerous, 3 years of sparse statistics be damned. the new truck and trailer law should also be looked at very very carefully since it opens a huge bag of questions and our line between blocking becomes ever thinner. but hey, at least their hearts are in the right place.

on a somewhat similar note: i think the crackdown on the boots on players is crap and perhaps one reason why the knockout rounds were so dull to watch. you see players throughout the tournament lying all over the ball. when they get the boots, the booter gets carded. this is ridiculous. i say, if the boots are not on the head or the genitalia, it’s fair game. when you allow defenses to lay all over the ball without any repercussion, they will do it. this of course slows and kills the quality of the ball, and expansive rugby becomes even more difficult to implement.

also, josh. SRVs? stellenbosch rule variations? texas flood?

]]> By: Nico Zandberg http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-705 Nico Zandberg Sat, 03 Nov 2007 09:35:03 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-705 As a student at Stellenbosch university I have been playing under these new laws for some while now. Almost 3 years. And altough there is a lot of objection by the rest of the world at this stage I can promise you all that rugby would remain rugby and that the new laws does not have such a big affect as one might think. Apart from making the game better I can't see anything else it does. I'm sure you are all gonna love. As a student at Stellenbosch university I have been playing under these new laws for some while now. Almost 3 years. And altough there is a lot of objection by the rest of the world at this stage I can promise you all that rugby would remain rugby and that the new laws does not have such a big affect as one might think. Apart from making the game better I can’t see anything else it does. I’m sure you are all gonna love.

]]> By: Josh Houston http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-653 Josh Houston Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:48:18 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-653 Here's a coaches perspective on the law changes: http://scrum.com/39_48986.php Here’s a coaches perspective on the law changes:

http://scrum.com/39_48986.php

]]> By: Josh Houston http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-645 Josh Houston Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:54:08 +0000 http://www.whatisrugby.com/2007/10/29/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-rugby-and-love-the-stellenbosch-experimental-laws/#comment-645 That's a great article. Although I didn't like the analogies to cricket, tennis and golf. That was pretty lame. He makes a very good point though that rather than change the rules, teams and players should work on changing their games to penetrate tougher defenses. I personally find try line stands very exciting when a team prevents another from scoring. I do agree with him also that rugby could turn into the NBA if they're just trying to promote more scoring. One aspect of the rule changes he does not address is the fect the the SRV's are also aimed at the ball being in play more. As you pointed out in your first article on the SRV's Vic, the ball is in play 39 minutes as oppossed to 22 minutes with the SRV's in effect. This is something I would like to see happen. That’s a great article. Although I didn’t like the analogies to cricket, tennis and golf. That was pretty lame.

He makes a very good point though that rather than change the rules, teams and players should work on changing their games to penetrate tougher defenses.

I personally find try line stands very exciting when a team prevents another from scoring. I do agree with him also that rugby could turn into the NBA if they’re just trying to promote more scoring.

One aspect of the rule changes he does not address is the fect the the SRV’s are also aimed at the ball being in play more. As you pointed out in your first article on the SRV’s Vic, the ball is in play 39 minutes as oppossed to 22 minutes with the SRV’s in effect. This is something I would like to see happen.

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