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More tries as Super 14 moves into fast lane
17th January 2008, 9:15 WST West Australian
Stuart Dickinson, the referee who helped decide last November’s rugby World Cup final, says new laws to be introduced to this year’s Super 14 competition will produce more tries.
Dickinson was the central figure in the cup final’s most controversial incident when, as television match official, he had to decide from video replays whether England winger Mark Cueto had scored what looked to be the game’s opening try.
He determined Cueto’s foot was in touch before the ball had been grounded, denied the score and South Africa went on to win.
Australia’s only referee at the World Cup is spending the week in Perth to help the Western Force adjust to the new rules before the Super 14 season kicks off on February 15.
He said the most noticeable effect would be to open up a sport increasingly dominated by defence.
“The game will be faster and the ball will be in play for longer,” he said. “More ball plus greater fatigue equals more tries.
“Having the offside line 5m behind the scrum gives the attacking team a greater chance to move.
“Similarly, the offside line at the tackle means teams which get behind the defensive line get more space and options.”
Dickinson said the most noticeable difference for spectators would be the reduction in the number of penalty kicks.
“They’ll see a lot of tap kicks leading to attacking moves,” he said. Force sports science manager Haydn Masters revealed the club’s performance analysts had studied the effect of the new rules on last year’s Australian Rugby Championship and discovered the ball was in play for about three minutes more.
“Some passages of play went on for up to four minutes before players got the chance to grab a rest,” he said. “That meant we put a large emphasis on aerobic fitness planning for the new season, especially for the big guys.
“Our front-rowers have done a lot of running and are in the best condition yet heading into a competition.”
Prop AJ Whalley admitted after training he was hauling his 117kg frame around the field a lot faster and farther than previously.
“The Australian Rugby Championship was a lot faster with the new rules and Super 14 is going to be even more so,” he said.
“There’s heaps more running for me to do now.”
He felt Dickinson’s presence at training would give the Force an advantage come game time.
“I’ve learnt a lot about how the scrum calls will be done,” Whalley said.
The team’s first pre-season outing will be against the Crusaders at Melbourne on February 2, followed by a match against the Reds at Members Equity Stadium on February 7. The team then leaves for Durban to prepare for the season opener against the Sharks.
DAVE HUGHES