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Sanctions to stay in Super 14: John O'Neill
Bret Harris | September 20, 2008
THE contentious sanctions regulation will be maintained as part of the experimental law variations in the Super 14 series and Tri-Nations tournament next year despite concerns in South Africa.
The three SANZAR nations - Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - considered two ELVs options for the elite southern hemisphere competitions.
Australia and New Zealand supported the current Tri-Nations laws, while South Africa pushed for the IRB's global trial, which does not include the sanctions.
The sanctions, which enable referees to give free kicks instead of penalties for most offences, speed up the game and make it a better spectacle.
"The intention is the Tri-Nations 2008 ELVs will be used in Super 14 and Tri Nations next year," ARU chief executive John O'Neill said.
"It's what we have just played the Tri-Nations under so it's the first of August ELVs (global) plus the sanctions. The IRB gave us the green light to do that. Up until the first of August next year we can continue to use the global ELVs, but for SANZAR competitions we can continue to use the sanctions. And we would be mad not to. If we didn't, we would be putting up the white flag."
The South Africans were concerned about playing under one set of laws in the Super 14 and then another against the British and Irish Lions, who will have played under the global ELVs in their European competitions.
But Australia and New Zealand face the same dilemma with their in-bound Tests against France and Italy next June.
"The South Africans, to be fair, are a bit worried about the Lions tour next year and the fact they play Super 14, using the sanctions, and then have to go and play the Lions without the sanctions," O'Neill said.
"We are saying we are all going to do that. New Zealand has France for two, Italy for one.
"We've got Italy for two and France for one. We are all going to have to do that.
"The important point for us is the principle of maintaining our position on the sanctions, which we see as one of the most vital components of the ELVs."
Meanwhile, O'Neill said the Wallabies were heading in the right direction despite their 28-24 loss to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane last Saturday.
The Wallabies have won six of their first nine Tests under new coach Robbie Deans, but they failed to regain the Tri-Nations trophy or the Bledisloe Cup.
"Clearly, we would have loved to have won it," he said.
"It's a work in progress. If you got a 10 out of 10, you might have wall papered over the cracks.
"This tells us that we still have a fair bit of work to do. Robbie Deans is aware of that.
"Beat the All Blacks in Sydney. Beat the Springboks in Perth and Durban.
"We had an undulating season as the coach has called it, but overall the direction is really good."
O'Neill said the proposed Bledisloe Cup Test in Denver in the US next year was also looking promising.
"There have been quite constructive discussions," he said. "Matt Carroll (ARU deputy CEO) and Steve Tew (NZRU CEO) met with the promoter in Brisbane and that is pretty positive."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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