Stats debunk anti-ELV arguments

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Stats debunk anti-ELV arguments

By Iain Payten
November 03, 2008 THE men behind rugby's Experimental Law Variations have rubbished myths being spread about the rules by detractors, and pointed out one of the most strident critics, Eddie Jones, was on a panel that helped create them.
A document drafted for the International Rugby Board by its Laws Project Group (LPG) addresses one by one the main arguments of the anti-ELV brigade - mostly in the northern hemisphere - urging even wider trials before a final decision next May.

In the October report the LPG dismisses criticisms that rugby is becoming more like rugby league, that the game has become more kick-orientated, that the ELVs have de-powered scrums and that the whole process is a southern-hemisphere conspiracy.

Addressing the last point, the 11-man LPG, chaired by Scotsman Bill Nolan, pointedly reminds the IRB that the entire ELV process was born out of a Test coach's conference following the 2003 World Cup.

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who has attacked the ELVs and the IRB heavily in recent months, was present and even charged with investigating defence.

"(The ELVs) were initiated by the Conference on the Game 2004 and all ELV areas were identified for exploration at the conference," the report states.

A common UK criticism is that the ELVs have made rugby much too similar to league in terms of one side dominating possession for long stretches. But the LPG says the old rules are actually more like the 13-man code. Stats show teams going into a tackle got the ball back 95 per cent of the time under the old laws. This created less defenders going into the breakdown and more stifling, flat-line defence. Retention has dropped to 85 per cent under the ELVs, the LPG say, with competition at the breakdown and more unpredictability in the game.

Many critics argue the ELVs have seen a spike in meaningless kicking, but stats actually show a reduction in kicking of about 30 per cent.

As for the claim the ELVs de-power the scrum, the LPG say stats show the amount of scrums have not changed but with defences back five metres, more tries have been scored from them. This increases the importance of a strong scrum.



http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

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