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England will lead the opposition when the top nations gather in London this weekend to discuss the experimental law variations, currently being trialled on a global basis.
The IRB is organising the conference and will come armed with statistics about how ball-in-play time has increased since the ELV introductions, and the game has become more entertaining as a consequence. Any changes will need a 75% majority in May to come into force.
The RFU conducted exhaustive research into the impact of ELVs, analysing every match in the 2008-09 Guinness Premiership, as well as England’s nine internationals.
Conclusions are that far from having positive impact, the changes have made rugby more defence-oriented with fewer sides willing to take risks and a surfeit of kicking out of hand resulting as a consequence. Referees have also complained the ELVs make their job more complicated.
Six Nations representatives met last week to discuss the variations – England, Wales and Ireland were resolutely opposed to the vast majority, Scotland was in support, France equivocated and Italy did not attend, although Italian head coach Nick Mallett is known to oppose the maul rule.
The main supporters of the ELVs have been in Sanzar, namely Australia, with New Zealand and South Africa’s position being they would like to see some changes.