ELVs reactions so far

David Nucifora, Blues coach: 16-02-08 "The game is still basically the same. You have to have a strong set piece, you have to be organised with your defence. We put a lot of work into those areas but you have to also be aware the game will be quick and open up at times. I want to give credit to our conditioning staff, because it showed out there tonight that they have done an outstanding job"

Robbie Deans, Crusaders and Wallabies coach: 28-01-08 "It gives the ability to be harder around the contact area, to be hard on the people who they want to move, for example the tackler rolling away. If you get that message across with a free kick early and consistently it will clean the game up. If they don't get the response from the player they go to the sanctions that are greater."

Colin Cooper, Hurricanes coach: 01-11-08 "I would be surprised if there were big changes or variations in what we play in the Super 14"

Brian Habana, IRB 07 player of the year: 18-02-08 "It's got a lot more of a rugby league feel on it. There's no stop-start, the essence of what rugby is, anymore"

Fourie du Preez, Bulls captain: 16-02-08 "It's less enjoyable. It's not the sort of rugby I enjoy, it's too much like sevens. There's too much kicking and counter-attacking and not enough set-pieces"

Lyndon Bray, Referee: 19-02-08 "From what I've seen already this weekend and what I felt tonight was that the ball was much cleaner at the base of the tackle, we're getting a much cleaner delivery and one of the things I found really interesting in the warm-up games and again tonight is that traffic around the tackles and rucks is almost eliminated."

Bill Beaumont, former rugby player & IRB vice chairman: 19-02-08 "There was not a dramatic difference. Yes there were more free kicks but there was still a huge emphasis on set piece"

Three, two, one ... Go!!

So, less than 7 hours and we're on it.

Today's matches will see the Crusaders at Christchurch against the Brumbies. I expect a clear win for the Crusaders, with Dan Carter on command. It could be of interest how the brand-new midfield performs but I don't really expect much of a Brumbies side that could perfectly be regretting Fisher's words more than anything.

The other game of the day will feature the Reds and the Highlanders. On my mind there's the Highlanders performance of last weekend, when the Otago franchise beat the Blues in a superb second time.

Shall we have a clear opinion on the ELV's after this first round?

More power on the scrum and... happier backs?

It's not only Keohane that states that the ELVs are putting more emphasis in good scrummaging. Blues hooker Keven Mealamu also thinks that easing scrums on own feed and difficulting scrums on opponent's feed can mean a definitive edge.

While the South African journalist believes the new laws will benefit the South African sides, Mealamu does not risk any such prediction.

On the other side, the first pre-Season duel among two Super 14 sides has witnessed a Crusaders side triumph over the Chiefs. It is important to recall that both teams have experienced men in their full-of-All Blacks packs. The score, 55 - 33 could mean nothing at all or could be explained by this extra space after the scrum that the ELVs provide.

Are we at the gates of a more spectacular rugby? Or are we just at the pre-Season? Can a new law put more emphasis in scrummaging and still be a bless for hungry-at-tries backs?

Rugbycan blog is right; South Africans should not be so confident on their scrums

(Update at 21:12 GMT: Robbie Deans considers ELVs should reward expansive rugby)

(Update at Jan 28, 10:18 GMT: Robbie Deans enthusiastic about ELVs)

(Update at Jan 29, 09:04 GMT: ELVs get the pass mark of coaches and refferees)

Super 14 drawing near and near...

Super 14 rugby pre-season has started this week with the easy win of the Stormers over the Boland Cavaliers by 72-10. For the next three weeks we will have plenty of oportunities to see the new faces of all teams in their way to the start of the Super 14 2008 season.

Meanwhile, Blues coach David Nucifora has given his views on the new laws and their effect on the game.

As Nucifora sees things (and he's one to be listened to) the most affected area will be the tackle. Here are some excerpts of his opinions:

"It will be very, very quick around that tackle area in some instances".

"You are going to have players out of the game a lot quicker because the offside line is being drawn a lot quicker".

"From what we've seen from other games, the ball will be in play for longer".

Blues coach has an immense task ahead within these four weeks prior to the kick off of the new season. Besides from usual tasks of getting the players fit and trying the new schemes, selecting a starting 15 and choosing the best combination of backs (Evans, Nacewa, Toeava... are all very versatile players) will require an extra effort for the Blues coach.

South Africa may get an edge.

IRB has confirmed that South Africa will be playing within the full-version of the ELV this year on.

To a lesser extent, the ELV are to be introduced this season in the Super 14 starting on Feb 15th, so it is expected a tough work for all to adapt: players, coaches, referees... and spectators as well!

However, as the IRB has stated, the trial period for the ELV will be over in 2009. South Africa gains thus, an edge over the nations who will adopt it later (New Zealand, you ought to wake up).

Intrepidity is the word that comes to my mind when I review the changes that South Africa is introducing after World Cup success. How different is this country behaving than it did!

Everybody's talking about it

- What's ELV? The new rules.
- Which new rules? Those saying there won't be penalties anymore
- Ey! No penalties? What then? Well, there will be some, but it will all mostly be free kicks.
- Superb! Then Andrew Mehrtens will be the top scorer for the All Blacks for a long time! Hahahahah. It seems so, yes.
- Are there any other new rules? Well, backs shall stay at least five meters behind the scrum, passing the ball back from outside the 22 to inside the 22 won't permit a kick to touch.
- Won't it? Why not? What if you kick to touch? The lineout will be in line where the kick was taken.
- Pheew. Any more? Well some other changes like the ball in the lineout can be thrown backwards
- What is the aim of these changes? To allow more playtime and to increase the number of tries.
- Aha, I see. Will these laws apply to every rugby match? This year they will only be used during Super 14.
- Will the Crusaders win again? That I cannot say.

(More on ELV's on http://www.irb.com/lawregulations/laws/index.html )