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...in a nutshell, this bloke reckons it's because of the free kick sanctions.
How Experimental Law Variations have cut the Six Nations down to size
By PETER JACKSON
Last updated at 10:41 PM on 24th November 2008
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As Europe?s national teams recoil from their obliteration by the Southern Hemisphere superpowers, a South African coach offers a revealing explanation for the widening gap.
Gary Gold, one of the chief architects of the Springboks? seismic destruction of England at Twickenham on Saturday, points to the dirtiest letters in the rugby lexicon ? ELVs ? for the hidden reason why the best of British, Irish and French have been given a fearful run-around.
The Bok club strike: Conrad Jantjes (front) and his teammates celebrate a try against devastated England at HQ
They have played 17 Tests against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the last 12 months and lost the lot, often being run off their feet in the process.
While many British coaches have wrung their hands and poured scorn at the emasculating influence of certain ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) on the traditional forward power game, Gold believes that one aspect of the changes has allowed the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies to run away with the game.
Nobody will bet against more of the same when a sobering month?s Test rugby finishes with England versus New Zealand at Twickenham and Wales versus Australia in Cardiff.
Rugby?s tendency to complicate the simplest issue makes it necessary to point out that there are ELVs, currently on trial in Europe, and then there are other ELVs, the hybrid version used south of the equator. The basic difference is that the laws under experimentation in Super 14 and Tri-Nations? Tests lead to more free-kicks and fewer penalties.
?We played under those ELVs for six months and the statistical analysis of all 169 matches in the Super 14 tells us that the ball is in play for an average of at least seven minutes longer than under the old laws the previous season,? said Gold, who helped establish London Irish as a Premiership force before he returned to his native Cape Town.
rugby graphic
With the ball in play for an average 41.5 minutes, rather than 34.5 minutes, coaches had to improve players? fitness.
?You learnt very quickly that if you didn?t adapt, you were going to be run off your feet,? said Gold. ?With a free-kick, it?s tap and go. We have a whole free-kick strategy in the Southern Hemisphere now because there are so many of them during any one game under our ELVs.
?You guys don?t have that because, more often than not, referees here give a penalty instead of a free-kick. So European teams can take a breather while they kick at goal or put it in the corner whereas with us, it?s tap and go all the time.
?As a result, we have set-plays off free-kicks to use in broken field. The ELVs, as they applied to our competition, made us realise we had to play every game at a higher tempo.
?I now think there is a tempo issue between the hemispheres but I?m very surprised as to what?s gone on between the hemispheres this month because this is the time when we should be tired at the end of our season and you should be fresh.
?We do bring a quicker tempo to the game because we have had to get fitter. That?s not to say that conditioning coaches are not good enough in Europe, it?s just that we have to put more energy into every game because the ball is in play for longer.?
Gold said South Africa had deliberately raised their tempo against England, concentrating on direct, confrontational rugby and targeting the younger players. They worked on getting extra bodies to the breakdown and recycling the ball quickly.
Target man: South Africa tried to exploit Cipriani's susceptibility to the charge-down
It worked beyond their wildest dreams although they also looked to exploit Danny Cipriani?s susceptibility to the charge-down.
?We did identify that during the week but to single Danny out is unfair,? Gold said. ?One on one, he actually makes his tackles. Defence is as much about the unit as an individual. Danny?s a rookie, the man inside him, Danny Care, is a rookie and the man outside him, Riki Flutey is also a rookie, at least in Test terms. In time, they will grow.?
On the broader front, Gold confessed to being surprised that the home teams have come up so far short so often this year against the big three, especially England last weekend. However, he needed no convincing that England have chosen the right man in Martin Johnson despite his lack of management experience.
?I think he will be brilliant for English rugby,? said Gold. ?He might not have got all his coaching badges but so much of his career has already been about creating a winning environment, keeping discipline and understanding the game.
?He?ll have a vision, he?ll know exactly where he wants to go and the players he is backing now will pay him back. But it could take as long as a couple of years.?
