Teams took their time to get their hands around the new regulations, so will need to get on the same page as the referees.
Just to be clear, there are no new laws being trialled in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
But there is more rigid enforcement of the existing laws around the breakdown and offside line. That is, you need to make every effort to roll away from the tackle if you are the defender, you cannot enter the ruck from the side (side entry) and you must stay on your feet if you are jackling for the ball. Simple stuff.
And yet the players during the first round of Super Rugby Aotearoa seemed to struggle with the new ‘interpretations.’ Maybe they’ve been getting away with murder for too long in this area.
We saw referee Paul Williams hand out 30 penalties in the Highlanders-Chiefs game in Dunedin on opening night in June. Many were for offside or breakdown infringements, but it was hard to argue with most of them. Fortunately, it did not impact on the spectacle too much, the home side edging it in a dramatic clash.
Williams was harsh on breakdown infringements, but he showed leniency in handing out yellow cards to Jona Nareki and Vilimoni Koroi for dangerous tackles on airborne players. I have seen others sent off for less. So it seems the officials are tightening in some areas, but loosening up in others.
The next day, referee Mike Fraser also blew a merry tune (30 penalties) in the Blues-Hurricanes clash in Auckland. Again, many of the penalties were merited, though how players can roll away when they are pinned at the bottom of a ruck remains one of rugby’s mysteries.
One would think that by the time you read this column, the players and coaches will be wise to what is required and stop pushing the envelope at the breakdown, thereby not making rugby the stop-start affair it most certainly does not need right now.
Other regulations for this competition will see red-carded players allowed to be replaced after 20 minutes. This is sensible and will result in less games being ruined by unequal numbers after sendings-off.
The ‘golden point’ rule, whereby the first side to score in extra time takes the win, is a good innovation from rugby league. We already saw more dropped goal attempts in round one than we had in the entire seven pre-Covid rounds of Super Rugby.
Funnily enough, the Highlanders and Chiefs were potting for goal even before the end of the regulation 80 minutes. Damian McKenzie and Bryn Gatland swapped three-pointers in this fashion, the latter enough to take the W.
Hallelujah! At last, this under-rated and unloved skill is coming back in vogue. Coaches are talking about it, players are training for it, and having the confidence to let fly under pressure late in games.
In the meantime, while the backs work out one or two options for whom might take the pots, the forwards (and the backs who get into the collisions) will be doing some deep study on how they can legally play the ball when there are three or more players in the ruck.
Once they master that, Super Rugby Aotearoa will really flow.