ELVs help 'cheats' to prosper
Retired All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick has joined the growing band of critics of the Experimental Law Variations, saying it is encouraging players to “cheat”.
The All Black legend, Fitzpatrick, also launched a withering attack on New Zealand rugby, saying the game in the southern hemisphere is too loose and is detrimental to the All Blacks’ future success.
In a radio interview with Sunday Star-Times columnist Phil Gifford, Fitzpatrick, the most capped All Black with 92 tests, said he’d rather watch an English Premiership or Heineken Cup game than Super Rugby.
“In terms of what I am seeing in Super 14 compared to the Premiership and Heineken Cup, it is quite clear one game is better than the other.
“What’s happening in Super 14 is lacking structure. The teams that are doing well the Bulls and Chiefs are the teams that are playing with structure. Unfortunately with the short-arm penalty, it encourages teams and players … to cheat.”
His comments will come as another body blow for the game in New Zealand, which is under siege.
Fans struggle to understand its rules, are turning off in droves and not attending games.
Fitzpatrick said he wasn’t surprised and had a pop at the country’s obsession with free-flowing play, which he reckons would eventually undermine the All Blacks’ supremacy.
The Chiefs v Blues game on March 21 “was probably the worst and most disappointing game of rugby I have seen. If you think that is great, free-flowing rugby to watch, we are obviously watching two different games. That’s not what I see as a great game.
“[The northern and southern hemisphere] need to get our heads together and decide what we want to watch. I am sure there is a compromise or middle road because 63-32 is not rugby we should be encouraging our younger players to play, because once we get to All Black rugby it doesn’t wash.”
Fitzpatrick also slammed the ELVs, saying: “The ELVs and some coaches are encouraging our younger guys to play this helter skelter rugby which is fantastic at schoolboy and club level but against the big boys in international rugby it won’t wash.”
