MAGNER'S League boss David Jordan insists the competition will be played under experimental laws next season despite Scotland's Celtic partners claiming to have opted out.
A storm is brewing in rugby circles over the refusal of Ireland, Wales and England to trial laws that include a requirement for defences to stand five metres back at scrums, allow mauls to be collapsed and have free kicks instead of penalties for all
offences except offside and foul play – reducing the number of shots at goal.
Disagreements are threatening to have a profound effect on all cross-border competitions including the Heineken European Cup and internationals – a doubly disappointing situation according to Scottish coach Ian Rankin, who has just returned from the annual Six Nations conference in Rome, where experimental laws were the hot topic. Making it clear that he expected Scotland to stand firm in implementing the changes, Jordan said: "The Magner's Celtic League is governed by the International Rugby Board and will be following their instructions."
According to Rankin, rugby will be much improved as a spectacle and the former Edinburgh guru, now at Dundee High in the Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership, said it was important for Scotland to be in the vanguard of change.
Rankin said: "With rugby now a global game thanks partly to the influence of television it is important to have decisions more clear-cut wherever possible and the experimental laws (which will be reviewed at the end of 2008-09) are aimed at that. We have to appeal to more spectators. When the whistle goes in football either somebody is offside or else a player has been kicked. In rugby there is still too much riding on the referee's decision – any one of about ten offences might have been spotted in a ruck.
"If I have a criticism of the changes it is that they don't go far enough to make the ruck more clear-cut and, maybe if handling the ball had been allowed, decisions might have become more transparent.
"The law-makers stepped back from that one but maybe once things bed down there will be scope to return to the ruck area.
"Otherwise rugby is going to be all the better for what is being proposed and I speak as the only person at the conference who had coached under the new laws because of Scotland's decision to trial them in the Super Cup a couple of seasons ago.
"In Rome we were working with the Italian under-19 squad and the players certainly liked the changes, which is the most important aspect. They'll let you know quicker than anybody if something isn't right.
"Games will be more dynamic and I have a feeling those countries that don't embrace the changes might be left behind.
"Tradition is all very well but rugby has to move with the times. There is a need for more creativity and the Rome conference was invigorating – especially as we saw the impact of the changes in the Tri Nations match immediately afterwards between New Zealand and South Africa, who took advantage of extra space to score a try off the back row of a scrum."
Appealing for rifts between the home unions to be healed as quickly as possible, Rankin added: "What has to be avoided is different rules for different competitions with players jumping from one set to another."
At the same time Rankin admits his involvement has perhaps enabled him to steal a march on domestic rivals .
"All coaches inevitably look at see how far they can stretch the laws to their advantage and there was certainly plenty of food for thought in Rome where delegates included top South African coach Rudi Joubert, former Italian scrum half Alessandro Troncon and ex British Lions second row Jeremy Davidson, who is also cutting his teeth in coaching.
"Mark Lawrence of South African, who refereed recent Super 14 matches under the experimental laws was also present and what struck me was that with mauls able to be pulled down coaches will expect the ball carrier to be positioned near to the rear-most foot.
"Key player in most matches will be the scrum half, who must not only have a lightning pass but the ability to exploit quick tap-and-go situations, although the recent Tri Nations matches showed a willingness to opt for scrums instead of free kicks.
"That extra fluency should ideally suit the French who want to run the ball more than most but overall my impression is that Scottish coaches, considering the (small) base we have to work from, are as creative as anyone."
The full article contains 778 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
