Law changes not expected to trip up Boks

They will have to adapt to the latest law variations implemented during the Rugby Championship, but the Springboks foresee no hiccups in doing so.

South Africa take on Australia on Saturday in Brisbane, and Sanzaar – the governing body for rugby in the southern hemisphere – will have some new law variations to speed up the game for fans, to cut out what they deem unnecessary stoppages, and to clarify law interpretations.

Four changes will come into play, two of which the Boks should not have any trouble adjusting to.

A slight change to the foul play law for red cards will allow teams to replace a red-carded player who was sent off for play deemed not to be at a high level. After 20 minutes, the carded player will be allowed to be replaced by a teammate on the bench.

There will also be a countdown clock for scrums, line-outs and kicks at goal. Scrumhalves and hookers will have 30 seconds after the mark was indicated by the referee and assistant referee to feed the scrum and line-outs while kickers will only have 60 seconds to aim and kick at the posts.

Those are the two variations the Boks should have no problem with come Saturday at the Suncorp Stadium (6.30am kick-off, SA time). What they will have to adapt to is the last two, which will be relatively new to everyone in rugby.

Play will be allowed to continue if a hooker throws in skew at the line-out and the opposition do not contest for the ball. If there is a contest and the ball is deemed to have been thrown in skew, the opposition will have the option of a line-out or scrum.

What could bring a bit of uncertainty is the officiating around the protection of the scrumhalf around the scrum, rucks and mauls, and the interpretation of the different referees to this law variation.

Scrumhalves will no longer be allowed to move past the middle line of the mouth of the scrum if it’s not their feed into the scrum. And any opposition player part of a ruck or maul may not play the scrumhalf or any player near it attempting to play the ball.

“What we have to do is try to be the first team that adapts the best,” Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said of the changes.

“This will definitely influence the game. If a team is 5m from the tryline, the hooker can throw it (skew) to someone in the line-out, but not to the scrumhalf (at the front) or over the top to the flyhalf and expect no one to contest that.

“We got clarity over that and we understand it. Contesting is also lifting someone and Ox (Nche) or Gerhard (Steenekamp) as the looseheads up front can’t just jump in the air and then we say we contested.

“The referees will have to adapt to it and it will take pressure off the hookers here and there. Your plans 5m from your tryline will also have to change a bit.

“But we support it because we can see where they want to head with it (the variations).”