By WYNNE GRAY
SUPER 12 - ROUND 2
Super 12 situations vacant: powerful, cerebral contortionists only need apply.
Rugby, as the lawmakers are trying to frame the sport, wants athletes with the strength of Rob Waddell, the mental dexterity of Mensa members and the gymnastic suppleness of Nadia Comaneci to compete in the tackled ball zones.
Round two repeated what little we knew or understood after round one. Players cannot consistently stay on their feet in such a high-velocity, physical contest as they whizz through a rack of permutations on the do's and don'ts of the tackled ball laws. The sport will continue to be fractured by penalties unless referees show some leniency.
There were optimistic appraisals from various officials and administrators, suggesting the path to enlightenment would be clear after a couple of rounds, but at the moment the track is still littered with obstacles.
So as round two ended, confusion about the laws spread, and to compound the problems the quality of rugby shown by New Zealand sides sagged. The Blues, Hurricanes and Chiefs each won, but there was little to recommend about their styles.
Of the victorious trio, the Chiefs emerged with the most credit. The New Zealand franchise with least credentials played with more grit than the roughest sandpaper, rode their luck and clawed their way to the win. Somehow the Blues and Hurricanes took their matches.
While the perplexing rules dominated concerned discussion after the opening week, the lack of basic skills from New Zealand teams joined the laws as the worry of this week.
The Crusaders lineout was a shambles, the Highlanders defence was very porous, while the handling errors from the other three franchises was unacceptable. Leadership and tactical nous was missing in large doses.
On the laws, a New Zealand delegation has left for an International Rugby Board meeting this week where they hope to persuade the sport's rulers to change again. All Black selector Peter Thorburn will argue for a return to mauling, with a five-second chance for a team to get a maul going after it becomes static.
His idea is to draw more forwards into confrontation, but how they will cure the tackled ball penalty-fest remains murky.
Like most rugby watchers Thorburn is baffled by the 2001 scene.
"To be honest you could blow up virtually every on-ground situation if you wanted to," he said.
If there is confusion about the laws there must also be consternation about the form of leading players for the All Black selectors.
The Crusaders had eight players who were on national service last season and they played with the spark of a flat battery, the star rating of the Hurricanes backline was way out of kilter with what they showed, the Highlanders scrum rocked but the rest of their game rolled over, the Blues were patchy but showed a new defensive starch while the Chiefs had to be admired for their tenacity.
But finding accolades is akin to administrators telling us rugby will re-emerge shortly from under the pileups and whistleblowing.
Poor form adds to tackled ball worries
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