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Rugby's experimental rules were tried first in South Africa but their sides seem the slowest to apply the changes in this year's Super 14 series.
The Blues and Crusaders have shown a different calibre of rugby from the rest of their rivals but the South African sides look
reluctant or incapable of embracing the law variations which began life two years ago at Stellenbosch.
After two rounds of the Super 14, there is scant evidence the four teams in the Republic have altered their approach from the traditional methods favoured by the Springboks and which delivered the honour of the last World Cup crown.
The laws have altered but watching rugby from the Republic is a journey back in time to the forward tyranny and kicking which have dominated their rugby history. And the approach has brought laboured results.
The Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers are at the foot of the points table while the Sharks have scraped a couple of narrow wins without the panache, power, pace and precision of the top two New Zealand teams.
The contrast was most evident at the weekend when the Crusaders disembowelled defending champions the Bulls 54-19 while the Blues crushed the Lions 55-10 on their home grounds.
Those results have countermanded some of last season's angst when New Zealand sides won a solitary game and drew one other in 14 matches in South Africa.
Fitness is an important weapon for the premier New Zealand sides, who are showing they can play at sustained speed throughout matches, attributes which have allowed them to take advantage of the new offside lines and stricter refereeing in this year's Super 14. Officials have taken a much tougher approach in penalising players at the breakdown, sanctions which allow sides to get on an attacking roll from free kicks.
Blues coach David Nucifora agreed fitness was an important pillar in his side's armoury but he was reluctant to compare his side's quality with that of the Crusaders. "We were more concerned about how we would back up," Nucifora said, obviously chuffed after confirmation the Blues could deliver again after an opening win against the Chiefs.
It was a similar scenario for the Crusaders. The Bulls led them 12-0 after half an hour with their predictable kick, setpiece and plodding one-off running grind. But once the Crusaders found their tempo they were able to force mistakes and profit from their clinical counter-attacks.
After the opening round, senior Bulls players like Fourie du Preez and Bryan Habana complained the new laws had ruined the game they used to play.
That lament looked to be still hanging around in round two.
The South African sides may have been slow to resume full-on preparation after the country's intoxicating World Cup win while New Zealand sides are showing the benefits of being able to pick their All Blacks from the start of the series.
"Traditionally New Zealand and Australian teams adapt to change quicker than South African teams do," Nucifora said.
The Sharks and Stormers battled through a game of attrition, a match where clashes seemed compulsory, some niggle instinctive.
Test flanker Schalk Burger was sinbinned on the advice of touchjudge Willie Roos for some skulduggery at a ruck, a ruling which provoked a reaction from Burger which may produce further punishment. As he was sent from the field, Burger gestured obscenely at Roos and challenged him to get his eyes tested.
