How the new law changes in Super Rugby can bring the All Blacks up to speed

Comparing statistics from Super Rugby Pacific and the top international teams is offering an insight into the rugby trends that could define this year’s World Cup, with law changes in the Australasian/Pacific competition aiming to amend the disparity in time with the ball in play while improving the overall product.

The new law changes more firmly impose the time limits or “shot clocks” on set piece plays, giving 90 seconds and 60 seconds for conversions and penalties respectively, and 30 seconds for lineouts and scrums to be formed.

Also speeding up the game will be the removal of lengthy TMO reviews for foul play. Yellow and red card-worthy acts will now see the guilty player immediately handed a card, with yellow cards being reviewed by the TMO as play resumes.

Former Blues front-rower James Parsons was on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod discussing the breakdown as New Zealand’s most crucial area for improvement throughout Super Rugby Pacific when he expressed optimism that the new laws will have a positive influence on the way the All Blacks‘ players will want to play the game.

“It is effort but it’s a little bit more than that,” Parsons said when analysing the art of the breakdown. “If you look at Ireland, they are so good at putting bodies in motion and it’s not an effort, I don’t question any player’s effort but it’s just around maybe simplifying systems.

“There’s many elements to it but the faster you move, the faster you get in position, the faster you’ll be able to see what the opportunity is and you’ll be able to take it. Then on the flip side, defensively, the faster you set, the faster you can get up, come up and shut the ball down. So it’s really simple, it’s just moving as fast as possible to where you need to be, A to B, A to B, A to B, off the ground, off the ground, all those little things.”

Parsons said the law changes could bring the All Blacks up to the speed of Ireland and France and change the player’s intent with how they go about the moments in between plays.

“Even the new law changes, I think we’ll see that filter into the international game of getting to lineouts quick, getting to scrums really quick and getting that ball in play.

“I think it was Ireland and France, 48 minutes of ball in play, I think the average of Super Rugby was around 32, 33 (minutes) last year. That is an increase of ball in play, the NRL’s at 52. That’s a massive increase in a short space of time but that’s the mindset that those two teams, No 1 and 2 have got. It’s ball in play and playing this game at pace and being direct.”