South Africa lead the way in this year's Super 14 and the ELVs are definitely working for them, writes Phil Wilkins on rugbyheaven.com.au.
"Led by European conservatives, argument has raged about the experimental law variations, essentially because their critics maintain that running rugby will bring about the demise of the big men, seriously threatening the massive-forward dominated game of the Six Nations tournament, with its crowds and riches.
"If the rise of teams full of gazelles was their fear, consider the two leading Super 14 teams - the unbeaten Bulls and the Durban-based Sharks, with five wins from six games.
"The player who crushed the Hurricanes, with five All Blacks in their pack, was the 118kg second-rower Bakkies Botha. His hand-to-hand combat power was immense. The Hurricanes believed they could out-run the Bulls. They scored two tries to one, but Jason Eaton's try came after the siren, the 19-14 scoreline flattering the hosts. Nobody left with any delusions about which team deserved the laurels. The Bulls' defence, especially in their own quarter, was ruthlessly magnificent.
"And this was a Bulls team without the world's finest lineout forward, the South African Test captain Victor Matfield, and the game's most lethal winger, Bryan Habana."
RSS feed
