Exclusive: Cipriani hoping for ELVs U-turn
Danny Cipriani hopes kicking for touch from inside the 22 will be reinstated
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Wednesday, 13, May 2009 10:47
Danny Cipriani has spoken out over the proposed introduction of the experimental law variations (ELVs) that are being debated by the International Rugby Board (IRB) in Dublin this week, saying he hopes they "all get taken away".
In an exclusive interview with inthenews.co.uk, the Wasps and England star spoke of his aversion to the new laws - claiming they add nothing to the game of rugby and could cause an increase in the number of injuries.
Specifically referring to two of the more controversial ELVs - outlawing kicking to touch after passing back into the 22, and allowing defending teams to pull down the rolling maul - Cipriani said he hopes the IRB perform a U-turn and drop the new rules entirely.
"I hope they all get taken away," he told inthenews.co.uk.
"I don't really understand why rugby had to be changed.
"If they're going to keep some then I hope it's the ones that don't really affect too much about the game.
"Disallowing passing back into the 22 and allowing players to pull down the maul - I can't really see how they can be beneficial to anyone. The only difference is that it'll cause more injuries and things like that."
As a fly-half by trade, Cipriani's matchday experience is most affected by the new rules surrounding the option to kick for touch from inside the 22.
And the 21-year-old believes this has increased the amount of kicking in the game, rather decreasing it as the rule's initiators had hoped.
"It's definitely increased the kicking by a long way," continued Cipraini, who is promoting Alliance & Leicester's Premier 21 Master Class Programme.
"You can see what they were trying to do, because if you can't kick for touch then people might run it a lot more.
"But it just ends up being the case that there'd be about 15 kicks in play, like ping pong, and I don't think that's been too good for the spectators.
"Hopefully it'll all be taken away."