Payne: ELVs no snag as Reds eye Magners League crown

THE great northern hemisphere debate on the contentious Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) is expected to rumble on throughout the season until, perhaps, the IRB finally come to a decision regarding their future in rugby union next March.

The traditionalists north of the equator regard the ELVs as a scar upon the game, while in Munster there is a perception that they may work against the European Cup holders, a province whose success since the turn of the millennium has been hammered out on the anvil of its maul, general forward thrust and line-out nous.

Yet it would be disingenuous to label Munster one-dimensional, especially in light of the manner in which they regained their Heineken Cup crown just three months ago, managing to execute a variety of game-plans on their path to a glorious May coronation in Cardiff.

Speaking in his capacity as Munster’s new full-time manager — a role he filled part-time while playing last season — Shaun Payne is not of the view that the ELVs will necessarily damage Munster’s attempts at putting back-to-back European crowns together as well as making a sustained drive towards regaining the Magners League crown they last held in 2003.

“Obviously we sit back and watch Super 14, Currie Cup and Air New Zealand Cup matches,” he says, although aware that the free kick law will not be trialled in the northern hemisphere this season. “There seems to be a lot of ping-pong happening.

“Yes, Munster are forward-oriented; yes, we have had a strong driving maul, although we tended to move away from that last season. But if you just look at our backline in terms of broken field play with Lifeimi Mafi, Rua Tipoki, Dougie Howlett, Denis Hurley, Ian Dowling and Anthony Horgan, I really don’t think they’re going to have a problem (with the ELVs).”

Munster’s forwards will expect to see the ball in play a lot longer than last season, but they appear fitter and trimmer already to meet the new ELVs head-on. Munster’s style in pre-season is also catching the eye: backs and forwards combining smoothly, which seems like a clear-sighted approach from head coach Tony McGahan as to how he wants his team to play, but more importantly, cope with the ELVs

“I thought, for example, against the USA, the ELVs didn’t really come into it,” says Payne. “There didn’t seem to be an awful lot of kicking. But it’ll be an interesting start to the season in terms of the ELVs and the Magners League to see how they evolve in the northern hemisphere. There’s a different dynamic in the south because the ball is drier. Up here, if space presents itself, we are able to manipulate that space. We are not a team to go out and throw it sideline to sideline the whole time and create space — we’d like to manufacture the space first and then use the space.

“And we’ve got the distributors and the runners to do it. Rog (Ronan O’Gara) is probably the best distributor of the ball in world rugby in terms of his passing and the two centres are good to manipulate space.”

Of course, with a strong antipodean influence amongst the Reds’ new-look coaching staff — particularly the inclusion of Australian Laurie Fisher as forwards coach — Munster appear well-equipped to deal with the influx of the 13 new ELVs. It should be six months, according to Payne, before the ELVs bed in here, but the South African believes the new experimental laws can work to everyone’s benefit.

Away from laws, the success he craved as a player hasn’t dried up now that he has taken his seat at the table of full-time management this season.

The new season kicks off tomorrow in Edinburgh and, with “consistency” the buzzword emanating from Camp McGahan, there is a strong sense that Munster really have their eye on taking the Magners League crown away from Leinster. However, there is a perception, especially amongst supporters, that Munster really only turn it on at Heineken Cup level.

Says Payne: “That’s 50% of the problem because we as a team tend to react to the supporters. There is that link between us. I sense it (the perception) changing, I really do, especially with the new stadium being built. Our first game in there will be against Glasgow on October 4 — hopefully that will be a sell-out and hopefully we’ll have performed well up until then too.

“The Magners League is a massive goal, to be completely honest — to be more competitive and more consistent in the Magners League is a goal. It’s not acceptable if we’re not.”

McGahan yesterday named his side for the Magners League opener away to Edinburgh tomorrow night. All those who took part in the 35-14 win over London Irish took a full part in that session.

MUNSTER: D Howlett; K Earls, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell (capt); D Ryan, J O’Sullivan, D Wallace.

Replacements: F Sheahan, F Pucciariello, M O’Driscoll, J Melck, P Stringer, P Warwick, B Murphy.