18/02/2008 13:26

St Petersburg - Rugby World Cup star Bryan Habana has criticised the new rules being trialled in the Super 14 competition, saying they are turning the game into rugby league.

Having played three games under the new format, the South African and Bulls winger is not a fan and hopes the so-called Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) remain experimental.

"It's got a lot more of a rugby league feel on it," Habana told reporters at the Laureus World Sports Awards, where the World Cup-winning Springboks were nominated for Team of the Year.

"There's no stop-start, the essence of what rugby is, anymore."

Rule-makers believe the ELVs will speed up the game and increase the amount of time the ball stays in play by cutting the long periods in which the ball is at the bottom of a ruck, secured in a maul or out of action while scrums are set and reset.

The rules provide for free kicks instead of penalties for many infringements around the tackled area, meaning play is often re-started immediately by the non-offending team taking a tap kick and returning the ball to play.

Essence of rugby

"If guys wanted to play rugby league, they'd go out and play rugby league," Habana said.

"The essence of what rugby is about is something that I don't think any player or any supporter wants to see lost.

"There's something special about rugby ... your forwards pride themselves on the scrum and the lineout and your backs pride themselves on that contest against the opposition.

"The backs are running against the forwards now and the forwards are running against the backs, so it's a little bit of a mix-up at the moment."

Habana also said changing between the new and old rules put added pressure on players from countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

"I don't really understand because the southern hemisphere teams are playing with it in the Super 14, then come the June Tests, we revert back to the old laws, then come the Tri-Nations, we revert back to the new laws again," he said.

"As players, we just want to go out there and play this wonderful game we call rugby and hopefully they won't change what the essence of rugby is all about."

Habana also believes Australia, like the Springboks, are in a crucial re-building phase following last year's World Cup.

Both teams have a new coach, and Habana pointed out the Wallabies faced a challenge to fill the shoes of retired stars like halves pair George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, who quit with a combined total of 235 Test caps.

"It's not something you can really replace, so there's probably going to be a lot of building and a lot of new guys, hopefully they'll put up their hands," he said.

"Matt Giteau is a prime example. He's going to have to fill the role that Bernie (Larkham) had."

The Springboks recently appointed Peter de Villiers as coach, while New Zealander Robbie Deans has become the first foreigner to be put in charge of Australia.