WELLINGTON // South Africa captain John Smit received his first taste of rugby's new Experimental Law Variations on Saturday night and was far from enamoured with what he experienced.
Smit (Clermont Auvergne), along with Victor Matfield (Toulon), Butch James (Bath) and replacement Percy Montgomery (Perpignan), did not play in the Super 14 this year where most of ELV rules were first utilised, including free-kicks being awarded for all offences other than offside and foul play.
The opening Tri Nations match between the Springboks and New Zealand, however, was the first time collapsing a maul was legal and numbers at the line-out were not restricted.
Poor ball retention and some wayward kicking let down the world champions who struggled in the scrum and did not have their typical dominance in the line-out.
The Springboks also struggled to adapt quickly enough to referee Stuart Dickinson's rulings at the breakdown with Smit, Matfield and James failing to find their best form under the ELVs.
Smit managed only 35 minutes of the 19-8 loss in Wellington before being forced off with a groin injury sustained after he was lifted and dumped on his back by Brad Thorn in the sixth minute - a tackle that cost the All Blacks lock a one-game ban.
Smit is now in doubt for the second Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday with Stormers hooker Schalk Britz called up to join the squad.
The World Cup-winning captain arrived in New Zealand with plenty of scepticism about the new laws and that feeling does not appear to have changed.
"I would have liked to have played a full game to get the full scope of it," he said.
"I played 35 minutes, threw one lineout. There was a lot of aimless time in the middle of the field with the kicking that went on.
"I didn't get the full chance to experience them but my 35 minutes certainly wasn't the most fun I've had.
"The combative situations are pretty much the same but there doesn't seem to be much direction."
Smit promised his side would improve before next weekend's showdown in Dunedin.
"There's a hell of lot left in us to give," he added.
"That's probably one of the most disappointing things that we didn't bring it all.
"There was a lot of inaccuracy and a lot that we're normally good at that we didn't do today.
"It's probably as poor as we could play in the Tri-Nations and hopefully we can continue on and get better from there."
Matfield admitted after playing in the French second division he was still a little off the pace even with two games against Wales and one against Italy under his belt.
"It will probably take another two or three games to be 100 per cent as sharp as I would like to be," he said. "I'll just have to work hard and get better every week."
The 19-8 defeat was the first loss for coach Peter de Villiers since he took over from Jake White after last year's World Cup triumph.
* PA Sport
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
