Lantana, The IRB is not panicking. All stakeholders accept that it is time for a review of the rules, after 10 years of professionalism. .. I have pointed out elsewhere that the most radical changes in rugby union have come about not because of rule changes, but because of coaching changes. Major coaching changes in the last 20 or so years include that forwards are now empowered to run with the ball from all phases. Twenty years ago, forwards did not run with the ball. .. The hooker now throws the ball into the line-out, whereas it used to be commonplace for the blindside winger to throw the ball in. This has freed up another back to take part in set plays from the set piece..... Another major change is the emergence of specialist open-side and blind-side flankers, which has changed the dynamic of the break-down and the contest for possession quite radically. .. The advent of open professionalism has meant that players at the elite levels are far fitter, and stronger, than they were 10 or 20 years ago. This fact, and the coaching changes that I have listed above, mean that the game is now a bit out of kilter, and needs re-calibrating. That is hardly surprising. .. However, where rugby differs from league is that changes to the rules are the province of the IRB. In rugby league, the NRL seems to have the power to change rules at its whim, which is hardly the way to grow an international game. Finally, scrums and lineouts are part of the core of rugby. If you don't understand and appreciate them, you will not enjoy either watching or playing the game. That is your choice. Are all line-out throws perfectly straight? No, but in the interests of the contest the referee will only blow a penalty when the defending side genuinely contests the throw. As for scrums, frankly the dominant eight will win its own put-in, no matter what. The less powerful eight will win its ball, but under pressure. This pressure is the point of the contest...........a ball won under pressure is sometimes of less value than a tight-head conceded........And one final point on the power that the NRL exerts over the rules, and the game.........Do you think that the 10 metres defensive line is workable in developing countries, where the players are not full-time professionals? What about the 40/20 rules, how often does this manouvre get exercised in developing countries? What about the "golden point"? Is that a rugby league rule, or only an NRL rule?
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