As of the new year new laws to make scrums safer came alive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/5410346.stm

Rugby fan or not its worth the read and very interesting, not watched a game since the new year and of course injured to hell so not playing but I am keen to see this in action

Collapsed scrums suck ass having broken my nose in one in the past I knows lol.

(My head went down into my knee due to the opposing prop coming in at a downward angle and forcing my head down)

Like you say its an interesting new rule, might make games more fun instead of a series of damn reset scrums and penalties!

Does make me wonder why its taken them until now to realise that this could minimise the risk of injury in a scrum?!

Hmm, from what Ive experienced in the pack this might well make scrummaging a bit safer, but it wont reduce the number of failed scrums, as Ive played with refs enforcing a similarly convuluted method of engagement before, and when youve got to get 16 people doing it all in sync, its not quite as straightforward as it sounds on paper.

Less wasting time may be an added bonus, less collapsing would mean less down time and an even more fast passed game.

Quote from: M3ta7h3adCollapsed scrums suck ass having broken my nose in one in the past I knows lol.

One I was playing got a nasty nose bleed when a scrum collapsed, OK it was through my knee hitting his nose but was that my fault

TBH I still dont think anyone else knows exactly what happened

/walks away whistling...

I saw this rule in place during the under 19 World Cup in Dubai last year. The couple of matches Ive caught this year it seems to be helping a bit. I believe that at least some, but certainly not all, scrum collapses are from props charging from slightly too far away.

I bound onto some right evil props in my time and this should at least take that particular part of the front row weaponry out. It, hopefully, will make it more of a skill/strength test rather than brutality.

Am i the only one that is sad to see the rules changed? Especially in our ever increasing nanny state? or is that just because i play as winger? If i didnt want brutality id play football.

Nanny state is one thing but when people are becoming measureably stronger and fitter at all levels some sort of protection has to be introduced to avoid life threatening injury.

Dont get me wrong, I dont want to see the scrum changed as a concept or, even worse, league style uncontested but you have to protect people sometimes. Its not a nanny state when people get stretchered off.