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Originally Posted by RugbyBuck
Great write-up, Steve. Thanks. Did you get any feel for the effect that the ELVs are having on the game? When I first read about them before the season it seemed like a good idea to me to open up play a little more. Since then, though, I've read comments from Habana and others to the effect that they're making the game too much like rugby league and don g away with part of what makes rugby special.
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It seems to me that some of the ELVs will have a beneficial effect on the game. Not requiring a player to advance to the point of a quick throw-in (i.e., can throw it back now) produced a couple of exciting quick plays. The change in line outs I am not so sure about. There's a lot of motion and it really seems like it is not an improvement.
The reduction in penalty kicks is a plus. I also like the new rule that makes it harder for a player to run back inside the 22 and kick for touch. Couldn't see much about the use of hands in scrums but lining up 5 meters back also seems to be an improvement to me.
All in all, to me, it seems like the changes make the game a bit faster and I like it but I think the line outs were better as before.