Pre-season Fixtures

Kimbo wrote: The tackle law saw a Cov back-rower go off for ten against Lions, but apart from that there was little difference. I couldn't go to Mose, so can't comment, but my contact at the ground reported - quite gruffly  - that Sir was rather pernickity over it...

Kimbo wrote: I didn't say he was favouring either side...

I recently attended an RFU course on the new tackle height as it affects M&J's rugby. The word that we were given was that ref's will come down very hard on the new laws early in the season in the hope that it will force players to tackle lower (you have been warned!!). However, my take was that it will affect the ball carrier more. There is now a thing called 'late and low' which basically means that if a tackler is set to make the tackle, the ball carrier cannot then drop their shoulder to go into contact. This is a fundamental change that we have taught players from the early days of contact at the age of 8/9. Old habits will die hard.
Effectively, the ball carrier cannot invade the tacklers 'head space' with sanctions being a pen all the way to red for head/shoulder on head contact.
It does not affect the top 2 levels, but everything below it will be. It is only a matter of time before it reaches elite rugby.