Is rugby becoming too soft?

We all agree that player welfare is of paramount importance....

But Are the new rules too much? Or is it the way its being reffed?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/38286626

Dai's comments come across as a man trying to get his defense in early and loud to try and fend off any impending citing.

Even in the old rules you couldn't swing out of a fellas neck (I'm talking general here, no on this incident). There is a lot of defending fine margins of the high-head-shot not being low enough to not warrant a card. In the past you tackled the waste, you tackled the legs, you used technique. Now it high, high and higher. Talking about missing a target by inches when there is 4-5 foot height of a player that can be perfectly legally tackled.

For me, the last 2 seasons has seen the tackle rise up half a foot in height into what is now a dangerous area. Rule change is required, and new rules will always be seen as harsh until the players learn to adapt. If it results in tackles coming down 6 inches then it's worth the current heartache.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Dai's comments come across as a man trying to get his defense in early and loud to try and fend off any impending citing.

Even in the old rules you couldn't swing out of a fellas neck (I'm talking general here, no on this incident).  There is a lot of defending fine margins of the high-head-shot not being low enough to not warrant a card.  In the past you tackled the waste, you tackled the legs, you used technique. Now it high, high and higher. Talking about missing a target by inches when there is 4-5 foot height of a player that can be perfectly legally tackled.

For me, the last 2 seasons has seen the tackle rise up half a foot in height into what is now a dangerous area. Rule change is required, and new rules will always be seen as harsh until the players learn to adapt.  If it results in tackles coming down 6 inches then it's worth the current heartache.

Soft? Absurd notion. Rugby players are bigger than they have ever been, stronger than they have ever been and hit each other harder than any other time in history. Because of that level of power, shots to the neck and head are more dangerous than ever. The rules haven't changed. The WR directive is just that, a directive to follow the rules about head contact rigidly. They look at NFL I'm sure and see the ever inflating court cases being brought by former players whose brains have turned to mush and realise that is not a good future for rugby.