My personal theory is that Rugby Union has absorbed much from Rugby League since the advent of professionalism. Defensive strategies for instance (fifteen aside has become increasingly like seven aside and Rugby League in the way the players line up). Rugby League scrummaging has long been a joke with blatant "feeding" of his own hooker by the scrum half and the scrums are nothing like the "set scrum" you mention. As Union scrummaging becomes more and more problematic for "'elf and safety reasons" the same trends have crept in.rockfreak wrote:I'm still waiting for a reply from you so-called rugby experts out there as to why the flaming ball never goes into the set scrum straight! Any Brian Moores out there with an astringent view on the subject??!!!
EDIT: I should add that I do not consider myself a "rugby expert!" Just someone who played the game into his thirties and follows international rugby on the television rather than live as ticket prices have become so exorbitant.