Fans of rugby here at home have been treated to some running rugby of the highest order thanks to the Varsity Cup, the new breeding ground for young talent looking to make the leap to professional sportsman.

The rules implemented there have been widely lauded, eight points for a converted try and just two for a penalty encouraging a running brand of rugby that has helped the competition increase in popularity.

Now Super Rugby works somewhat differently – a team that scores four tries receives a bonus point, as does a team that loses by seven or less. Until now, so here’s TimesLive with the new changes:

As expected, the four-try bonus point rule no longer applies.

Instead, sides can secure a bonus point by scoring three or more tries than their opponents…

In addition, for the first time, sides will now be allowed to set up a line-out after the hooter has sounded.

The changes, says SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos, are designed to help Super Rugby become a more attractive product.

“These law amendments, while subtle in nature, will help Super Rugby’s continuing evolution as the best provincial competition in the world,” Marinos said.

“The change to the bonus point, which has been widely discussed throughout the past week as one potential innovation, has now been formally approved by the ExCo for the 2016 season.

“By implementing this change, we expect to see more attacking and competitive rugby as teams will be asked to keep their foot down for the full 80 in order to claim the try-scoring bonus point, which we have seen used to great effect in France over the past few years.

“In addition to this, permitting teams to opt for a line-out after time has expired serves to disincentive opponents from infringing and aims to reward sides that are particularly strong set-piece exponents which, when coupled with the previously mentioned changes, encourages more attacking and competitive rugby.”

Now I’m not so sure about either of these changes really, so let’s take a look at the new bonus points for tries ruling to start.

Before, you may have seen a match where both teams sit on three tries (or three against two etc) in the final minutes, with the incentive being that they could still each earn a bonus point. Now with these types of matches you are merely encouraged to grind out a win, so in reality this could have the opposite effect. The only way this rule works is if matches aren’t all that close, which is probably an indicator of how many blowouts organisers expect with the weakened teams this year.

The second rule, allowing line outs after the hooter, also means that teams who play a traditionally tight game will benefit. Whereas before you would be forced to throw the ball around without the benefit of a set play, now you can get your heavies to burrow in behind the jumper and rumble for the line.

Great for the Bulls and other teams who employ the rolling maul adequately, perhaps not so great for the spectators who enjoy the helter skelter that comes with a final gasp tap and go.

We’ll all still watch Super Rugby, that goes without saying, but the majority of people I speak to agree that it is fast becoming a shadow of its former self.

I leave you with this gem from France, a pre-match psych-up ritual gone wrong as one player breaks another’s nose.

Insolite en Gironde : à l’échauffement, il… by journalsudouest

[source:timeslive]