I'm sure modern players are no less skillful than those in 1978 but, as pointed out upthread, there was a lesser "punishment" for turning the ball over then, which encourages a safer form of Rugby now. Look at the last ten minutes of Saints-Cas last week to see what modern teams can do when they both feel they *have to* go on the attack. It was the best Rugby of the season. There was no messing at the play-the-ball either, because it was in neither team's interest.



I'm not sure what rule-changes would help this situation (not wanting to go back to competitive scrums), except maybe a points bonus system for tries scored, or something radical like a prohibition on three-man tackles, but then you'd lose a lot of the other attractions of the sport and be playing a different game...

I don't know, because not long after wards, I lent it to a guy from my college course and he left never to be seen again, as did my tape!



It also had the Smith & Jones Xmas Home Video on it. Never repeated!



I dread seeing myself on film as a little kid, as that would mean someone had got hold of a copy of my appearance on 'Calender Tuesday'. Mortifying.

The influence of Australian coaches where defence is everything certainly has reduced the spectacle somewhat. In the modern day game for most of the time the attack lines are too flat (for me) with the result that the attacker takes the ball before he has got any speed up. The defence nearly always has this spotted with three men and the play results in a few metres gained and a high tackle count.



Coaches only seem to allow a deeper attacking line when the game seems lost yet this invariably produces exciting scores. Warrington this year have moved the ball wide early in the game with great success as it is harder to defend against and tires out the opposition forwards.



Also not enough game time is spent creating overlaps. So many times we see players taking the ball into contact when a pass would have been easier and would have offered a better chance of scoring.



Oh for players who play "head up" rugby á la John Homes.

Speaking of contested scrums - I've watched the 78 final again this afternoon (I was working honest) and almost all of the scrums in the first half hour were won against the head.

That was because Billy Thompson's head was nearly always in the way when the ball should have gone in.

A technical point here: against the head or against the feed?



I suspect you mean against the feed but that would mean with the head.



These were the days of the defending team (as adjudged by whose half the scrum was formed in) getting the feed with the attacking team getting the loose head.



As you were.

Well, yes, of course. I think.

Where can i find the clubs logo thats shown on the match? Ive googled but cant find it anywwhere

The City of Leeds crest you mean ?

No ive found that its the one thats displayed at start with lrlfc on it

That's right - head and feed were different weren't they? Sometimes you had the feed but not the head (i.e. your hooker was behind the opponents). I thought that if a side knocked on the opposition got both head and feed, or is that wrong? Its so long ago.

I think, without checking, that in those days territory decided who got the feed (defending team) and the opposition got the head in all instances regardless of the reason the scrum was formed.



It's true to say that at some point later those rules changed (after you'd find the scrum half on the final play kicking the ball into touch just inside his own half to gain the feed) with head and feed then going to the non offending side and following on from that to the non event we see today although Warrington took one against the feed at Knowsley Road on Friday to much amusement.



Speaking of scrums the worst example I ever saw was a game at Naughton Park in '82 where Gerry Kershaw had the Leeds front row of Roy Dickinson, David Ward and Steve Pitchford charging into the Widnes front row of Mike O'Neill, Keith Elwell and Steve O'Neill from fully five yards apart. How they all survived that intact was a minor miracle.