Our guest : BALL-HANDLING HOOKER

Ireland starting XV v Italy (Sat June 29 3:30pm live on RugbyPass.tv) : 

15 B O’Connor 14 D Colbert 13 F Treacy 12 S Berman 11 H McLaughlin

10 J Murphy 9 O Coffey 1 J Boyd 2 D Sheahan 3 P Bell

4 A Spicer 5 E O’Connell (c) 6 S Edogbo 7 M Flynn 8 L Murphy

LAW CHANGE TRIALS

1. Red Card Replacement

One of the most significant changes allows teams to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes. 

2. Shot Clock Introduction

A 30-second shot clock for scrum and lineout setting will be implemented, along with a reduced 60-second limit for conversions (down from 90 seconds). 

3. Scrum Half Protection

Enhanced protection for the scrum half at the base of scrums, rucks, and mauls will be enforced. Opposing players cannot engage the scrum half while the ball is still in the immediate vicinity of these set pieces. 

4. Expanded Marking Zone

Players will now be able to call a mark inside their own 22-meter line from a restart. This change is expected to promote more attacking options and potentially lead to more creative restart strategies.

5. Maul Play Modification

Teams will only have one opportunity to stop a maul before the ball must be played. This change from the previous two-stop rule aims to reduce the number of stalled mauls and encourage more dynamic play.

6.Lineout Throw-in Adjustment

If a lineout is uncontested and the throw is not straight, play will continue rather than resulting in a scrum. This change is intended to maintain the flow of the game and reduce the number of set-pieces, potentially leading to more open play.