Ever feel slightly out of your depth when rugby talk gets serious?

Well fear not, more learned experts than you are confused by the law tweaks to the tackle, the scum and the problems of offside and obstruction. We asked Donal Lenihan to explain it all.

LET’S get one thing clear from the outset. Despite suggestions to the contrary, there are no new law changes this season. What we do have is either a new interpretation of, or an increased emphasis on, specific laws that are already in place.

The reason for this is that after the period of exploration with the multiple Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) 18 months ago, it was decided that there would be no new laws introduced until after the 2011 World Cup.