At present, the opposition get the throw-in if a team kicks the ball out

World Rugby is to consider a package of new law proposals to be trialled after this autumn’s World Cup, including a radical idea borrowed from rugby league that would allow an attacking team to kick the ball out and get the throw-in at the lineout.

The new law would be an adaptation of rugby league’s “40-20” kick. The union version would be a “50-22”, whereby the attacking team would be rewarded with the lineout throw if the ball was kicked from within their own half and bounced into touch inside their opponent’s 22-metre line. At present, the opposition get the lineout throw-in if a team kicks the ball out.

The theory behind the change is that the defending team would have to drop players into