Quote: Redscat "When I first played rugby at secondary school back in the early sixties we were always taught to tackle round the legs and by and large that was the ethos in the senior game. Above waist tackles were a bit of a rarity. Over the years tackles got higher and higher until round the neck and upper body tackles appear to be the norm. It was much more exciting to see a player perform a flying leg tackle than to watch three or more defenders reaching out to grab the opposite player's collar or hug their shoulder. Perhaps coaches should emphasise the leg tackle once again.'"
Leg tackles generally mean you are conceding contact and are promoting a quick play the ball for the opposition. They also increase the chances of an offload.
The game would have to change massively as a sport for the leg tackle to be the norm.