Sir Gareth Edwards: World Rugby's drive against dangerous challenges can boost the sport

Wales and British and Irish Lions legend Sir Gareth Edwards believes World Rugby's drive against dangerous tackles can make the game better.

Seven players were sent off or later banned and 26 sin-binned during the World Cup's pool stage.

That has led to fears disciplinary action could decide knock-out games.

But ex-scrum-half Edwards says if tackles become lower, "it'll release the ball much faster and I think the game will become a lot better for it".

Ireland centre Bundi Aki is out of the tournament after being banned for three weeks following his high challenge on Samoa's UJ Seuteni in their 47-5 Pool A win.

Aki will be an onlooker when Ireland take on New Zealand in their quarter-final on Saturday.

He is not alone in having fallen foul of a concerted effort to force players to aim lower and reduce the use of swinging arms at the tournament.

World Rugby introduced new rules in 2017 to "change culture in the sport to ensure that the head is a no-go area" and published a framework to help referees rule on high tackles in May.

Early in the tournament, the governing body criticised its own officials after Reece Hodge's collision with Peceli Yato during Australia's opening win over Fiji went unpunished.

And while he applauds the efforts being made against high challenges, Edwards believes the sport has much to learn from its past.

He told BBC Sport Wales: "The game has been allowed to sort of develop a situation where trying to contest the ball or keep it in play or stop people off-loading has meant the tackles have got higher and higher over the period of time.

"We all remember the time as schoolboys we used to be taught tackle around the hips, tackle around the legs and so forth.

"Now I think if the game gets back to doing that, I think it'll release the ball much faster and I think the game will become a lot better for it.

"But getting back to the problem and the point in time, what is happening at the moment is almost inevitable because of the way in which the game has developed - people wanting to smash the ball away with the forearm and, of course, it's just got higher and higher and higher."

Edwards believes the game's image will suffer if issues surrounding head injuries are not resolved.

"The danger to the game is that if you don't stop it [high tackles], then I think the consequences are too grave," he said.

Gatland brings Wales to 'boiling point'

Edwards also sees danger for Wales in their quarter-final against France in Oita on Sunday after Warren Gatland's side beat Georgia, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay to top Pool D.

"Wales will be fairly confident, there's nothing wrong with that, as long as they don't get too far ahead of themselves," said Edwards.

"It'll be a tough encounter. France have got a habit of doing particularly well in the World Cup, but having said that, we've always said at virtually every World Cup 'if you want to win it, you're going to have to beat New Zealand somewhere along the line'.

"Let's hope it's in the final. But Wales have acquitted themselves excellently.

"It's as if Warren Gatland knows exactly how to get these boys to boiling point at the right time."