Agree with Nick...
Okay so I wasn't at Toulouse but...
I think that moving the deadzones to back of the field was a good thing. Personally I believe that a lot of the problems of "eliminated players syndrom - EPS for short
" stems from the fact that the deadzones where close to where most of the final action during a game occurs (the 30-50 yard line). It is easier to intefere when you are right beside the refs.
Now on the item of blocking their view...
I think this is wrong, for various reasons.
1) It makes the game boring for anyone in the deadzone. Part of the fun playing is watching when you screw-up and seeing how the rest of your teammates pull the game out.
2) It could have an adverse effect on team development. As the old saying goes - If it ain't broke don't fix it - BUT IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S BROKE?? Do we expect any coaches/trainers ever to develop their team based on video only or second hand descriptions of what happened - NO - so why should we??
The obvious solution to all of this is quite simple. Leave the deadzones at the back and ENFORCE THE DAMN RULES!!
It's quite simple inform the teams at the start of any tournament that any player who approaches a ref in a confrontational way after they are eliminated - during or after the game - will be penalized. Ensure that the captians are the only ones who discuss anything with refs. And penalize anyone who leaves the deadzone - makes any noise - or in any way interferes with game - with automatic single game suspensions.
Again I say part of the problem is that there are a lot of rules that are only given lip service, and if there was a proper job done on enforcing them I'm sure there would be a huge change.
just my 0.02
goose