Cheers. My particular bugbears are linked in that scrum, penalty, kick, lineout, drive over from maul.....As a prop, I preferred ball in hand and whilst all of those bits were within my remit, I'd prefer a game based on space and pace with - as you note - the scrum being about possession.
The worst at the weekend was in the Quins game when the ref gave a scrum, for being in the way of a pass. The scrum ended up being a penalty....where in open play, Quins were in possession, making decisions around half way. And were, unless they did something special, defendable. The ref had the chance to call "use it" and went for a penalty instead.
Now, I cheated as much as any prop did.....and I wasn't the most ethical of players, shall we say, but I only looked to get a penalty/penalty try from a 5m scrum and a push over. But the moment a 5m scrum stopped, we had to use the ball....And in "bending" the Laws, I was looking for one against the head...that's what got the plaudits for the front row, not a controversial penalty.