Looking back, I think we teach more specific skills nowadays and cover more eventualities. It could be argued that some of these eventualities we used to run 'at risk'. It could also be argued that we do not need to teach all these skills before sending solo.
And suppose you don't, and someone crashes on the runway while the new pilot is on his/her first solo, and he has to land somewhere else? It's happened in the past. Shouldn't he be at least slightly equipped to cope with it? Or is a boast by the student and/or instructor that he soloed in single-digit hours so much more important?