WordPress plugin directory got little touch up at the back end side, few days back. The search function is being polished with the introduction of Sphinx. It is said now returning better and more relevant search result. Externally, it still maintain similar looks though, but with better performance and relevancy, who would arguing it?

Btw, the search box is pulling the key phrase cache from the Firefox search bar. For greater user experience, it would be better to suggest key phrase as we type, instead.