it has, the super 14 stuff is good and internationals can be, there was one hideous passage of play in the england game, where it was collapsed scrum, wheeled scrum, slipped binding or whatever for a good few minutes, that is what irritates the hell out of me, ridiculously complicated restarts which more often than not don't restart but lead to another breakdown, these are not a spectacle.

I also don't understand some of the restarts - at one point the ball went out of play and a NZ player simply passed it back to a player in the field of play and the game continued. Then later in the game the ball went out of play again which instigated a line-out.

Confused???

if the ball goes out and doesn't hit another object (stand, fan, advertising board, fence) then you can do a quick restart.

One other thing I heard today, was that Shontayne Hape has been MOM for england for the last 2 weeks. Now when he left Bradford I thought his best was behind him. Has he refound his best form, or are the current standards of Englands backs that bad

A quick line out can take place only if the ball has not touched a person or an object outside the field of play and as long as a line out has not already formed (two or more players from either/both sides), it must be taken on or behind (closer to your own line) where the ball went into touch and is a quick way of restarting the game when no tactical advantage exists for the throwing team, ie you're defending a long down field kick close to your own line, its better to take the quick line out and hoof it back up field rather than wait for a full lineout and run the risk of losing possession at it.

The "non contact" rule is important too, if an attacking player is tackled into touch you'll often see him throw the ball into the crowd or at an advertising hoarding, this forces the defence to form a full line out with the opportunity for the attack to gain possession again.

I think I got that right, let me read it again.

Right… I get it… I think!

But doesn’t this rule depend on the amount of area available round the actual pitch. For example at Headingley there’s about 3" between the pitch and the advertising boards while at the Stoop there’s about 25'?

Yup, lots of dead ball at Headingley to go with the dead heads on the pitch.

He's looked good, as has Ashton, Foden is an exciting player too..

Hape is something of a departure for england for whom centres have typically been big lumps with no hands, the fact Tindall still gets a look in is shocking. They have actually scored some attractive tries over the last couple of weeks.

And you can (or certainly) could throw the ball to yourself.

Scotland S Africa had plenty of dull moments too.

England's game would have been better had the Irish Ref sorted out the scrums earlier by sending one of the Samoan front rowers to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

The game has been speeded up to allow it compete with the NRL in the southern hemisphere.
As I've posted before I think Sky's aim eventually is a unified game to compete internationally for tv audiences with soccer.

The only proviso is that its got to travel in a straight line (90 degrees to the touchline) and five metres into the field of play.

As long as the ball travels 5m infield.

Why do you have to do that but can throw it in backwards to a team mate provided it travels 5m into the field of play?

The ball always has to travel 5m into play whether that be at a set lineout or a quick lineout. The difference is that a set lineout has to be taken from the exact point the ball went into touch and must be thrown straight. A quick lineout can be taken from any point on or behind where the ball went into touch. Also a quick lineout can be passed in the usual manner (flat or backwards) but not forward.

Translation:Borefest.