If what I saw of this mornings tri-series game is anything to go by Rugby Union as it was, no longer exists.

The war is almost over.

There are over 2million registered, english rugby union players according to the chairman of sale sharks

Oh that changes everything - if Rob Andrew is coaching a team in his own image, then England will be bristling with flair and expansive back play.

we just smashed ''the all blacks'' ''springboks'' last week

looking good

I take it that it was played in a manner more suited to RL ?

From what I saw of it, it was very quick with the ball in play approaching League levels. The scrums were less intense and the line outs were few and far between. Nearly all the penalties were run from the mark rather than hoofed upfield for the line out.

It looks like there's been some serious dabbling with the laws and the result looks like a kick in the nuts to the die hard Union traditionalists.

At least that was the impression I got.

It's similar to League in the approach to rule making. The Aussies identify areas of the game where they're not dominant then try to get them taken out of the equation.



Most of the offences at the ruck and maul under the ELVs are free kicks now rather than penalties, which is why so many would have been run rather than kicked.

What did Lawrence Dayglo do then?

He was [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/351533.stmdone up like a kipper[/url by the News of The World ten years ago

bizarre.

It is impossible to play RU properly " in a manner more suited to RL".

Read Brian Moore's article in this morning's Telegraph and he proves that the myth about kicks to touch and length of time of ball in play etc.being worse in the 6 nations than in the SH is just that, a myth.
Similarly he proves that with the ELVs the game is no different a spectacle to what it was without them.

Its been similar in Super14 even before the ELV's at the end of the day aif you're playing in nice dry conditions you're going to throw the ball around, if on the other hand you play most of your season in p@ssing down rain and mud, your going to need to protect the ball more, its one of the most basic concepts of Rugby, League or Union.