Stephen Jones should be delighted: this particular round of SANZAR experimentation should guarantee a northern hemisphere nation will win the 2011 Rugby World Cup. No way will NZ, SA or Aus be able to compete playing under the old interpretation of the rules after a year and a half of this new uncontested tackle area idea.

I don't often agree with Jones but he's right. I dont want to watch endless tries bacause teams cant defend. Why penalise flankers for doing their job?? If they get to their feet and attack the ball from the right side of the ruck its their ball.

The ELV's were crap and the new rule enterpretation are as well! Solution?? Rucking and rolling mauls! Rucking clears the ball of players and mauls suck in defenders and create space..... simple really.

One last thing ... anyone who can't enjoy a "divisible by 3 rugby game" is not a rugby lover. Like the Aussies ... they just don’t get it do they? What’s more concerning is that NZ have fallen into the trap or "well the game looks a bit dour". I had no idea that all those world cup nightmares would change the heart of the new Zealand rugby loving fan to the point where he would agree to rules essentially taking forwards outs the game, Goodbye "fetcher Richie" ... the game won’t be needing you anymore. Goodbye 120 kg loose head ... we need mobility now. Goodbye Josh Kronveld style players, you’re not allowed to touch it any more, even when he holds on to it. First they killed rucking (traditionally a NZ strength) now you can’t compete for the ball. How the hell did this happen? It’s not like world cups weren’t being sold out? Maybe, just maybe, we have let TV producers class the sport we love into a “product” and let them have the say.

I agree with him. Most want to see more open play but forget what happened to rugby when thr laws were last interpreted this way. Breakdowns became no contest areas and we had multiple phase plays. The most I ever saw was 28 phases, but plus of 20 was regular. There has to be provision for a contest for pocession. At the moment that provision does not exist.

Well the way you feel about franks been binned is the same way we felt about Bakkies being suspended last season. And now ontop of that the Ozzies are wetting there undewear because Matfield gave it to Elsom. But when you go look at the replay you will see that Elsom was busy strangling a player in a headlock and Matfield just made his feelings clear about such behavior. Then a sure suspension in the very next game that should of been handed to Phil Waugh just disappeared, a reporter phoned and asked and got a no comment from the judiciary. Not to mention that crazy upend job Gits (Matt) pulled on Habanna last season either. This is going to turn into a fiasco of the ref doesn't like this team so let nail them to the wall. The pace is crazy and the frustration is going to end up getting alot of top players injured so close to the RWC, then we will see the countries with no depth crying buckets. I am very worried about this situation and how it will affect the RWC.

Having been bemused by England's dire display at Twickenham on Saturday (watching J Wilkinson "run" with the ball is a sight to behold) I was struck once again by just how outmoded and oldfashioned the English game is. It is as if they are fighting the last war. Then it struck me - Mr Jones is indeed English rugby's very own General Melchett. His braying nonsense epitomises the mindset which glories in the attritional acquisition of a few feet of territory. Long may it last!

He continually wines about nz and southern hemisphere rugby. The guy has no credibility and will never change plus deep down he is jealous about southern hemisphere rugby as the aim of the game is to score tries and not divisible by 3.

He's right. Everybody was moaning last year about how bad things were. Well, they're even worse this year. All we're doing is undermining southern hemisphere rugby with these experiments.

Well if the northern hemisphere unions (and the IRB) had embraced the modified ELVs that the Super 14 was played under last year, things would have been different. In my humble opinion, they worked a treat and struck the balance between entertainment and good old-fashioned ruck-and-maul rugby. Why do we have to keep changing the rules several times every year? Can anyone tell me, right now, what the rules at the breakdown will be for next year's world cup? I'm betting not.

One could argue, and in this case I will, since when do the British have the definitive word on rugby.

Steven Jones, and his not so glorious rugby team are the most un-entertaining brand of something (I was going to call it rugby...but for the sake of this argument, that would be far to liberal)I've ever had the mispleasure to yawn to!