ELV Poll

[BLR]

I think we should halt the argument until the next NH season when the ELV's have been put in place...before then any argument is bound to be useless...

 

[Prestwick]

Ladies ladies, we're all brother in arms here, all rugby fans, can't we all just get along?

PS. Cyrmo, I'll be your way for the Wallaby v Wales test at the end of the year so I'll show you what's what, ELV style! [/b]

Yeah, can we cut back on the handbags at dawn routine here and let things lie for a while.

Also, Smartcocky, to clarify, it was actually Mick Cleary, not Brendan Gallagher who is the DT's man against the ELVs. Gallagher has actually kept relatively silent on the issue, stepping forth to actually post a blog supporting the rule to allow the maul to be pulled down. Don't just post a load of random NH pundit names and assume that they're all to a man against the ELVs. Not big and not clever.

Also, lets make this very clear. The panel producing the ELVs may be international in nature, but they were asked by the iRB to investigate changing the rules of the game. They've duly delivered, nothing more and nothing less. Their job isn't to demand that the rules be implemented or dumped.

This job is left to the member nations of the iRB. And so far, the most obvious proponent in the "yes" camp has been Australia with England & Wales now (eventually in the case of the RFU) pushing for a "no" vote.

Neither group was going to give ground, hence the rather botched fudge we have today. Thus, it is wrong to say that the ELVs are an Australian conspiracy, but it is a fact that they are out there lobbying hard for full adoption of the ELVs.

At the same time, NH fears may well be unfounded about the ELVs but you can understand the aprehension. The most successful European season in terms of crowd numbers, money made and TV audiences (all this in a post World Cup season) so, it is rather obvious that the NH Clubs will say "what gives? Why rock the boat?"

Finally, while the final may be a showpeice and may have been a bit of a damp squib, but like the argument that one crap S14 game does not mean an awful season, one crap Final does not ruin an entire World Cup and does not erase the memories of amazing tries, superb and hardcore physicality and more.

Finally, for those listing statistics of number of kicks in the World Cup final, go check out the stats of the Argentinian games. Then, please sit down. Thank you.

We shall await the forthcoming 08/09 season with anticipation, until then, this conversation is now closed. You are all well advised to continue the debate in the first week of the new season (i.e. September).

Thank you and good day!