Interesting blog post from the big man about life-time bans for eye-gouging:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/johnbeattie/2009/12/the_insanity_of_eye_gouging.html
Some of the comments following his article are enlightening (not to mention some of the stories recounted frightening). It is interesting too how some people (PDV, that loon from Stade) still seem intent on downplaying it or sidelining gouging as an issue – a [...]

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News was announced today that a conference of Union members, refereeing bodies and playing associations has recommended several of Rugby’s Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) to  the IRB to be passed into law. For the most part it seems they have kept the fairly innocuous ones – although the 5 metre offside line has come in [...]

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… into the sunset.
Or maybe just to Japan. When will we see his like again? Wayne Barnes will now take over the Grand Slam decider on Saturday.

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After the widely derided World Cup ‘B’ Team played against New Zealand on their last visit to Murrayfield, it will be interesting to test our full XV against the might All Blacks. Your fearless Scottish Rugby Blog correspondent will be in attendance. But can we (unlike Scubbsy) man up, and get a result?
Yes We Can:

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Starting in August, the ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) for Rugby Union will be given a global trial. Some of them we have seen already in the Super 14, and most of the more controversial ones were slapped down. A total of 13 of the proposed 23 are to be trialled, which will more than likely [...]

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