[Devongone]

One of the many troubles with Rugby Union is that it has become dominated by offences which are mostly not obvious to spectators and appear to surprise even the players, who are trained to accept any refereeing decision.

One wrong decision will now rightly be highlighted by the Scots, but the whole course of the game and its ebb and flow is constantly being interrupted by refereeing. Both offences spotted and punished, and offences missed, change the course of every game ...... and they proliferate because the potential to offend both accidentally and deliberately is huge.

Lifted line-outs are silly. Scrums with constantly crooked put-ins are ridiculous. Hookers have become pointless - you may as well select a big centre in the middle of the front row, he'll never actually have to hook. Constant substitutions mean that giant players can replace other giant players ...... so proper athletes with the ability to spin the ball and the stamina for the full game gain no advantage as beef bruises beef, is replaced by beef, whilst beef shelters under an ice pack till next week.

And worst of all tiny technical offences, often accidental, lead to penalties which offer a relatively easy three points to the opposition. Imagine football if an accidental trip on the halfway line were punished by a free kick at an open goal .......