Debate over dodgy rules to rumble on

To forecast a happy 2010 for the sport would be a forlorn prospect with no rule changes envisaged until after the World Cup in New Zealand in the autumn of 2011.

Players, coaches, referees and fans are all unimpressed with the current product and frustration is rife over the inordinate amount of wayward kicking and the lottery that is the breakdown area.

Nevertheless, the Christmas period was full of derby encounters in both the Celtic League and English Premiership and, although several matches were extremely competitive and exciting, the lack of real quality, with injuries still an issue, was particularly significant.

Clubs and regions will be careful not to overplay their best performers in case of injury with both the European Cup back on the third and fourth weekends of this month and the Six Nations, which starts on the first weekend of February, also coming into view.

Glasgow went top of the Celtic League after their two wins in the holiday period against arch-rivals Edinburgh.

In the latter match at Murrayfield, Glasgow won 22-15 with another influential performance from fly-half Dan Parks, who has since announced his intention to join Cardiff Blues next season to increase his chances of winning trophies.

Nevertheless, Glasgow will wish to compete favourably this weekend at Leinster, who occupy third place and were prevented from moving to the top of the league by the condition of the ground at Galway for last Saturday's encounter with Connacht.

Elsewhere in Ireland, Ulster were good enough to topple Munster 15-10 at Ravenhill last Saturday, although the latter would have been content to have come away from Belfast with a losing bonus-point.

Munster were without all of their Irish international contingent and will be concentrating all their efforts on their European Cup visit to Treviso, although they will first be entertaining Llanelli Scarlets in the Celtic League next Sunday.

In Wales, the Ospreys picked up successive wins against Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues. They were completely in control against the Blues, who lost international centre Tom Shanklin to a knee injury early in the match and came away with a 26-0 win but failed to garner the four-try bonus point.

The Ospreys move to second in the Celtic League table, but will have to think of Europe before selecting this weekend's team to travel to the intimidating Ravenhill venue to meet Ulster, full of confidence after last Saturday's beating of Munster.

The English Premiership seems more congested at the top of the table after successive defeats for Saracens, who remain in pole position.

All top-five teams are in range of each other, even Wasps in fifth place who have a game in hand.

Saracens boss Brendan Venter's outburst over the refereeing by David Rose in the match with Leicester was understandable as his frustration over areas of the game such as the scrummage and breakdown areas is shared by many.

However, there are probably better places to air one's grievances and Venter may yet be brought to book by the RFU.

Meanwhile, both Wasps and Newcastle's respective directors of rugby Tony Hanks and Steve Bates have also joined the debate regarding interpretation at the breakdown.

It could be an extremely interesting new year for rugby.