Despite pressure from all over the globe, including within their own country, the English rugby union went unpunished yesterday for the way they have allowed their clubs to behave.
Fran Cotton, the RFU's recently resigned management board vice-chairman, had called for the International Board to ''isolate England'' when they met in Dublin yesterday. That followed a week of protests which included Scotland's director of rugby, Jim Telfer, accusing the English club owners of attempting to ''squeeze the life out of the international game.''
Australian Rugby Board chief Dick McGruther went further, drawing comparison between what he claimed was a sell-out of the Southern Hemisphere by England, with Anzac Day, when thousands of Antipodean soldiers were sacrificed by English generals in Gallipoli.
All of that emotive language counted for little yesterday, however, McGruther admitting follwing the IB meeting: ''Penalties against England were not even discussed.''
Talk of England being thrown out of the world game, ahead of the meeting, were overblown and English officials emerged triumphant. ''We had a full and frank meeting,'' said RFU President Peter Brook. ''There was no mention of expelling us.''
The Southern Hemisphere nations remain unhappy about the fact that so few of England's leading players will be making the trip. ''We have evidence that some English players were eligible for their clubs and still could not make the tour to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa,'' said McGruther.
IRB chairman Vernon Pugh said that the board accepted that the peace deal between the RFU and clubs was in conformity with IRB regulations. ''Some aspects raised concerns that need to be addressed,'' said Pugh. ''But the issues are capable of resolution and both sides are working to the same objective.''
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