JONNY WILKINSON'S kicking display against the Wallabies may have had Clive Woodward, Prince Harry and 30,000 other England fans in the Telstra Stadium jumping for joy - but it immediately prompted calls for a change in the laws of the game.
The England fly-half landed five penalties and three drop-goals, scoring all England's points in their 24-7 World Cup semi-final victory over France.
Chants of 'Boring' rose from the neutral sections of the crowd. But the torrential rain demanded a tight, kicking game - and England adapted far better than the French, a fact admitted by their coach Bernard Laporte.
But former All Blacks winger Grant Batty is one of a number of personalities who have advocated a change in the points allocation in an attempt to stop teams relying on drop-goals and penalties to win games.
"We don't want rugby games dominated by kicking - that's why William Webb Ellis picked the ball up in the first place, to run with the jolly thing," he said.
"One starts to ponder whether or not penalties should be as they are in league, and drop goals as they are in league - where it's only one point."
It is a tactic England - living by the mantra that winning, not style, is what matters - use to great effect, but one that still frustrates many.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, however, recognises the acute skill required to master the art of drop-kicking and would not advocate a reduction in its value.
"I think rather than reduce the number of points for field goals, increasing the number of points for tries might be the way to go," he said.
