If England are being more closely watched by the referees (and the fact that the Welsh were not penalized as severely as the English supports this notion) I think this is completely appropriate. The onus is then on the team to keep a good ‘reputation’ by respecting the laws. However, selectively applying the laws is in contrast to the spirit of open competition as the teams are not competing on equal footing. In one sense, it’s 16 players vs. 15 (or even 14). I guess that’s the price you pay for poor discipline, poor strategy, or not learning from your mistakes ... survival of the smartest indeed.