General rugby thread

General rugby thread

Author
Discussion

julianm

1,541 posts

202 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
I`m with you CF, perhaps because I too am ancient.
I took a look at Gareth Edwards` try against the All Blacks. Perhaps the greatest ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwCbG4I0QyA ( Note the NZ neck tackles ...)
He got a faint pat on the back.
On Saturday winning a scrum led to rejoicing & hugging as if they had saved the world from disaster.
All the poncing about at the point of scoring is just cringeworthy & somewhat disrespectful to the opposition. You might be right that it`s imported from footy. Ought to be stamped out by the clubs.
PS it was a shoulder charge & the impact flung his loose arm forwards thus giving the impression of a `wrap`.

Kermit power

28,668 posts

214 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
CardinalFang said:
mr pg said:
So you'd rather we not use one of the best finishers of recent years not be used? Proven try scorer at the highest levels. Would seem a waste to me, but as a Sarries season ticket holder what would I know?
Yup - sorry an all that but a message needs to be sent, that the kind of showbiz self aggrandisement (dipping, swan dives, stupid bloody hand gestures) is for football. Ok, I'm staggeringly old but back when all this was fields, an awkward manly handshake was sufficient.

Joking aside, It makes me cringe. No problem if someone wants to thank their god - a long established tradition in the South Seas etc. Fully recognise Ashtons finishing talent, but I'd rather do without the "afters", in the same way I'd rather watch England lose with flair and Stuart Barnes than win with Rob Andrew.

CF
Agreed.

On a slightly related matter, and taking in to account all the "rugby is going soft" debate, I caught a bit of a documentary about Bobby Moore yesterday.

Whenever I see any football at the moment (most recently with my two lads watching the the World Cup) it just strikes me as intensely (and almost intenionally?) dull. It basically comes over as three blokes kicking a ball about in the middle of a field, with nobody ever trying to actually tackle or anything, as they're afraid of conceding a foul to the histrionic acting of their opponent. If football was still played like some of the footage they were showing from the Sixties and Seventies, I might well actually watch it!

Much as I don't want to see players getting long term health issues from concussion and the like, I desperately hope that rugby doesn't go the same way as football.

irocfan

40,513 posts

191 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
julianm said:
I`m with you CF, perhaps because I too am ancient.
I took a look at Gareth Edwards` try against the All Blacks. Perhaps the greatest ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwCbG4I0QyA ( Note the NZ neck tackles ...)
He got a faint pat on the back.
On Saturday winning a scrum led to rejoicing & hugging as if they had saved the world from disaster.
All the poncing about at the point of scoring is just cringeworthy & somewhat disrespectful to the opposition. You might be right that it`s imported from footy. Ought to be stamped out by the clubs.
PS it was a shoulder charge & the impact flung his loose arm forwards thus giving the impression of a `wrap`.
TBH I'd rather see the 'Ash splash than the general whooping, high fiving and assorted other shenanigans that goes on nearly every bloody scrum, maul & ruck -
Itoje especially (ok none of it would be better still but...)

CardinalFang

640 posts

169 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
irocfan said:
TBH I'd rather see the 'Ash splash than the general whooping, high fiving and assorted other shenanigans that goes on nearly every bloody scrum, maul & ruck -
Itoje especially (ok none of it would be better still but...)
Oooh, that's a tough choice...as you say though, answer c) None of the above, would get my vote.

CF

Kermit power

28,668 posts

214 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
irocfan said:
julianm said:
I`m with you CF, perhaps because I too am ancient.
I took a look at Gareth Edwards` try against the All Blacks. Perhaps the greatest ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwCbG4I0QyA ( Note the NZ neck tackles ...)
He got a faint pat on the back.
On Saturday winning a scrum led to rejoicing & hugging as if they had saved the world from disaster.
All the poncing about at the point of scoring is just cringeworthy & somewhat disrespectful to the opposition. You might be right that it`s imported from footy. Ought to be stamped out by the clubs.
PS it was a shoulder charge & the impact flung his loose arm forwards thus giving the impression of a `wrap`.
TBH I'd rather see the 'Ash splash than the general whooping, high fiving and assorted other shenanigans that goes on nearly every bloody scrum, maul & ruck -
Itoje especially (ok none of it would be better still but...)
It's a recent phenomenon as well. Take a look at England beating NZ in New Zealand in 2003 and skip to about 62 minutes in to the video. England famously hold the All Black scrum out on their own line with Back and Dallaglio in the bin, ultimately pick up a penalty of their own and clear their lines, arguably winning the match in that moment.... Not so much as a single whoop or pat on the back, they just got on with the match.

When asked in a post-match interview what was going through his mind at that point, Martin Johnson famously replied with "mostly my spine"! hehe

768

13,690 posts

97 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
I've wondered if the sport psychologists are telling them to do it. The self-flagellation that is, not Ashton's dives.

CardinalFang

640 posts

169 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
It's a recent phenomenon as well. Take a look at England beating NZ in New Zealand in 2003 and skip to about 62 minutes in to the video. England famously hold the All Black scrum out on their own line with Back and Dallaglio in the bin, ultimately pick up a penalty of their own and clear their lines, arguably winning the match in that moment.... Not so much as a single whoop or pat on the back, they just got on with the match.

When asked in a post-match interview what was going through his mind at that point, Martin Johnson famously replied with "mostly my spine"! hehe
Can't remember who the quote came from, but someone said they asked "what's the plan Jonno?" & he said "just bend down & push as hard as you can"....a man of few words

df76

3,631 posts

279 months

Monday 5th November 2018
quotequote all
Big match tonight... the whole of Coventry versus Canada.

Ian Lancs

1,127 posts

167 months

768

13,690 posts

97 months

Tuesday 6th November 2018
quotequote all
hehe

irocfan

40,513 posts

191 months

Wednesday 7th November 2018
quotequote all
nowhere else to put it so I'll chuck it here....

just watched Shoulder to Shoulder - Drico looks at the united Ireland team and explores the sectarian side of things. Very interesting

ooo000ooo

2,532 posts

195 months

Wednesday 7th November 2018
quotequote all
irocfan said:
nowhere else to put it so I'll chuck it here....

just watched Shoulder to Shoulder - Drico looks at the united Ireland team and explores the sectarian side of things. Very interesting
Apart from the bit where he was at an orange parade for no apparent reason other than to make himself feel uncomfortable even though everyone seemed happy to see him, the rest was interesting.

CardinalFang

640 posts

169 months

Thursday 8th November 2018
quotequote all
ooo000ooo said:
irocfan said:
nowhere else to put it so I'll chuck it here....

just watched Shoulder to Shoulder - Drico looks at the united Ireland team and explores the sectarian side of things. Very interesting
Apart from the bit where he was at an orange parade for no apparent reason other than to make himself feel uncomfortable even though everyone seemed happy to see him, the rest was interesting.
Agreed on both counts, although fair play to Drico for actually doing it - would've liked to have seen his social media feeds afterwards.

Ashamed to admit that I'd never twigged, why there was only 1 rugby & 2 football teams. Talking to an Irish catholic mate over the weekend about the programme, he did suggest that the rugby team would've been mostly protestant/north, given that it was predominantly a middle class pastime in amateur days, a bit like it used to be over here.

CF

Kermit power

28,668 posts

214 months

Thursday 8th November 2018
quotequote all
CardinalFang said:
Ashamed to admit that I'd never twigged, why there was only 1 rugby & 2 football teams. Talking to an Irish catholic mate over the weekend about the programme, he did suggest that the rugby team would've been mostly protestant/north, given that it was predominantly a middle class pastime in amateur days, a bit like it used to be over here.

CF
I think your friend is miles off the mark there!!!!

Firstly, the IRFU was set up in 1875, so predates the existence of the North and the Republic by near enough 50 years.

Secondly, is he really suggesting all the middle classes of Ireland are in the North? Go and take a look at some of the famous rugby-player producing private schools there - Blackrock, Clongowes, Belvedere and more. Very middle class!! hehe

If you look at the ten most capped Ireland players of all time, only Rory Best was actually born in the North. Six were born in the Republic, one in California (before moving back to the republic aged 6 months), one in Israel (Father serving there with the Irish Army), and one in Chelmsford. Of the top 5 scorers, also only one from the North.

irocfan

40,513 posts

191 months

Thursday 8th November 2018
quotequote all
Well Ash is in the starting 15....

Kermit power

28,668 posts

214 months

Thursday 8th November 2018
quotequote all
irocfan said:
Well Ash is in the starting 15....
irked

CardinalFang

640 posts

169 months

Thursday 8th November 2018
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
I think your friend is miles off the mark there!!!!

Firstly, the IRFU was set up in 1875, so predates the existence of the North and the Republic by near enough 50 years.

Secondly, is he really suggesting all the middle classes of Ireland are in the North? Go and take a look at some of the famous rugby-player producing private schools there - Blackrock, Clongowes, Belvedere and more. Very middle class!! hehe

If you look at the ten most capped Ireland players of all time, only Rory Best was actually born in the North. Six were born in the Republic, one in California (before moving back to the republic aged 6 months), one in Israel (Father serving there with the Irish Army), and one in Chelmsford. Of the top 5 scorers, also only one from the North.
Aha - that's me told! He's generally more informed than I am on Irish issues, so I assumed he knew best. TBH - 1) he's born here, of Irish parents & 2) supports Charlton Athletic, so I should've known better! biglaugh

ellroy

7,035 posts

226 months

Saturday 10th November 2018
quotequote all
Rugby in Ireland is historically centred around Munster and Dublin. The former came out of the English military bases around the cities, principally Limerick, but Cork as well, down there and working class to its very bones. The middle classes certinaly held sway in Dublin, university/college type teams etc, the same as is/was the case in Ulster.

Anyway back to the Internationals. Apart from Ireland I think there’s going to be a strong showing from the Southern Hemisphere lot today. Anyone else thing otherwise? I’d love to see England give the ABs a decent game, but just suspect they want to put down a marker.

768

13,690 posts

97 months

Saturday 10th November 2018
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
irocfan said:
Well Ash is in the starting 15....
irked
I heard someone recently say you'd want him in the starting 15 rather than on the bench because he's the type of player who could never change a game for you.

I don't think it was meant as such a damning comment. hehe

iwantagta

1,323 posts

146 months

Saturday 10th November 2018
quotequote all
Excited to see how close we can take the AB's today.
I watched the 2003 victory this morning - rugby has changed! You can see why the rucking laws changed.
It was never legal to stamp on the head but when you can clear bodies with your boots these things happen...