General rugby thread
Discussion
Jono Gibbes leaving Ulster at end of the season: https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-rugby/...
Leins said:
Jono Gibbes leaving Ulster at end of the season: https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-rugby/...
Funny how family reasons didn't seem to stop him signing 2yr deal. Maybe this is start of clear out at the club; need some stability in coaching staff and some decent new blood. Hopefully Logan will be next. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-43302261
Not sure how this leaves BBC Alba and BBC NI but
Assume it means they’ve lost it as well and it’s only
Premier Sports that will have it.
Not sure how this leaves BBC Alba and BBC NI but
Assume it means they’ve lost it as well and it’s only
Premier Sports that will have it.
Imagine for a moment that you wake up in the morning to find Bill Beaumont standing by your bedside with a cup of tea and a biscuit. "Good news!" he says. "As Chairman of World Rugby, I've decided to let you change any one law of rugby you like!"
What law would you change and why?
For me, I'd scrap the awarding of a knock on against a tackler who dislodges the ball in a tackle, and instead treat it like a charge down. If the attacking player can't hold onto the ball when they're being tackled, tough! I've seen a few games this season where a tackler has put in an absolute monster tackle, unintentionally made contact with the ball in the process, and had a scrum awarded against them for their efforts, which seems remarkably unfair.
What law would you change and why?
For me, I'd scrap the awarding of a knock on against a tackler who dislodges the ball in a tackle, and instead treat it like a charge down. If the attacking player can't hold onto the ball when they're being tackled, tough! I've seen a few games this season where a tackler has put in an absolute monster tackle, unintentionally made contact with the ball in the process, and had a scrum awarded against them for their efforts, which seems remarkably unfair.
The Mad Monk said:
The 'deliberate' knock on yellow card law.
Most of them are accidental and it isn't exactly the most disgusting crime in the book, is it?
I can see the point though. We've all seen tries scored where a defender has intercepted a pass on their own try line and gone the length of the field, so the incentive to take the risk of 'accidentally' knocking on the ball is huge, especially if the only sanction is a scrum reset to the attacking team.Most of them are accidental and it isn't exactly the most disgusting crime in the book, is it?
Maybe say it's only a yellow card if the offence occurs inside the defending team's 22?
Take a look at the highlights of the Quins vs Bath game on Sunday for both a perfect interception try at the beginning, and also Marcus Smith (on as a sub with fresh legs) intercepting a pass way inside the Bath 22 in the last few minutes of the game, looking odds on to run the ball in the whole length of the pitch, only to be run down and taken into touch a yard short of the line by the Bath Flanker Zach Mercer, who not only is a forward, but had also been on for the whole game.
I'd go back to the old tackle law whereby as soon as the tackle was made, the tackled player has to release the ball.
No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
DocJock said:
I'd go back to the old tackle law whereby as soon as the tackle was made, the tackled player has to release the ball.
No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
This.No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
Can remember watching 6 nations as a child when turning the tackled player was an applauded skill.
JonChalk said:
DocJock said:
I'd go back to the old tackle law whereby as soon as the tackle was made, the tackled player has to release the ball.
No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
This.No 'single movement', which as we all know, actually becomes several movements, rolling over the ball to present to your own side, passing off the ground, pushing the ball back even though handling in a ruck is forbidden, etc.
It makes taking contact a skill rather than just simple brute force. It also reintroduces the skill of turning the opponent in the tackle.
Can remember watching 6 nations as a child when turning the tackled player was an applauded skill.
Kermit power said:
I doubt we'll see that one. Didn't it go because the counter to it - clearing out with the boots - got banned for safety reasons?
But shouldn't that make it more effective as a tactic? If it's clearing out technique is less effective, then a player facing the wrong way who is banned from moving and has little "protection" would have to give the ball up quickly. Play would speed up instead of the interminable delays at rucks which have turned into pushing and shoving matches.RDM said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-43302261
Not sure how this leaves BBC Alba and BBC NI but
Assume it means they’ve lost it as well and it’s only
Premier Sports that will have it.
Lost it in NI, wife and youngest are Ulster season ticket holders, I prefer to watch it from home. Many times we've watched it seperately live then together to see what she'd missed without replays or commentary. I'm not paying £9.99 a month or taking their excellent season ticket offer of £120 a season (wtf). I don't have sky so would have to watch it via their app at probably crap quality casting to my TV.Not sure how this leaves BBC Alba and BBC NI but
Assume it means they’ve lost it as well and it’s only
Premier Sports that will have it.
I don't know if any pubs will pay another subscription to show it as the rest of the stuff they show are real minority sports.
There's a slight chance TG4 will show some of the Ulster matches, in Gaelic.
irocfan said:
like most on here I'd have quite a few...
no lifting in the lineout & use whatever arm you want to knock the ball back (inside or outside arm)
rucking allowed again (same reasons as mentioned on here previously)
In my recent, short foray back into the game, playing at scrum half for the first time since the 90s, there were a couple of things that struck me (not just their number 7 which was quite "refreshing" feeling!). no lifting in the lineout & use whatever arm you want to knock the ball back (inside or outside arm)
rucking allowed again (same reasons as mentioned on here previously)
I did have some good forwards in front of me who were dominant or had parity most of the time, and it was all controlled pretty well by the ref. But the rucks (barely any mauls - everything goes to ground quickly or the carrier got pinged) did seem relatively quite organised and dare I say it, civilised, the ball generally got presented cleanly once the initial competition for the ball at the tackle was over, with guard forwards standing either side of the ruck giving me protection and time to act. The ref generally made sure the competition was as fair as it could be, and ensured bodies and hands kept to the correct side and off the ball once it was secured.
I remember when I was playing a long time ago, I'd often have to get stuck in myself, using body, feet and hands to wrestle the ball away from all the hands and bodies lying all over the place, and arms grabbing me across the ruck or getting sucked back into maul when I was trying to get the ball away.
The second big difference is the lineouts, this time around we would get very clean, predictable ball from the lifted jumper, which again made my job a lot easier distributing to the backs.
I'd say as a beleaguered scrum half 20 years ago, this was all a pleasant surprise. I guess there's a few forwards who miss intimate dark goings on at the breakdown and in mauls, but these changes have definitely helped get the breakdown tidied up and the ball moving.
Certainly there was still plenty of "entertainment" to be had for the players who wanted it. The ref eventually carded ours and their flanker who were at each other all game, and had caused a bit of a brawl at the end of the match. Great stuff
out of curiosity - when did it become 'mandated' in England that only the #10 takes the kicks? I seem to recall that back in the day this was a duty done quite often by the 15. Dusty Hare, Tim Stimpson etc leaving the 10 there as either a back-up or extra. These days if you can't kick goals as an English 10 it seems that you may as well not bother trying to go for honours
julianm said:
Any chance of banning all of the fannying about before the start of the 6 nations matches? Clouds of dry ice & holding the hands of children ffs!
Removing an hour of pre match TV blather would help as well. I ask my wife to let me know when they have kicked off to avoid it all.
Can we also restrict nations to one anthem? (Ireland)Removing an hour of pre match TV blather would help as well. I ask my wife to let me know when they have kicked off to avoid it all.
And no dancing before kick off! (New Zealand)
EDIT
Other nations are not allowed to be nasty to England!
Edited by The Mad Monk on Sunday 11th March 08:38
irocfan said:
out of curiosity - when did it become 'mandated' in England that only the #10 takes the kicks? I seem to recall that back in the day this was a duty done quite often by the 15. Dusty Hare, Tim Stimpson etc leaving the 10 there as either a back-up or extra. These days if you can't kick goals as an English 10 it seems that you may as well not bother trying to go for honours
Well all of England's kicks currently tend to be taken by the inside centre or winger, Wales tend to use their fullback, and France their Scrum Half! 
Seriously, though, I suspect it's mostly because of the game turning pro. Back in the days beforehand, nobody has the time to train so intensively, which meant natural talent was more important. These days, they've got the time to focus, and since the 10 does most of the rest of the kicking, I guess they're the logical choice, and that them trickles down to the amateur clubs.
Possibly a better question is why it's absolutely always the Hooker who throws into the line? There's nothing in the laws to say it has to be.
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