It is and it feels to have increased more in recent years, not sure if @unchanged_lineup agrees with that statement? What I find is that playing territorial rugby and trying to force pens from the opposition becomes preferable to playing running rugby. Which is a shite state for the game to be in and why I’d like the laws around the breakdown to be changed
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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I feel jackaling is extremely inconsistent. At times, the player on the ground gets no time at all, at others, it's a contest for ages and the ref never calls anything.
It looked in the 6N like they were trying to address it a little by pointing out you need to actually try to lift the ball, not just be in a position over it. But now we're seeing a flood of penalties for not rolling away where the players are either held in or have absolutely nowhere to roll to. It means we're talking about refs every match, not even taking into account situations where they seem to make their own version of rules. Tonight, the ref gave Casey a warning about dummying at a ruck. There's absolutely no grey area there, it's just a free kick straight away, and John Cooney got pinged for it first time earlier in the season.
Just watching it on tg4, but seriously when did the mullet make a comeback, it’s one thing for a prop to have a mullet, you have to be a little nuts to want to dive head first into a Land Rover, but the pretty boy positions at half back is unheard of.
Healy's is a monstrosity, to be fair. The worst by a fair margin.
Yeah, when the IRB sort out the breakdown laws they could do something about that as well
Looks like something you’d see in Deep South American trailer park
Yeah the not rolling away at the moment is a pisstake. I get it if the guys deliberately slowing quick ball down, but if the balls slow and the tackler can’t get out....don’t give a bloody pen for it.
This is sounding like a horror injury. It was a croc roll, wasn't it? Potentially a year to recover according to this article.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56304427
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56304427
Yeah he’s vlogging his rehab on Instagram, I watched the first one yesterday. Mental when you think how much focus the game has on safety that this manoeuvre is allowed. So much can go wrong with backs and knees when you twist the body laterally
Watching Bath Vs Exeter and it is so much fun . Loads of running and the pace is incredible
Its about 15 minutes from my front door! Didn’t expect the game to be this close, but Chiefs will start dominating from here.
Oh well, looks like Leinster are going to run away to another Pro 14 title. I didn't see the match but they smashed Ulster tonight.
Reading the recaps this morning of that match, it seems Frank Murphy is the talk of the town again.
Very good game even if it blew out in the 2nd half. It was also proof to Rugby Australia that you can have quality games without altering rugby's laws.
I think we're a little too quick to criticise the rules and referees, and a little slow to criticise players for not adapting to the laws sometimes.
The clamp down on not rolling away is there because a few years ago, players had perfected tackling in such a way that they finished lying down between the attacker and his support. It was designed to slow the game down and was leading to dour, disjointed rugby to watch. The attacker will always be looking to get his body and the ball back towards his support after a tackle, so 99 times out of a hundred, if the tackler ends up 'trapped" and in his way, it's because he wanted to be there.
It's the same with the high tackle and contact with the head laws. I'm reading everywhere how the game is dead with all these red cards but at the same time, there are lads taking the game to the courts over brain damage and concussions - the law makers have been so clear about contact to the head but you still see high tackles every week. Players aren't adapting, maybe because they feel the cons of being penalised aren't as bad as the cons of allowing an offload or maybe because they're not being coached to but they're not listening.
I agree with you on consistency, and the Casey dummy was a nailed on freekick, but rugby is also more and more complicated for referees to adjudicate every year. There will be loads of little things like that in each game and as fans, we only ever remember the ones that go against our team so we scream inconsistency.
I don't disagree with any of that, but it's that consistency that's the problem more and more this season it seems. That goes for TMOs too. Carty getting clotheslined the last night, a Benneton player doing a diving elbow onto a player's head a few weeks ago. Surely impossible to miss with slow motion, yet they are.
I dislike Chris Cloete more than any Munster player ever. Even aside from the fact he's a filthy, nasty, brainddead idiot of a man, he's also a journeyman South African who costs us more points than he gains us and is taking minutes that would be much better spent on talented young Irish players in his position. I think he's our worst ever import.
It's a really odd one alright, although I do sometimes see him getting praise on twitter. Seems really indisciplined though.
Barely any changes to the Irish squad for Scotland. No surprise there.
Toulouse was probably the worst draw we could get
Toulouse was probably the worst draw we could get
Yeah, that's a tough one alright. At least yer general form looks good at the moment.
(Ignoring the Connacht match
)Yeah Toulouse with their international players back are the best club side in the NH in my opinion. Definitely the most watchable. That being said, they’re french, so anything could happenToulouse was probably the worst draw we could get
If any of you are interested...:
The story of two Robs, Penney and Kearney mighe be of interest to Irish folk. Rob Penney is under a bit of pressure at the Tahs while Rob Kearney will be in action for the Western Force who had a great win last week over the Waratahs. The Rebels have kicked 15 penalties in their two games so far without scoring a try while the Reds and Brumbies who face off on Saturday have been the two standout teams and have 100% records so far.
The story of two Robs, Penney and Kearney mighe be of interest to Irish folk. Rob Penney is under a bit of pressure at the Tahs while Rob Kearney will be in action for the Western Force who had a great win last week over the Waratahs. The Rebels have kicked 15 penalties in their two games so far without scoring a try while the Reds and Brumbies who face off on Saturday have been the two standout teams and have 100% records so far.
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Looks like Wooton stays at Connacht. 21 contract renewals announced today, great news for a stable future.
In a move reminiscent of Gatland's selection against the Scots in 2000, Farrell has responded to pressure by making a daring choice to go with youth and...
No, no he hasn't. Sexton, Healy and Earls back in, Casey bumped off the bench for Murray, and JGP given yet another chance to suck.
No, no he hasn't. Sexton, Healy and Earls back in, Casey bumped off the bench for Murray, and JGP given yet another chance to suck.
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... which reminded me about this great article on the week leading up to that match in 2000. All bets were off, as Galwey put it, and Gatland ended up making eight changes.
https://www.the42.ie/waren-gatland-ireland-1987848-Mar2015/
https://www.the42.ie/waren-gatland-ireland-1987848-Mar2015/
Bears Vs Wasps tonight. Bears are an absolutely thrilling team to watch
We also have a good record against them 4 and 2, nearly 20 years since we lost to them, the hope is it rains like only it could in Ireland, joey fully fit and we have a shot. Oh and Murray picking up an injury would help as wellYeah, that's a tough one alright. At least yer general form looks good at the moment.
(Ignoring the Connacht match
Looks like JJ’s time is up with us as well, which should see Healy, Crowley and flannery getting game time when joey is with Ireland, because Ireland can’t persist with burns and the pensioner can they.
The obvious is ridiculous where is Casey the bright spark of the half backs, the other worrying thing is starting probably our best lock as a flanker, it’s one thing to do it against Italy but this is Scotland.
Farrell would tell you, "I can and I will".
Didn't see this match last night, but heard that Carbery went well. Good news for Ireland...
... If Farrell's team selections weren't Leinster + token stragglers.
... If Farrell's team selections weren't Leinster + token stragglers.
anyone register for the worldcup tickets?
The presale is on 15th March.
Hoping to snag a couple for SA and Scotland - both in Paris
The presale is on 15th March.
Hoping to snag a couple for SA and Scotland - both in Paris
@Xaviesta @unchanged_lineup
who do you guys rate as the best rugby club side in the world? I don’t follow the northern hemisphere club rugby as much as I do super rugby, being from SA and all. I’m also not sure if they used to/or still have the European champions vs the super rugby champions play off? Would be cool to introduce a tournament like that (similar to the club World Cup in footy).
who do you guys rate as the best rugby club side in the world? I don’t follow the northern hemisphere club rugby as much as I do super rugby, being from SA and all. I’m also not sure if they used to/or still have the European champions vs the super rugby champions play off? Would be cool to introduce a tournament like that (similar to the club World Cup in footy).
I haven't watched teams besides my own play much this year, but Leinster still seem a conveyor belt of great talent. I don't think they're the top side anymore though. I'd have a feeling there are better English and French sides right now, maybe someone else could confirm that.
Current best in the NH is Toulouse imho. Wouldn’t like to say on SH as I don’t watch enough of it
The Crusaders are defintely the best team in the Southern Hemisphere. They're a bit cynical for my liking but their brilliance can't be denied. There's no clear weakness in their game. Only the Auckland Blues are good enough to either give them a run for their or beat them.
This is the first European season where I've been able to watch the Champions Cup since the 2017-18 season so it's very hard for me to comment with authority on likes of Leinster or Tolouse. I do watch the Gallagher Premiership and Exeter and Bristol are two impressive teams. Bristol are a delight to watch in full flight
I don't recall there ever being a playoff between the super rugby champions and the European champions. I know the bloke who owns Toulon was keen on it happening a number of years ago.
Thanks guys. I think we're all in the same boat. Would be great if such a short tournament could happen. But with the calendar as packed as it is, who knows. I know two of our (worse) super rugby franchises - Southern Kings and the Cats (i think), were invited over to join a northern hemisphere tournament a while back. From recollection, they were the whipping boys.
They joined the Pro 14 (as it became with them added). Southern Kings didn't make any impact at all really, but Cheetahs were competitive at times. They even made a QF one year.
I think one of the main issues here was that it felt like they didn't fully commit to it. The NH teams would travel south and play in empty stadiums pretty much every time.
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