Favourite ( or worst ) Rugby cliches

MN5

I'm sure being a Rugby commentator is a tougher gig than many of us on here would imagine. Thank goodness there's always a few tried and tested clichÃs to fall back on when there's a lull in the action, it's not like cricket, you can't drone on about a seagull on the outfield, a hot chick in the crowd, an ocean liner going past or try and flog some shitty memorabilia that's signed by a bunch of old coots......
 
So which are the worst/best ?
 
As mentioned on another thread a few weeks back Nisbos "that tackle had to be made" is a beauty. Because when exactly does a tackle NOT have to be made or at least attempted ?
 
When scoring, some guys are described as "knowing their way to the tryline"....I'd say all players do, even front rowers, it's just that the way is more than often blocked by defenders.
 
When someone kicks for touch it is with the "educated right boot".......did the left boot wag lots and drop out in fifth form ? I've never gotten that one.
 
 
Any glaring omissions ?

antipodean

Pointing out this particular game consisted of two halves.

Hooroo

Not a cliche but a footy saying I dislike is "Pill"
 
It's a ball

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="562238" data-time="1457048922">
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Not a cliche but a footy saying I dislike is "Pill"
 
It's a ball
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</blockquote>
 
I agree, Mind you scoring "Meat pies" and going to the bloodbin for a bit of "claret" is something I can tolerate strangely enough.

Hooroo

Meat Pies is a 'No' from me.
 
Claret is Claret and been used for years so I can handle

gt12

I thought educated ____ boot was meant to be used when someone kicked with their non-natural foot (I.e., Carter kicking with his right)

MajorRage

"He is human" - when an 85% goal kicker misses a kick at goal.
 
"Nothing was going to stop him from 5 metres out" - every player in the world can be stopped from 5 metres out against good defence.
 
The whole all white centres are intelligent, all islanders centres are just battering rams things that's going around. It's bullshit, it's not all cliche, sometimes it's based on fact. I don't think Nonu/Smith was referred to as that for about 5 years ... but let's face it, for the first 5/6 years of their partnership Smith was the smaller white lawyer, and Nonu was the massive strong battering ram!
 
I really hate it when facts are confused as some sort of racial bias.

Tim

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="562238" data-time="1457048922">
<div>
Not a cliche but a footy saying I dislike is "Pill"
 
It's a ball
</div>
</blockquote>
 
A you more a "nut" man, Hooroo?

KiwiPie

"He's better than that"
"Second man play" (Laban)
"125kg of prime Argentinian beef"
"Typical French flair"
"He's not that type of player"

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="562248" data-time="1457051873">
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A you more a "nut" man, Hooroo?
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</blockquote>
Oooh Yes! I hate that too.

Gunner

'_____ loves to run with the ball in hand'
 
Well duh, that's what the game is all about.

mikedogz

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="562249" data-time="1457051970">
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"He's better than that"
"Second man play" (Laban)
"125kg of prime Argentinian beef"
"Typical French flair"
"He's not that type of player"
</div>
</blockquote>
 
"Right/Left Foot Step"

rotated

Forwards are meatheads / backs are blouses. It's tired in general conversation, downright annoying on TV broadcast - looking at you Fox Sports.

Rancid Schnitzel

"Loves scoring tries"
 
As opposed to indifference about scoring tries?

KiwiMurph

Grant "snapped up by" Nisbett

No Quarter

"Thatâ€s a huge Gary Owen"
 
â€œHe digs like a demented mole"
 
"Mercy me that could have put him in ward four"

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="562268" data-time="1457057440">
<div>
 
"Mercy me that could have put him in ward four"
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</blockquote>
 
Hope not No Quarter, that's the maternity ward.

Gunner

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="562268" data-time="1457057440">
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"Thatâ€s a huge Gary Owen"
 
â€œHe digs like a demented mole"
 
"Mercy me that could have put him in ward four"
</div>
</blockquote>
You've been playing Jonah Lomu Rugby on the playstation today haven't you?

dogmeat

I forget the correct expression for it, but these sorts of fillers while yr brain thinks what its going to say next are thousands of years old and go right back to the oral poets. In Homer the greek galleys are always pulled up on the beach under the starry sky - even though its quite obvious that for that passage it is daytime. Having said that sports casting does attract a lot of clichÃs and catch phrases. The rise of the "FINAL STANZA" in the last 20 years irritates me. What about - they've come to play - doh Keith Quinn contriving to somehow get the stats he'd learned into the commentary irrespective of its value was always 50/50 hilarious/annoying.

broughie

I don't think we have ticked all the boxes.

taniwharugby

Being out-passioned or Just wanted it more

Mokey

One of my pet hates 'oooh, both teams have turned up to play rugby'
 
As opposed to what exactly?
 
Or the use of the word 'big' before someone's name, as if a viewer might somehow miss that forwards are tall and wide units.

Gunner

Someone could/should write a book full of Sumo's brilliant commentary quotes. He has a brilliant way with words.

Siam

"Unbelievable" - umm apparently not, because we all saw it just happen

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mokey" data-cid="562282" data-time="1457063851">
<div>
One of my pet hates 'oooh, both teams have turned up to play rugby'
 
As opposed to what exactly?
 
Or the use of the word 'big' before someone's name, as if a viewer might somehow miss that forwards are tall and wide units.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
This one i don't mind so much. It's a clumsy way of saying it, but pro teams aren't always there mentally every game of a season, sometimes they are just off, and you can see it in their play. 
 
Like TR, i hate the "wanted it more" bullshit. Pro rugby has almost zero correlation to emotion, it's about structure, skill, and effort. Say it like it is, one team isn't as good skill wise, or their effort isn't there.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="562280" data-time="1457063727">
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Being out-passioned or Just wanted it more
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</blockquote>
 
That's a fucken shocker no doubt, but Phil Gould manages to make it worse in a league sense when he says one team "out origins" the other. ( shakes uncontrolably )

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="562288" data-time="1457064600">
<div>
This one i don't mind so much. It's a clumsy way of saying it, but pro teams aren't always there mentally every game of a season, sometimes they are just off, and you can see it in their play. 
 
Like TR, i hate the "wanted it more" bullshit. Pro rugby has almost zero correlation to emotion, it's about structure, skill, and effort. Say it like it is, one team isn't as good skill wise, or their effort isn't there. 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Mariner, hate to be "that guy" (percy pedantic), but haven't you just contradicted yourself ;)

mariner4life

yea, a little i guess. It's less commentators maybe, and more the great unwashed who like to say teams don't play with enough passion when they are losing. 
 
Maybe I'm not explaining it well. When i played i had days when, for what ever reason, i couldn't get in to the game. I wanted to, but mentally i wasn't in the right place. It wasn't my "passion", it's not that i "didn't want it" i just "hadn't turned up to play".

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="562294" data-time="1457065946">
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yea, a little i guess. It's less commentators maybe, and more the great unwashed who like to say teams don't play with enough passion when they are losing. 
 
Maybe I'm not explaining it well. When i played i had days when, for what ever reason, i couldn't get in to the game. I wanted to, but mentally i wasn't in the right place. It wasn't my "passion", it's not that i "didn't want it" i just "hadn't turned up to play". 
</div>
</blockquote>
maybe you just 'shouldnt' have turned up?
 
I gave 100% every single time, some days things went well, others they didnt, but by god I hated losing...
 
THats another cliche you used there, they just didnt turn up...um, ok

jegga

They are 10 out from the 22, thank you captain obvious.

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="562297" data-time="1457066154">
<div>
maybe you just 'shouldnt' have turned up?
 
I gave 100% every single time, some days things went well, others they didnt, but by god I hated losing...
 
THats another cliche you used there, they just didnt turn up...um, ok
</div>
</blockquote>
that was deliberate, i was trying to make a point.
 
I honestly find it hard to believe you were at 100% every game. 
 
I knew i was off sometimes, i could feel the game passing by. Sometimes i didn't realise until i reviewed afterwards. 
 
In my last year i knew it, i often went through the motions in games i new we would win. I was still effective, but my effort wasn't at my usual output, because it didn't need to be. Not something I'm proud of, but that was the reality of the situation. It was a big part of the reason i retired. That, and i had started to dislike training.
 
Anyway, i've digressed this thread enough. Summary: while clumsy, i think some of those cliches about "turning up" have some basis in reality. While at the same time i think any link to passion is mistaken

Siam

It's a bit tough, because you could argue that pretty much all comments are what we can see on tv.
 
Do any broadcasters have a mute commentators button where you can still hear the crowd, whistle, refs etc?
 
That would be utopian viewing

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="562303" data-time="1457066978">
<div>
that was deliberate, i was trying to make a point.
 
I honestly find it hard to believe you were at 100% every game. 
 
I knew i was off sometimes, i could feel the game passing by. Sometimes i didn't realise until i reviewed afterwards. 
 
In my last year i knew it, i often went through the motions in games i new we would win. I was still effective, but my effort wasn't at my usual output, because it didn't need to be. Not something I'm proud of, but that was the reality of the situation. It was a big part of the reason i retired. That, and i had started to dislike training.
 
Anyway, i've digressed this thread enough. Summary: while clumsy, i think some of those cliches about "turning up" have some basis in reality. While at the same time i think any link to passion is mistaken
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I said I gave it 100% every game, not I was AT 100% every game, big difference IMO.
 
While we are on percentages, he gives 110% every game.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="562305" data-time="1457067103">
<div>
It's a bit tough, because you could argue that pretty much all comments are what we can see on tv.
 
Do any broadcasters have a mute commentators button where you can still hear the crowd, whistle, refs etc?
 
That would be utopian viewing
</div>
</blockquote>
 
No it wouldn't really you'd probably hear bits of delilah , hey baby and hooked on a feeling etc every time theres a stoppage in play. I've never been to a concert and had to put up with snippets of rugby commentary between songs, why can't they save this shit for the sevens?
 
Can we add rugby league in here? "Thats an origin try", a try scored in an origin game is an origin try? Well I never Phil Gould.

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="562309" data-time="1457067567">
<div>
No it wouldn't really you'd probably hear bits of delilah , hey baby and hooked on a feeling etc every time theres a stoppage in play. I've never been to a concert and had to put up with snippets of rugby commentary between songs, why can't they save this shit for the sevens?
 
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
What, like you do now?

kiwiinmelb

Why do players call referees sir ? 
 
I could never bring myself to suck up that much .

mariner4life

what did you call them?

Siam

Throw ba
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="562312" data-time="1457067931">
<div>
Why do players call referees sir ? 
 
I could never bring myself to suck up that much . 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Throw back to the old private school days
 
For years you could argue that rugby was only really played or accessible by all classes in NZ and Wales. Everywhere else it wasn't seen as a working class sport

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="562314" data-time="1457068192">
<div>
what did you call them?
</div>
</blockquote>
 
"ref" always sufficed in NZ
 
In Aus, I too was dismayed to hear "sir he's off side" back in the 80s though

dogmeat

aaawww ref...

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Favourite ( or worst ) Rugby cliches