The Current State of Rugby
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@Tim said in The Current State of Rugby:
Seventeen dead minutes: Why World Rugby had to act after Cup final
The 2011 Rugby World Cup final was by no means a classic. But comparing it to last year’s showpiece event proves that rule changes have turned rugby into a waiting game.
Can you get past paywall?
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@Machpants Try archive.ph
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@Tim said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Machpants Try archive.ph
Very true that article esp ball in play does not equal better game
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@Dodge said in The Current State of Rugby:
@antipodean said in The Current State of Rugby:
@canefan said in The Current State of Rugby:
I'll wait to see if they actually try to eliminate fake stoppages. That is one of my major gripes. If you fix the intentional slowing of the game, the bench/subs problems will probably go too, because loading the bench with forwards carries risk that they can't handle a faster game. But if they want to change that too, great
An easy way to eliminate fake stoppages is to simply not stop the game for someone who needs a breather or to tie up his boot again. Can't form a scrum because a prop has taken a knee? Take a quick tap or free kick to the other side.
I understand and don't disagree with the sentiment, however, you're ignoring how cynical rugby is these days - have a terrible scrum? Then concede a free kick by taking the knee.
I agree with speeding the game up but if scrums take too long to set then free kick once, penalty next IMO.
Just because I can ...
... a simple amendment, if we're insistent on retaining free kicks ... allow fks to go direct to touch (and award the lineout where it crosses touch @Bones ).Would save a whole heap of reset scrums:
- on D : get to clear
- in midfield: force a defensive lineout.
I see so many contrived options, but this seems so simple and easy to implement.
I mean, what is the advantage of getting a free kick nowadays?
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Devlin and his offsider making veiled reference to some external factor influencing Reece's decision to leave on their show yesterday. Any clues?
Did Devlin take his tongue out from licking the arse of the NRL for a few minutes to discuss Reece?
Fair call. One for the GOM or State of the Game thread perhaps.
This is one that annoys me, and as I said above I'd take it to the State of the Game thread, and here we are.
(In searching this topic I see @mariner4life likes to start these threads ... think we might need to combine a couple of the older ones with this one ... ).
Anyway.
I get pissed off with the disinformation about how boring rugby is.
I watch an awesome weekend of Super Rugby, and all I hear is how awful it is.
It pisses me off that rugby journalists can't find the good things to talk about.
Perhaps this is ever so slightly less prevalent this year but ...
.. the latest bullshit doing the rounds, mainly because the Warriors lost the other week to a bloke dotting in the corner because the corner flag "isn't there" is how awesomely wonderful and innovative loigue is because corner flag awesomeness and rugby followed. (Devlin being a big proponent of that misinformation - hence this rant and early reference.)
I always knew that rugby introduced the removal of the corner flag first, but never bothered to Google it.
But something came up in commentary over the weekend and it pissed me off (think it was McTainsh). Something about wingers getting ideas from the loiguies.
So I went to Google.
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Rugby changed the corner flag rule when the ELVs were introduced in 2008, after the 2006 Stellenbosch trials (sounds like some sort of war crime tribunal
)
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Australian rugby league brought it in as a mid-season knee jerk in 2010.
My point?
Let's celebrate what's good about our game. It's kind of a cultural cringe.
To my mind the only thing about the game that needs improving is the after the whistle stoppages.
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@Bones said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Crazy-Horse said in The Current State of Rugby:
Five cards and counting in the one and half games I have watched today. There has got to be a better way. Who wants to watch games like these?
I'm still watching
Yeah, yeah, yeah…
I’m still watching ….
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@booboo I've been a Warriors tragic for years, love the Warriors (have hate watched them at times), don't really care about the NRL outside of the Warriors too much though.
But the hype around them gets on my nerves, where the fuck were all the train hanger ons when the Warriors were rubbish for a decade?
Hmmm, this could easily go in the Grumpy Old Man thread too.
Most games of rugby have been really good this year, well except for the live one I went (Blues v Tahs) which was awful.
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Click on the link, copy and paste it into archive.ph
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@booboo said in The Current State of Rugby:
latest bullshit doing the rounds, mainly because the Warriors lost the other week to a bloke dotting in the corner because the corner flag "isn't there" is how awesomely wonderful and innovative loigue is because corner flag awesomeness and rugby followed
NRL has a fucking fantastic hype machine.
They've got a game that is relatively straightforward, easily consumed, and thrashwanked about endlessly.
They're smart about promoting it, and strident in the criticism they give it BUT BUT BUT that criticism is carefully apportioned to singular aspects e.g a particular interpretation of a current rulee, or a bad call here or there. The rule is changed, or a quiet word had behind closed doors, and voila! Sorted. Show goes on.
Critically: the game itself is NEVER criticised.
Rugby's problem is that every fluffybunny thinks they can do better than the status quo, so they blather on about minutiae with no real answers except "in my day" (looking at you Campo, Burkey).
Yet we are all aware that the NH good most of the sway and they generally don't see a problem, so tinker with the edges.
We actually need reform that involves one of the refereeing hierarchy taking a Law each, stripping it back to its essence, then sitting around a table for two weeks to ensure the unintended consequences are limited.
The touch law right now is fucking ludicrous for a park referee to call. Numbers at lineout? Get fucked - I called one on the weekend and felt sick doing it. Etc
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@voodoo said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Bones said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Crazy-Horse said in The Current State of Rugby:
Five cards and counting in the one and half games I have watched today. There has got to be a better way. Who wants to watch games like these?
I'm still watching
Yeah, yeah, yeah…
I’m still watching ….
Saturday morning's alright for rugby.
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@Tim said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Crazy-Horse I like the idea of more penalty tries without cards.
Though there'd probably be a need to get the TMO to check there really was a 7-pont offence committed....
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@Nepia said in The Current State of Rugby:
Most games of rugby have been really good this year, well except for the live one I went (Blues v Tahs) which was awful.
I agree. The refereeing has been much, much better post-RWC (particularly the use of the TMO) and the games have been better as a result.
I don't want to ever see the level of inconsistent reffing and constant TMO interventions we saw at RWC2023 repeated.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Nepia said in The Current State of Rugby:
Most games of rugby have been really good this year, well except for the live one I went (Blues v Tahs) which was awful.
I agree. The refereeing has been much, much better post-RWC (particularly the use of the TMO) and the games have been better as a result.
I don't want to ever see the level of inconsistent reffing and constant TMO interventions we saw at RWC2023 repeated.
Wait until the international season and end of year tours roll around
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@canefan said in The Current State of Rugby:
Wait until the international season and end of year tours roll around
Well, my opinion was shaped by the 6N's reffing - which I thought was a huge improvement.
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@Victor-Meldrew no no....he means the international season!
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Nigel Owens in agreement with South Africans as ex-referee bemoans World Rugby’s scrum proposal
Former Test referee Nigel Owens has voiced his concern that World Rugby risk "depowering" the scrum with their latest law proposals.
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@Bones said in The Current State of Rugby:
Former Test referee Nigel Owens has voiced his concern that World Rugby risk "depowering" the scrum with their latest law proposals.
What's wrong with depowering the scrum a little bit?
Two 400+kg front rows playing 40 mins each is doing what exactly to grow the game and make it a spectacle? Would a scrum not be just as good if both sides were 20kg per lighter per person and visibly knackered after 70 mins?
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The over arching point needs to be made that these changes are NOT removing the scrums as a weapon for a team. It's a legitimate part of the game the scrum, and one that teams should be looking to dominate the opposition & win penalties from. That should never be in doubt.
The rules are the same for everybody. IF you can now just focus on your front row being in a fit state to play for 80 minutes then you'll find the opposition do the same. If you select 400kg front rows, and they are shattered and unable to scrum after 40 mins, then thats fine too. However, you should expect the opposition to take on this glaring weakness in your preparation.
The elephant in the room though is how on earth do you stop gamesmanship with these rules.
That, I don't know.
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I always enjoy his articles
Luke Pearce's refereeing masterclass points the way towards rugby's future
The approach of talented English official Luke Pearce enhanced a fabulous match between Northampton and Saracens.
Was a great match
Experimental law variations - Wikipedia
