Chris Ashton

[mangaman]

for Ashtons dives..well its a bit of show and to be honest I font think he's going to drop the ball..me I hate the music played when tries are scored more..if I wanted to watch ice hockey id go see Belfast giants

Sorry to bang on about this (and annoy Darkstar even more!)

Union, since turning pro. has tried to copy League - hence the increasingly exagerated try celebrations / music after tries etc. When I was a lad, a bloke would score a try and barely acknowledge it - just trot back to their position.

I preferred RU 20 years ago, when it was a blokey game with a mix of people. (eg fat, slow people in the front row)

Now - like league - the centres / wings are as big and powerful as 2nd rows of 20 years ago and all players are super-honed athletes (Entirely legally I'm sure )

 

[yello]

the centres / wings are as big and powerful as 2nd rows of 20 years ago and all players are super-honed athletes (Entirely legally I'm sure )

And, conversely, the 2nd rowers are every bit as quick as the centres and wingers are!

I was looking at one of the Welsh lads when he was subbed off yesterday... 'reckon he works out' I said to the misses. Built like the proverbial. Thank god there are still are few props around with beer bellies to be proud of!

 

[mangaman]

And, conversely, the 2nd rowers are every bit as quick as the centres and wingers are!

I was looking at one of the Welsh lads when he was subbed off yesterday... 'reckon he works out' I said to the misses. Built like the proverbial. Thank god there are still are few props around with beer bellies to be proud of!

Exactly.

In a few years Union will have turned into League - with non-contested scrums, and all the players looking the same.

ie "steroided-up" meatheads

In amateur rugby there'll still be a place as a front rower for a fat, slow, beer-bellied guy though

 

[martint235]

In amateur rugby there'll still be a place as a front rower for a fat, slow, beer-bellied guy though

I'm not so sure about that. One of the reasons I stopped playing around 15 years ago was that as a lock I was suddenly being asked to do a bit more than lumber between scrum and lineout. I was quite quick for a second row but the level of fitness I was asked to maintain took the joy out of the game, it was taking most of the week to work off the post match beer session. And this was in the London 2 leagues.

 

[darkstar]

Not at all, kiddo. I couldn't be less angry (as I don't really care). I'm just responding to a post on a cycling forum.

I'm enough of a sports fan to be aware of the issues - even if I find Rugby a boring sport, stiffled by artificial and arbitarily applied laws - 2 refs seem to be allowed a completely different interpretation of the offside rule or the scrum (especially Union).

Except whenever a great League player (like Jason Robinson / Ashton) play union, the RU crowd always seem amazed at how much better they are.

His speed / strength / positional ability are all League traits. I'd respect him more if he stuck to the game he was raised playing and didn't appear so arrogent.

I refer you to Aperitif's post about his buffoonery - it put's it better than me at this time in the morning.

Notice you tactfully edit out the section on my views of football, best to leave that one I presume?

the likes of Ashton revolutionise the game of Union because of the lines they learn in League, there's no doubting that at all. But other superstars such as Lawes, Foden, Flood, who are all young up and coming players have been bought up through the ranks of Union. You seem to think that all professional Union games are fast, free-flowing spectacles with loads of trys, which suggests you probably aren't in the terraces every weekend.

You also say later on in this thread about the amateur game, still being accepting of fat blokes who simply weight a lot. Couldn't be further from the truth in my experience, both Uni club and my local one. Sport has moved on a lot in the past 20 years, Union is not the only sport to move on.

 

[darkstar]

As I said - it's an expression. And, in my opinion, Ashton is riding for a fall...not withstanding the pure speed and positional talent, allied with exceptional strength. Five points in a tight game is a high percentage to squander. And yes, I know the rosin on players hands helps grip, and the balls are grippy as grippy things but...
Somehow, as dellzeqq alludes to, there maybe a slightly different aroma floating under the nostrils of the Twickenham immediacy and beyond, should the trademark buffoonery make the difference between trampled roses and crushed garlic...
However, there are fourteen others on Mr Ashton's side who do their bit and teams good to watch should be congratulated...it's refreshing.

He's said himself that thats how he holds the ball when in open play, so he's just as likely to drop t when running than he is diving.

When England aren't scoring trys people moan, now when they are scoring trys the same people moan. Got to love English people, dont you?

 

[darkstar]

Sorry to bang on about this (and annoy Darkstar even more!)

Union, since turning pro. has tried to copy League - hence the increasingly exagerated try celebrations / music after tries etc. When I was a lad, a bloke would score a try and barely acknowledge it - just trot back to their position.

Again you are only commenting on the few games you watch, there's not music after each try at every match. But if someone scored a match winning try and barely showed any emotion, i'd question their passion for the club.

 

[darth vadar]

"the lines he runs show how good his rugby mind is"

He learnt that playing rugby league.

Wigan must be kicking themselves for offering him such a derisory contract before he switched codes.

Ashton must be on cloud nine with the profile he now has.

He would never have been known nationally or internationally if he had stayed in British RL.

 

[darkstar]

"the lines he runs show how good his rugby mind is"

He learnt that playing rugby league.

I said that about 5 minutes ago, in a previous post.

 

[darkstar]

Both are pretty much the same, load of blokes running about on some grass, chucking an egg shaped ball to each other, trying to get to the end of the pitch, to put the ball down.

Not up to Aperitif standards, but expert enough?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

...an egg shaped ball...

It's more prolate spheroid than egg.

 

[darkstar]

It's more prolate spheroid than egg.

Not quite as catchy!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Not quite as catchy!

more throwy though

 

[Dayvo]

more throwy though

surely you mean more passé!

 

[darkstar]

Very good Dayvo