Rugby World Cup

[cisamcgu]

I find Rugby incredibly frustrating to watch - the referee blows for a penalty and I have no idea why, but that is OK, I'm anything but an expert, but the commentators seem to have no idea why as well, they almost never explain what happened and even, on the rare occasion they ask the "expert" in the commentary box, that person seems to have no idea either, just waffles on about "need more structure, must stop infringing at the ruck" and other vague statements.

In the end it just becomes 80 minutes of mystery

Oh well, at least Tonga beat France

 

[yello]

If you watch the players you'll see they sometimes don't have much of a clue either!

There are some very technical rules (particularly in line outs, rucks and mauls etc) that can be matters of interpretation rather than just clear cut infringements. If you listen, you'll hear the ref telling/warning the players about what he sees - so he lets the player know if he's in danger of being penalised. Pretty cool really and designed to help the game to flow. You'll regularly hear the ref shout "roll away" blue/8 or whatever. Whether the player CAN roll away is another matter!

I like this aspect of rugby personally. I like that the players respect the ref and don't back chat (most of the time anyway!) - and given the interpretation aspect of the ref's role, there's a HUGE potential for dispute. You'll see players look baffled, or shaking their heads in disbelief, but you'll very rarely see or hear the reactions that are common place in football say.

 

[MacB]

I like this aspect of rugby personally. I like that the players respect the ref and don't back chat (most of the time anyway!) - and given the interpretation aspect of the ref's role, there's a HUGE potential for dispute. You'll see players look baffled, or shaking their heads in disbelief, but you'll very rarely see or hear the reactions that are common place in football say.

Driven by fear, you learn early to shut your gob when having a dig at the ref costs your team 10 yards, or more if you're really stupid. When you've got your team mates looking at you with murderous intent it's rather uncomfortable.

 

[rich p]

Driven by fear, you learn early to shut your gob when having a dig at the ref costs your team 10 yards, or more if you're really stupid. When you've got your team mates looking at you with murderous intent it's rather uncomfortable.

To be fair, Al, that was in the changing room before the game .

 

[BrumJim]

There's back chat, and there's back chat. Some captains are constantly badgering the ref in the manner of a particulary obnoxious school creep. Sir, he was offside, sir, they're killing the ball, sir, he looked at me funny like. Sometimes it seems to be a more controlled form of football barracking.

Infringements are easy to spot. Just watch the ref's hands. OK, maybe not that easy.

 

[yello]

Some captains are constantly badgering the ref

O'Driscoll seems to be of that ilk to me.

 

[Chromatic]

Dallaglio was another one who thought he was reffing the game and the bloke with the whistle was only there to enforce his (Dallaglio's) decisions.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

There's back chat, and there's back chat. Some captains are constantly badgering the ref in the manner of a particulary obnoxious school creep. Sir, he was offside, sir, they're killing the ball, sir, he looked at me funny like. Sometimes it seems to be a more controlled form of football barracking.

Infringements are easy to spot. Just watch the ref's hands. OK, maybe not that easy.

TV rugby is played to showbiz rules. It's entertainment not pure sport at that level. Refs and players addressing each other by their first names..... Watch how Nigel Owen handles mouth, he's brilliant at dealing with it e.g. "Paul (O'Connell) don't you be running 30 metres to tell me how to do my job or I'll move you all back 10. Now go away."

In the community game, at my level, if the skip (or more typically the nine) behaves like that on my park he'll get asked to shut up, be told to shut up, be penalised to make him shut up, and if need be will get yellow carded to stop him breaking my concentration.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

England v Ireland for the semi I reckon. Without Carter I can't see the kiwis going past the 1/4 finals.

 

[yello]

Without Carter I can't see the kiwis going past the 1/4 finals.

Now that's a brave call!

Personally, I think they'll win it. I think the saffers are the only real obstacle.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Now that's a brave call!

Personally, I think they'll win it. I think the saffers are the only real obstacle.

an argument with a lot of merit.

however I tend towards the view that the knockout stages are something of a lottery and anything can happen in the space of 80 minutes to upset the form books.

 

[Beebo]

What do people think about the Flood / Wilkinson combo at centre and fly half for the France game.

Will it be a work of genius or Martin Johnson's last mistake for England!

 

[Chromatic]

Probably neither. Could be an indication that Johnson has finally seen the light re Hape and Banahan though.

 

[yello]

Unsure. A change forced by Tindal's injury/poor performance/womanising (joke ) methinks rather than tactical. Personally, I think it weakens the side defensively. Flood is not the tackler that Tindal is. That might count against France, maybe not. On the plus side, I do think it makes England perhaps more creative (so long as Flood actually gets the ball!). They've already got a crash runner in Tuilagi, so arguably swapping out Tindal for Flood does give more variety. So, yes, a bit of an enforced gamble methinks. We'll see.

Edit: following on from earlier remarks, does it indicate that Johnson prefers Wilkinson's decision making over Flood's??

 

[BrumJim]

Will work if they can rotate the first receiver position and leave the opposition guessing, but that will need quick balls from rucks - something England don't seem capable of providing on a regular basis.

Part will hinge on the confidence of the captain to relieve Wilkinson of his place kicking duties if he is off-target again.