The Rugby Thread

[Gray]

Bookies make England favourites. I'll be lumping on the Aussies

[Buzzo]

Pleased with my decision to put Michalak in my Fantasy Team today

Ah, **** I forgot all about this. My team is the same as the one I entered before the tournament

[Buzzo]

Ok "definitely" may be over stating it but the fact that Wales most likely defensive strategy was to anticipate a front throw and set up to defend it from the ground (which is what they did). A throw to 4 would have secured the ball and provided an attacking platform for the maul to go left, right or straight on.

In that situation a try is more often scored than not and the next most likely outcome is an attacking 5m scrum from a held up ball.

Either way the line out was the correct option IMO but as you infer maybe the creative / imaginative follow up play which was needed (i.e. a throw to the middle) isn't sufficiently encouraged in Lancaster's set up.

My defence of the specific tactic is absolutely not a defence of his time as England coach during which the team has definitely underperformed given its' resources.

Hindsight is a great thing eh.

The key thing is, the decisions made once they had gone for the lineout were poor.

It has set up what will be a cracking match v the Aussies though

[ChesterDave]

Hint of a knock on? Ah well who cares

7-7 after less than 6 minutes

[ChesterDave]

FFS CArter you ****. I needs me some points.

[ChesterDave]

This New Zealand team won't win the world cup unless the smarten up. Basic handling errors galore here

[Buzzo]

Really looking forward to both games this evening and ****ing football off for the day.

[Gray]

Really looking forward to both games this evening and ****ing football off for the day.

It's quite refreshing

[Vermilion]

Graeme Rowntree's ears are shocking. He's basically been deformed by a sport. Really go's to show what go's on in a scrum, and what spending so much time in them can do and must be like.

Ouch!!

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/video/esp-englands-nick-easter-key-role-063913032.html

[Cormack74]

Hindsight is a great thing eh.


I wouldn't profess to have huge technical knowledge on the football field but I got to coach rugby with a guy who played at the top level. He always encouraged the team to back themselves and take the positive option.


It has set up what will be a cracking match v the Aussies though

No arguments there

[Shaggy]

I ****ing hate rugby - I think it is an absolutely **** minority sport - but bizarrely I am sort of slightly looking forward to the England game later. I couldn't give a **** if they win or lose, but....I am going to watch despite having no idea what's going on. Weird. I think it's the draw of a huge big-ish sporting event. The drama, the spectacle...it's quite alluring.

I haven't admitted this to anyone yet, but I watched the last 20 mins of the Wales game and I found it quite exciting.

One other thing - when refs give penalties after a scrum, it's a ****ing guess isn't it? I have no idea what's going on, and he has no idea what's going on. It appears completely and utterly arbitrary - he could give one every time if he wanted and no-one would say anything. Weird sport.

[Vermilion]

This pretty much explains the sorts of things the ref sees going on in a scrum, as you say he can probably give pens either way during one, some because of cheating and some because it looks like someones cheating, he has to gauge which side is stronger in the scrum, who has most reason to commit offences during certain points in a match etc, it's all about judgement i suppose, and what he sees first.

It's also one of if not the most dangerous part of the sport, so he can't be messing about letting things go.

The scrum.

It is used for restarting play after the following:

The ball has been knocked on
The ball has gone forward
Accidental offside
The ball has not come out from a ruck or maul

Not every player can join a scrum. Only eight players from each team can take part.

They are almost always the eight forwards in the side.

The scrum is formed at the place where the infringement happened.

All scrums must take place at least five metres from the touch or trylines.

However the scrum is one of the hardest areas of the game to referee because of the many infringements, particularly in the front row.

BINDING

Referees pay particular attention to the bindings of the two front rows.

Props must use the whole arm from hand to shoulder to grasp their opponent's body at or below the level of the armpit.

They must grasp their opposite number's shirt from the side or the back.

They cannot go underneath and grab the collar or the sleeve of the upper arm.

Props often look for a late bind when they engage.

By maneuvering their arm they can manipulate their opponent's body position, giving them a significant advantage in the push.

However referees are stringent on this move because of safety reasons.

Twisting, dipping or collapsing a scrum will result in a penalty against the offending team.

FRONT ROW OFFENCES

Rather than engaging square on with their opponent, tight-head props can bore their heads into the hooker.

This limits the movement of the opposition hooker.

Sometimes you may see a tight-head prop's body pop out of a scrum while it is still taking place.

This is because their opposing loose-head prop has used a subtle shift of body position and pushed into the tight-head prop's chest.

Both moves are illegal and are punishable with penalties.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/4205180.stm

[Gray]

I ****ing hate rugby - I think it is an absolutely **** minority sport - but bizarrely I am sort of slightly looking forward to the England game later. I couldn't give a **** if they win or lose, but....I am going to watch despite having no idea what's going on. Weird. I think it's the draw of a huge big-ish sporting event. The drama, the spectacle...it's quite alluring.

I haven't admitted this to anyone yet, but I watched the last 20 mins of the Wales game and I found it quite exciting.

One other thing - when refs give penalties after a scrum, it's a ****ing guess isn't it? I have no idea what's going on, and he has no idea what's going on. It appears completely and utterly arbitrary - he could give one every time if he wanted and no-one would say anything. Weird sport.

I was of the same thought 10 years ago but then i moved to Twickenham and it grows on you. My boy plays it now (football still his fave) and I kinda like the buzz around the town on match days. I still say its gay to my rugby playing buddies mind

[Shaggy]

Cheers Verm...difficult to understand but I still think the refs just take a punt.

I was of the same thought 10 years ago but then i moved to Twickenham and it grows on you. My boy plays it now (football still his fave) and I kinda like the buzz around the town on match days. I still say its gay to my rugby playing buddies mind

You pumped for today? Out with the boys later? Bit of a sing song, all get your knobs out, bit of Top Gear chat and then watch the rugger!

[Reece]

Haha. I don't hate it as much as you and others seem to, Shaggy, but I have always found it a bit boring.

However, my brother is a massive rugby fan and we arranged to go round there tonight for a game of Cluedo What we weren't told was that we'd have to watch the rugby first Figure I may as well try and enjoy it and get mind the "boys".

I did buy the gf a bottle of AUSTRALIAN wine to take to try and annoy by brother