Rugby Union World Cup 2015

::

There is a lottae rage building taewards Seagulls on Fightbeat, Ah fear a .22 shooting spree from a clocktoower is imminent, like.

Hoot makes a good point mind, the game improved quite a bit when a try became five points instead foor aboot 25 years ago... mibbees reduce the pens doon tae two or is that the mindset o' a bampot? If this is the case, it wiz Hoot's idea.

 

Fair comment, but to be honest, you're 'down there', you always have been and not many people are arsed to feel otherwise...yeah?

 

This is very true.

 

Combine the best parts of Rugby League with Rugby Union and you end up with Rugby League.

Too many players on the field, too many rules(half the players on the field look befuddled when a penalty is given), touch...pause...engage....reset the scrum, do over and over and over, field goals and penalties worth 3? Zzzzz.

 

Agreed.

 

Rugby Union is dying a slow death here. The Australian Rugby Union is almost bankrupt. Happy days.

 

Ye make some hard, but honest, points there Andrew, laddie. Ah do believe Ye mean whit Ye say and aren't driven solely ba the dislike o' a rival code.

Ah dinnae like speaking negatively aboot Union as it wiz the game Ah played (even though it has changed immensely since '98 when Ah stopped playing) but it's soon apparent hoo the game is often viewed ba people new tae Union or casual observers. They understand the 'running' aspect, and even lineoots, but explaining why a pen is given or why a scrum is no' right can be painful esp. if Ye dinnae understand the decision yerself (and Ah'm pretty 'up' on the rules, like) or flagrantly disagree.

Ah'd like tae see the scrums sorted oot and back tae the ball straight in and quickly oot again, having been properly competed for. The breakdoons have become a free for all and a real danger zone. In some ways the more honest way o' rucking people oot wiz safer and kept the game free flowing as only the really mad bassas wanted tae get the wrong side o' the ball.

Ah have no issue w/ a good kick winning yer team 50 or 60 yards doon the pitch, either.

The reduction o' penalties might work if more cheaters were sinbinned when they make a pro fooul... teams normally ship quite a few points aftae they concede a yellow card or two.

 

A goodly question, O'TK - due tae the many Welsh injuries, Ah first thought England would stuff 'em oot o' site but the English midfield has been thrown intae question wi' Joseph's pec injury taking him ootae the group stage. Wi' the inexperienced Burgess noo shoring up the centres at 12 and Barrit @ 13... could be either a triumph fer England or the Welsh capitalise on potential weaknesses in decision making/ pace etc.

Depsite the Welsh proving they can win at Twickenham in recent years, Ah have the Sais winning ba 8 points.

Hoo aboot Ye (and others)?

 

:up:

Scoatland!

 

Go Scoarttullund! We're gonna win the world cup!

 

Is it safe to say Japan 'peaked' against South Africa? They certainly weren't at the races today. Made quite a lot of errors.

 

Just playing vastly superior opposition!

 

Japan were hard done by with the schedule but Scotland really poured it on in the second half, have a soft spot for this Scottish team, if they acquit themselves well here, they will take some scalps in six nations

 

:: :bears:

Lovely words, O'Slacko - the only way Ah'd be happier presently is if the Bay City Rollers reformed.

 

International rugby league is an absolutely fucking colossal waste of time. The RL World Cup is as worthwhile as the World Tiddlywinks Cup.

MTF

 

The NRL is a superb competition, though. Super League is ok, but you get too many one-sided games.

 

That's the pay-off. Club RL is far superior to club RU (though the RU European Cup is pretty good). Domestic rugby union is fucking gash. Domestic rugby league is much, much better - I'd rather watch a one-sided Super League game than any Premiership Rugby Union game. And I agree - the NRL is excellent.

The difference is almost as stark as the difference (reversed) in the international game.

MTF

 

The Heineken cup is very good, but it's now dominated by the French (well, Toulon in particular). They've won it three years in a row. Last English team to win it was Wasps back in 2007 and the last Irish province to win it was Leinster in 2012. Still, it's good to watch. The Aviva Premiership isn't all that, agreed.

 

Yeah, Union enjoyed a wave of success for a few years after the hype and hoopla of the 2003 World Cup. But it didnt take long for the public to see Union for what it really is...a good remedy for insomnia. They failed to invest in junior infrastructure and development, preferring to throw millions at the superior League players. The financial outlook is so dire that every junior and senior Rugby Union team in Australia had to pay a levy to prop the ARU up this year, that includes kids as young as 6. Theres a faction of elitists that still enjoy and support the sport, but its a very small faction.

Some players like the challenge or want to experience the World Cup, but it was mostly for the money. The ARU think signing players like Folau will keep them relevant with the general public, but the press and excitement only last a few months usually.

Rugby League was set back 20 years by the Super League war and It was completely hamstrung by the co-ownership of NEWS Corp. Now the NRL is independent, its signed massive TV deals which will only further diminish Rugby Union in this country. Expansion of the game is on the cards here and with a unified International Board, the future looks bright.

 

It had occurred to me that the Aussie 'death of Rugby Union' seemed to have coincided with the gradual decline in fortunes of the Australian side, but that appeared a little cynical...

MTF

 

Yeah, club rugby union is becoming as money-oriented as club fitba (only on a smaller scale), though the fact that the English are no longer dominating isn't much of problem for me.

MTF

 

Its no where near as popular as Union.

But Rugby League is cashed up now and has better pathways/more money for younger kids, look no further than Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Has just turned 22 and had one of the best seasons ever by a fullback. He was a Union kid and would be in the All Blacks if he were playing Union.

The Kiwi national team is already better than Australias, a second NZ based NRL team is on the cards in the coming years. It will never be as popular as Union, but its well placed to close the gap.