Rugby 2017 Discussion

RORY65

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I asked someone about that and they said union was played by posh twats and league was played by everyone else. What are their actual differences?
I'm originally from Ireland and now live in London, classic United fan material, and the only game played to any sort of standard in either of those places is union but the point about the posh twats has an element truth, I like rugby union but I don't really like "rugby people".

Union is played to a higher standard in more countries (i.e. France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa etc). League is very good for basic skills of passing, running, kicking and tackling (you can get away with more when tackling) whilst union has more technical aspects like the breakdown, the scrum and the line out.
 

JPRouve

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I asked someone about that and they said union was played by posh twats and league was played by everyone else. What are their actual differences?
Let's say that League is a simplistic version of Union, it's based on pace, power and individual brilliance while Union is more team oriented, set pieces are a big part of union and there is less space to operate with two more players on the field, in general you need to have a better understanding of the game to play Union.
 

JPRouve

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I find it pretty hard to get excited about league. The tactics just seem kind of dumb to me, I don't get enjoyment out of it.
I only watch Australian league and the standard is pretty high, so almost every teams have a couple of absurdly good players, they make the show interesting but the games are in themselves repetitive and a bit dull. It's all down to individuals.
 

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I only watch Australian league and the standard is pretty high, so almost every teams have a couple of absurdly good players, they make the show interesting but the games are in themselves repetitive and a bit dull. It's all down to individuals.
Yeah that's it, moments of individual brilliance in predominantly slogs is how I see it. I just went to youtube there looking for great tries and most of em are not nearly as impressive as the best Union tries.

I know there were a lot of doom merchants years ago about Union saying it was inevitable to become just a bish-bash-bosh fest, there was even talk of reducing the number of players per team, but I think it's genuinely exciting these days. Attacks are just about on top again after years of defense being on top.
 

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I only watch Australian league and the standard is pretty high, so almost every teams have a couple of absurdly good players, they make the show interesting but the games are in themselves repetitive and a bit dull. It's all down to individuals.
With League only four games per year are compulsive viewing for me - the three State of Origin games and the Grand Final. I find it very repetitive and predictable.
 

Xaviesta

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Moving on from the league vs union stuff, i think Ruan Ackermann will play for England in 3 years time. He's been impressive for Gloucester so far, was man of the match vs Saracens and is only 22.
 

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Great game of rugby... final score definitely flattered England
A few things a millimetre or two different either way and the momentum could have shifted in Aussie's favour earlier in the game … not sure England would have reacted so well.

I do feel the best team won (but then again I would say that wouldn't I?) and it should show FIFA how well TMO can work … there are never such confusing situations in football (with 8 bodies or more over the ball) and there are fewer laws to establish in one team's favour or the other, but it should lead to clean cut decisions … which I think everyone would be happier about!
 

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England 30-6 Australia. Definitely flatters England but we'll take that. 5 wins in a row against the Aussies now.
 

Xaviesta

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Disapointed with Australia's loss. Much of the talk here surrounds the officiating. Hooper's yellow card and disallowed try were both correct. The Beale yellow i don't like but is a yellow nowadays. England's first try was a judgement call that could have gone either way. Beale should have got to that ball first, kicked it out and conceded the lineout. The disallowed try 10 minutes was the backbreaker for the Wallabies. I suppose there was enough in it to disallow it but i felt the call was harsh.

The lady who spoke to Cheika post match on beIn Sports has much to answer for. She seemed to desperate to try and get Cheika to talk himself into trouble. Yes, Cheika is far from a happy chap when his team loses. Who is by the way. The difference Cheika struggles to contain his frustration when he feels his team has been hard done by. If Cheika had been given the chance, he would have mentioned things apart from the officiating that may have cost the Wallabies. However, that wouldn't have made for a good story.

To be clear, England deserved to win. You don't win by 24 points by getting some contentious calls go your way and there wasn't a hideous injustice that stopped Australia from winning. With 10 to play, there was only a 7 point margin between the two teams. The game certainly wasn't gone. The game was there to be won still. Australia weren't good enough. England was good enough to turn a close game into a comfortable win on the scoreboard in the last ten minutes.
 
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Sorry this is off topic but where is the best place to buy Irish six nations tickets ? Cheapest ones I've found with all the added ones was £255 which was for two tickets.
 

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Why oh why is it taking so long for World Rugby to decide if they're going to sanction Cheika for certain comments he made after Hooper's try had been disallowed. Surely they've worked out what he said or didn't day by now.
 

Rawls

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Henshaw out for Ireland, with Adam Byrne handed his debut on the wing. Despite their hammering of us two years ago at the RWC, I can't say I recognise many of those names in Argentina's XV; seems like they're in something of a rebuilding phase right now (Or else I'm very wrong).

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/42099002
 

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Henshaw out for Ireland, with Adam Byrne handed his debut on the wing. Despite their hammering of us two years ago at the RWC, I can't say I recognise many of those names in Argentina's XV; seems like they're in something of a rebuilding phase right now (Or else I'm very wrong).

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/42099002
Argentina has been selecting locally based players for the last two years and they've really had a tough time of it. Their performances in the Rugby Championship have been really disappointing to put it mildly. In the last two Rugby Championship tournaments, they've played 12, won 1 and lost 11. Also, 10 of their 11 losses have been by 10 points or more.
 

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Rieko Ioane is so impressive. Naholo is a monster too.
 

JPRouve

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We are so shit that it's almost artistic.
 

freeurmind

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Ioane was ridiculous today. Decent win for the Boks today but we are going to get hammered next week.
 

Xaviesta

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No excuses for the Wallabies and Sekope Kepu. Well done to Scotland but a dreadful way to end one of the toughest years Australian rugby has had in recent times.
 

Snowjoe

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Pfft all this international sideshow just distracts from Worcester winning 2 games in a row after losing every game so far :D
 

diarm

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No excuses for the Wallabies and Sekope Kepu. Well done to Scotland but a dreadful way to end one of the toughest years Australian rugby has had in recent times.
It's almost impressive that Kepu has managed to beat out Sonny Bill for the dumbest sending off of the year award.

I didn't think anyone would top the Kiwi.
 

Xaviesta

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It's almost impressive that Kepu has managed to beat out Sonny Bill for the dumbest sending off of the year award.

I didn't think anyone would top the Kiwi.
The funny thing about SBW's red card is he said ''that's not red, sir'' to the ref after he had been sent off. At least Kepu walked off and that was that. Both players were dumb though considering World Rugby's crackdown at the start of the year was pretty clear - reckless, direct contact with force to the head/neck is a red card ( at least that's my understanding anyway).

Interestingly, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have all had players red carded for contact to the head this year and there were a good number of high tackle related cards in super rugby for high tackles so maybe it's taken a while for the message to get through.
 

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Some Autumn Series for Jacob Stockdale. He's absolutely looked the part and what's more, looks like he loves every minute of it. Delighted from a Connacht perspective to see Bundee Aki slot in too like he's always been there. Bit worrying how Ireland let leads slip in every match though, and the fact that Kearney played... no matter how well he did yesterday (and he was very very good), he wasn't there on form and that is a bit of a Schmidt weakness that's worrying on the days when Kearney is pedestrian.

Also just wish we could do that to Argentina when it actually matters :D
 

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diarm

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Peter O'Mahony has rejected a new contract @diarm

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2017...mahony-in-talks-to-leave-munster-and-ireland/

On the face of it, very bad news surely for Ireland and Munster, but I see some in the comments saying that he may have realised he's not got long left in his career due to cumulative injuries and wants to cash in.
I can understand the IRFU position to be honest. Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney will need new contracts in the next few years and the money will need to be found somewhere.

They offer an undervalued 2 year deal to a Lions test captain in his prime, talk that Stander hasn't been offered a central contract and will need to negotiate directly with Munster or look elsewhere, and that Ian Henderson is being lowballed up in Ulster as well.

All part of the grand IRFU masterplan to have one super province and 3 feeder clubs to support the blue clad national side.

It's a fecking joke.
 

christy87

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christy87

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I can understand the IRFU position to be honest. Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney will need new contracts in the next few years and the money will need to be found somewhere.

They offer an undervalued 2 year deal to a Lions test captain in his prime, talk that Stander hasn't been offered a central contract and will need to negotiate directly with Munster or look elsewhere, and that Ian Henderson is being lowballed up in Ulster as well.

All part of the grand LRFU masterplan to have one super province and 3 feeder clubs to support the blue clad national side.

It's a fecking joke.
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