I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. The youth development seems to be working incredibly well too. 3 grand slams out of the last 5 six nation campaigns for our U20s. Which is even more remarkable when you think it’s basically a whole new squad of players each year.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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anyone who has played rugby or has a brain knew that it was bullshit. i’ve not really engaged with rugby since all the rule changes. it’s just a crap-shoot of who gets a player sent off first, which then determines the outcome of the game.
i probably went 25 years without seeing a red card in a game i watched. there’s one every 25 minutes now. i get the need to protect players but if that’s the end goal, then just make it touch rugby, this punishing any kind of high-contact in a contact game, played at fairly break-neck pace at test level, with a red is ruining the sport.
Yep, as I said in here at the time, there was plenty enough mitigation to give a yellow and I don’t think you’d have had many Irish complaints if that was the case.
The intention behind these changes is to stop that becoming an either/or situation.
And if they’re serious about making rugby safer there will be collateral damage in terms of harsh red and yellow cards. Which is surely a price worth paying?
None whatsoever. But a far more obvious red card was missed when Ireland played France and it’s better for the good of the game to have one too many rather than one too few red cards at the end of every tournament.
Lots of talk of rules & reds. I think it’s important to take a look back and appreciate how far the games actually come.
I happened across the below video recently. It’s absolutely staggering when put into the context of todays rugby, how brutal the game used to be.
Give it a watch
I happened across the below video recently. It’s absolutely staggering when put into the context of todays rugby, how brutal the game used to be.
Give it a watch
Same with football. Obviously I’m not saying football was as aggressive as rugby, but the difference in games even from 15 years ago is crazy.
See I’m not sure. Steward’s ‘pulling out’ of the tackle was likely due to realising he couldn’t tackle him safely in that split second. I just don’t see rugby getting to a point where red cards aren’t going to be pretty common if you can still get one despite going out of your way not to tackle someone.
Surely it’s better to give a yellow and deal with punishments when there has been more time to analyse after the game. Not for most incidents, just ones where the player is clearly trying to avoid.
totally agree something needs to be done but i don’t necessarily see how this version of the sport is doing that and it feels like the selective punishment is determining the outcome of a significant number of games.
we’re still seeing players get cited and we’re still seeing cards rescinded. we’re still seeing loads of players off for a hia. these hits are still happening, they’re just selectively punished, and normally with little actual discussion about mitigation. there’s little to no thought of what that player can do in that situation. there’s a freeze frame at the moment of contact and that decides the outcome.
time will tell the impact on players health long term but the game doesn’t look much safer to me to play, it’s just shitter to watch as no matter how well you’re playing, you’re only one moment away from a player being caught slightly out of position in the wrong place at the wrong time to ruin it.
I read somewhere that there’s talk of a “20 minute red card”. Send someone off then allow the TMO enough time to really carefully analyse all the angles and decide if they should be allowed back on or not.
After the last World Cup, I thought it would have been a good idea to ask 60 former players, 3 from each competing country for their views on all the straight red cards that were handed out during the 2019 World Cup with the key point being that a red carded player can't be replaced after 20 minutes which is a popular idea in Australasia and has been for a while now. That way World Rugby can take in the views of former players who know the game of rugby and put that alongside the views of concussion experts who deserve a say but not the only say in what rugby should look like,
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That makes a lot of sense, you’d hope that a decision would be easily reachable within a 10 minute sin bin really. If not, it’s easier to give benefit of the doubt and not send someone off.
You’d think there must be ways to objectively measure whether the rule changes are helping. Number of HIAs/game before/after. Someone must be doing that, right?
The South Africans really went on a killing spree here. I would have given them so many cards the game would have ended due to lack of players.Everyone bemoans Matt Dawson for talking loads of shite…..but feck me….he practically took enough head shots for CTE in this match alone, never mind the rest of his career
Surprised he can remember his own name.
Saw this in super rugby this season and seems like a sensible plan
And the flying headbutt!
The state your body must be in after a game like that…..my original point was about reflecting on the good that’s come of changing rules and pushing for player safety, and watching a game like that emphasises it
Woah, Connacht have just signed Santiago Cordero.
https://www.the42.ie/santiago-cordero-connacht-6026519-Mar2023/
https://www.the42.ie/santiago-cordero-connacht-6026519-Mar2023/
He’s always dreamed of playing in front of all 14 people at a packed out home game
Ha! You mustn't have watched many Connacht games lately
They've added extra capacity to accommodate all the people who want to attend, and we've a gorgeous new pitch too. It's tailor made for running rugby.
I must confess I haven’t….as long as we’re not still sending Bundee out with the extra long rake when the ball gets lost in someone’s hedgerow after a conversionHa! You mustn't have watched many Connacht games lately
They've added extra capacity to accommodate all the people who want to attend, and we've a gorgeous new pitch too. It's tailor made for running rugby.
I can promise that Bundee is off the hook.I must confess I haven’t….as long as we’re not still sending Bundee out with the extra long rake when the ball gets lost in someone’s hedgerow after a conversion
Connacht put 41 on Edinburgh today on our gorgeous tabletop pitch
Caolin Blade for the world cup?
Got his second hattrick of the season today and is in great form.
Caolin Blade for the world cup?
Got his second hattrick of the season today and is in great form.
Had to happen after our conversation.Connacht put 41 on Edinburgh today on our gorgeous tabletop pitch
Caolin Blade for the world cup?
Got his second hattrick of the season today and is in great form.
All the positively in Irish rugby seems to skipped Thomund park….Munster getting hammered at home by Glasgow
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Any of you irish boys follow your local teams? Any in the AIL?
There was some positives, to take from the hammering, Crowley is a 10 and a better 10 than carbery, the team played better when he moved there, Buckley should start over Barron when scannall isn't fit, our wingers looked decent it was the middle where we were bolloxed as Crowley isn't a centre and again when a real centre was brought on we played better, but too little too late.
The big worry was our scrum, we got destroyed there, there line out was weird as its usually out strong point, Wycherley stood up better than killer in the scrum, salanoa out of his dept in the scrum as well.
Weird because I tend to associate Munster with forward dominance….don’t know if that’s a traditional thing or just me. I watched Exeter get outscrummed by Bath today as well…it was like being in the twilight zone. I’m not a regular watcher but Carbery was getting hammered on Reddit, seems like he needs to be taken out the firing line for a bit.
Yea carbery hasn't had the career progression that was expected due to all the injuries and it's not going to happen either, better off giving the young gun a shot as the main man
As for the forwards, I don't rate klyne, sooner snyman is fully fit the better and there is also aherne who looked like her was about to have a break through season pre injury and the kid edogbo the 2 of them are ones to look out for with Bernie also being injured
Is Fekitoa off at the end of the season? I can’t imagine he’s been any good as I didn’t rate him at Wasps
Yep and he’s been bang average, Frisch has been the real deal when he’s played and it shows because other players look better as well, we are short of dept at that position as well with Farrell being booted out, there is another Kiwi joining at the end of season though, I’d rather see one of the kids getting a shot than see scannell as there back up, which has been the way for too long with Munster.
Ahhh so sad to see Hoggy retiring after the World Cup injuries have really taken a toll.
He's younger than me, and came into a Scotland team that was on it's knees. Along with Cotter and a few other individuals, he dragged us forward at times. A supreme player on his day and for Scotland, and no exaggeration for me one of our greatest ever players. Adore him and I'm genuinely gutted. The World Cup will be his last dance and thanks to a draw being made two years ago, we will find it tough for him to go out on a high but hopefully we can do it.
Thanks for everything Hoggy, loved watching you play and enjoy retirement when it comes.
injuries have really taken a toll.He's younger than me, and came into a Scotland team that was on it's knees. Along with Cotter and a few other individuals, he dragged us forward at times. A supreme player on his day and for Scotland, and no exaggeration for me one of our greatest ever players. Adore him and I'm genuinely gutted. The World Cup will be his last dance and thanks to a draw being made two years ago, we will find it tough for him to go out on a high but hopefully we can do it.
Thanks for everything Hoggy, loved watching you play and enjoy retirement when it comes.
Took the words right out of my mouth. From the absolute huge mess we were in when he made his debut to now, it’s remarkable stuff. One of the good guys in rugby that deserves his happy retirement later this year.Ahhh so sad to see Hoggy retiring after the World Cup
He's younger than me, and came into a Scotland team that was on it's knees. Along with Cotter and a few other individuals, he dragged us forward at times. A supreme player on his day and for Scotland, and no exaggeration for me one of our greatest ever players. Adore him and I'm genuinely gutted. The World Cup will be his last dance and thanks to a draw being made two years ago, we will find it tough for him to go out on a high but hopefully we can do it.
Thanks for everything Hoggy, loved watching you play and enjoy retirement when it comes.
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Totally agree mate. Gutted but he deserves the best. Love the man.
Think he realised his performances Weren’t quite up to his high standard and wanted to go out while the majority think of him highly. Retires at the right time I think. Kinghorns not quite as exciting as Hoggy but he’ll be an adequate replacement at 15.
Are you surprised he hasn’t gone for a mega-money move to Japan or France? I get that he’s lost a yard of pace but still a very handy player
I don't think so, he's always demanded high standards and I wonder if because of the injuries and his loss of a wee bit of pace he's decided this is the right time. Doesn't seem that bothered about the money and would rather go out at still a very good standard which I really admire. I seriously hope we can do something at the World Cup and he bows out in a great manner.
Sorry still just gutted he's calling it a day soon
...Got loads of jobs to get done in the house this weekend…..thank god it’s not European rugby weekend where I might get sidetracked by 4 back-to-back games…..
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