England v Wales ..a game where players don't throw themselves to the ground...

[keaton]

Learn the rules and I guarantee International rugby will raise the pulse as much, if not more than football.

Agree.

I am an Albion fan through and through but the Six Nations and other international rugby excites me far more than any other football matches.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Learn the rules and I guarantee International rugby will raise the pulse as much, if not more than football.

Hmmm. Football will always be my game.

It may stem from the fact that England have always seemed to be a fairly uninspiring side to watch, playing a very attritional game that's based on efficiency rather than flair. It always seemed to be about kicking when I watched, whereas other teams (southern hemisphere sides particularly) flung it around and ran the ball more.

From what I've seen lately, and the game I watched yesterday (with two Welshmen ) it seems that England have become a bit more exciting to watch, and that they were really trying to create stuff. Certainly seemed a bit more pleasing on the eye than they have done for a few years.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

PS: I know some of the rules- I know what offside is, and that you can't pass (or knock) it forwards, the only thing I don't really understand is what the hell's going on at a scrum, and I can't see how developing any understanding of that is going to particularly enhance my viewing experience.

Scrums always seem to end up being stopped by the referee anyway, all seems a bit pointless to me?

 

[keaton]

PS: I know some of the rules- I know what offside is, and that you can't pass (or knock) it forwards, the only thing I don't really understand is what the hell's going on at a scrum, and I can't see how developing any understanding of that is going to particularly enhance my viewing experience.

Scrums always seem to end up being stopped by the referee anyway, all seems a bit pointless to me?

I'm not sure anyone knows completely what's happening at the scrums anymore.

I usually have a vague idea but wasn't really sure what has happening with Jenkins and the wheeling of the scrum on Sunday.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I'm not sure anyone knows completely what's happening at the scrums anymore.

I usually have a vague idea but wasn't really sure what has happening with Jenkins and the wheeling of the scrum on Sunday.

Boring in from the side - ie not pushing square on as he's meant to. He was warned a couple of times in the first half and I mentioned to my wife (who's Welsh) at the time that he would end up in the bin if it continued. Needless to say I was held completely to blame for his ten minute rest during the 2nd half but the upside was that she stomped out into the garden and weeded my strawberry patch - so two results!
On the question of football player discipline wrt the referee, I'd have thought that open broadcasting of the referee & assistants mike channel might help here although there's something in the back of my mind that says that the PL and TV companies, Sky in particular, don't want to do this because of perceived damage that the language and general disrespect might cause to the "brand".

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

In the top divisions of league cricket they employ panel umpires. There is no law in cricket that deals specifically with either disent or foul / abusive language - however, these fall under the "spirit of the game" which is outlined in the preamble to the laws and is the players AND captain's responsibility.

Anyway, if a panel umpire reports a player for either disent or foul / abusive language it's an instant 2-match ban. More serious infringements are longer. http://www.s122407033.websitehome.co.uk/Docs/WEPL_discipline.pdf

 

[keaton]

Boring in from the side - ie not pushing square on as he's meant to. He was warned a couple of times in the first half and I mentioned to my wife (who's Welsh) at the time that he would end up in the bin if it continued. Needless to say I was held completely to blame for his ten minute rest during the 2nd half but the upside was that she stomped out into the garden and weeded my strawberry patch - so two results!
On the question of football player discipline wrt the referee, I'd have thought that open broadcasting of the referee & assistants mike channel might help here although there's something in the back of my mind that says that the PL and TV companies, Sky in particular, don't want to do this because of perceived damage that the language and general disrespect might cause to the "brand".

Sorry, I knew what Poite was giving but on a few occasions it looked England were wheeling and that Jenkins was trying to go straight. As i said earlier I could have had my Welsh hat on, but iI can't remember there ever being an issue with Jenkins doing this before and he seemed pretty unimpressed.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

In the top divisions of league cricket they employ panel umpires. There is no law in cricket that deals specifically with either disent or foul / abusive language - however, these fall under the "spirit of the game" which is outlined in the preamble to the laws and is the players AND captain's responsibility.

Anyway, if a panel umpire reports a player for either disent or foul / abusive language it's an instant 2-match ban. More serious infringements are longer. http://www.s122407033.websitehome.co.uk/Docs/WEPL_discipline.pdf

Chris Read was caught by this when he was reported by the umpires at Hove for abusing Mushy during a county game around 2004.

 

[Icy Gull]

Sorry, I knew what Poite was giving but on a few occasions it looked England were wheeling and that Jenkins was trying to go straight. As i said earlier I could have had my Welsh hat on, but iI can't remember there ever being an issue with Jenkins doing this before and he seemed pretty unimpressed.

Was it not him who did it last season when we conceded a penalty at virtually every scrum in the Millennium as the ref saw it differently? He was definitely wheeling in at most scrums yesterday, but then I have my England hat on.

It does seem a hard rule to oversee but the ref was very clear in his shouts and the fact that they have changed the way scrums come together makes it marginally clearer now?

 

[Triggaaar]

And when there is any backchat, it's dealt with by the player being sent to the sin bin.

Top flight (football) referees are complete bottle-jobs when it comes to dealing with abuse from players. You don't need a degree in lip reading to work out some of the language that is used. If the referees starting dishing out red cards for foul & abusive language, the problem would soon reduce.

It's wrong to blame the refs, it's FIFA that make the rules. One ref can't go on a lone crusade against the way footballers behave. The rule in rugby is if you don't like a decision, tough - moan to the ref, then take a break or lose 5 yards etc.

FIFA should do that. Argue with the ref, and the ref puts you in the sin bin for 5 minutes (of actual play, so they can't time waste that 5 minutes). That would stop it pretty bloody quick.

 

[Triggaaar]

The quicker Rugby's refereeing disciplines come into football the better, I just can't understand why it is not implemented?

Because of Sepp Twatter.

 

[nwgull]

Was it not him who did it last season when we conceded a penalty at virtually every scrum in the Millennium as the ref saw it differently? He was definitely wheeling in at most scrums yesterday, but then I have my England hat on.

It does seem a hard rule to oversee but the ref was very clear in his shouts and the fact that they have changed the way scrums come together makes it marginally clearer now?

It varies a lot depending on the referee. They all apply the laws differently; it's up to the players to adapt to how they like to ref. the game. Steve Walsh, the kiwi who reffed last year's game, will have been significantly different from a N hemisphere ref in his application of the scrummaging laws. As long as he gives the players plenty of instruction before and during the game it shouldn't result in a yellow card for persistent infringement though.

 

[Simster]

Agree.

I am an Albion fan through and through but the Six Nations and other international rugby excites me far more than any other football matches.

I'm going that way myself. The only international football tournament that really excites me is the World Cup, although I do quite like the Euros. I can't be arsed with the qualifiers unless the qualifier really is a crunch match. And I wouldn't cross the road to watch a friendly, never mind pay for the privilege.

The six nations is a lovely tournament and World Cup rugby is also interesting.

But the Albion trumps everything for me.

 

[Simster]

Because of Sepp Twatter.

FIFA is an unaccountable, powerful international organisation. If it wasn't Blatter running things, it would be some other bellend corrupted by money and power, sadly.

 

[hitony]

Because of Sepp Twatter.

Ok, point accepted, so what has he or his organisation got to gain by allowing players etc to abuse the rules and cheat?

 

[Questions]

Hmmm. Football will always be my game.

It may stem from the fact that England have always seemed to be a fairly uninspiring side to watch, playing a very attritional game that's based on efficiency rather than flair. It always seemed to be about kicking when I watched, whereas other teams (southern hemisphere sides particularly) flung it around and ran the ball more.

From what I've seen lately, and the game I watched yesterday (with two Welshmen ) it seems that England have become a bit more exciting to watch, and that they were really trying to create stuff. Certainly seemed a bit more pleasing on the eye than they have done for a few years.

You are not totally wrong on how England have played the games for some years but judging the sport as a whole it is international rugby every time for me. I will get up early and watch the Aussies or New Zealand play on a Saturday morning but would never do that for football between say Brazil or one of the other top nations. Mind you I have never quite got into club rugby in the same way although I did watch Worthing play last week against Hull and really loved it. As my son plays rugby now I suspect I might switch over in the coming years.

The behaviour of Ulloa and Drenthe (sp) have probably influenced me somewhat this weekend.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

always loved the 5/6 nations,it's such an honest sport

football now is about going down and winning set pièces

rugby is the exact opposite,stay on your feet as long as you can

rugby is edge of your seat stuff too,something can happen very quickly out of nothing

football,you can more or less see it coming

the one thing football does have on rugby is the outcome of a game

in rugby shock results are rare,whereas in football you can be completely out played but still win

that was an impressive result for England yesterday,Wales didn't play anywhere near as bad as they did in Dublin,everytime they looked like getting back into,the game England scored points to keep them at bay

England we're very unlucky in Paris,probably conceding 10 points more than they should of,on another night they would of ran out comfortable winners and with hindsight a Grand Slam for the taking

it will be very interesting to see how we fair against the All Blacks in the summer

 

[paul wickens]

There seems to be a drift towards Rugby amongst younger kids no doubt influenced by their parents who see better values being taught and better role models at the highest level. This is despite the best efforts of the FA to try to improve the image of the game at grass roots level. Until professional players start to set a better example ( not diving, faking injury, trying to get other players sent off and not abusing officials etc etc) this will continue. Football is a better game than Rugby because it is simpler to play, has predominantly easier laws to understand and has a greater element of surprise. The problem with Football though is the people who play it!

 

[Triggaaar]

FIFA is an unaccountable, powerful international organisation.

Agreed.

If it wasn't Blatter running things, it would be some other bellend corrupted by money and power, sadly.

Blatter has a lot of power at FIFA, and if he wanted to run things properly, I'm not sure how he'd be stopped.

Ok, point accepted, so what has he or his organisation got to gain by allowing players etc to abuse the rules and cheat?

Nothing. So they should make it better for the good of the game, but I'm not convinced he cares about the game. He had said that he wouldn't allow technology to help make refereeing decisions not that long before he changed his mind after England 'scored' against Germany.

 

[Weststander]

Hmmm. Football will always be my game.

It may stem from the fact that England have always seemed to be a fairly uninspiring side to watch, playing a very attritional game that's based on efficiency rather than flair. It always seemed to be about kicking when I watched, whereas other teams (southern hemisphere sides particularly) flung it around and ran the ball more.

From what I've seen lately, and the game I watched yesterday (with two Welshmen ) it seems that England have become a bit more exciting to watch, and that they were really trying to create stuff. Certainly seemed a bit more pleasing on the eye than they have done for a few years.

Over the last 25+ years, England have some brilliant teams with plenty of flair, tries, pace - Guscott, Robinson, Greenwood, Healey, Catt, Dawson; mixed with the necessary powerhouses and winners in Teague, Winterbottom, Richards, Johnson, Hill, Dellaglio.

The recent lean years are fresh in the mind, but its the propaganda of Campese, Steve Jones (The times) and Butler that like to portray England as always boring, and the Welsh and Aussies as always mercurial and talented. Jealousy.