Rugby, why do you persecute your fans?
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By Gruffalo, 24 Feb 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
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Rugby union has suffered too much from the intellectual masturbation of those who praise the very intricacy that makes it incredibly boring. You can’t have it both ways: you can’t call yourself the running game, then present a kickfest for 80 minutes.
That is a fraud.
The best remembered, most successful rugby teams have had swift, aggressive forward packs who kept the ball in hand IN ORDER that their swift, elusive backs had opportunities to run the ball and score tries. Rolling mauls were the platform of a try-scoring movement – not a result in themselves. This is simple, effective rugby that has always succeeded – ELVs or not.
I remember with fondness the Ella brothers, Campo, Jonah Lomu, Serge Blanco, most French sides before the 00s – fabulous entertainment on the back of tough, go-forward athletic packs.
England is, as always, the issue.
English success in rugby has come from a big pack and a good kicker (eg Rob Andrew and Johnny Wilkinson). Cynical, boring, repetitive rugby – forgettable dross from a nation desperate for success at any price.
They bastardised the game to win a Cup. Disgraceful. And now they threaten to derail the ELVs – the great hope for making rugby once again the running game.
On Saturday, we got to witness Beale, Tahu, Tuqiri et al behind a strong enough pack – and they bored everyone to death. A potent backline – and they kick it away. Why? It makes no sense and is killing an already wounded game.
Rugby needs to keep the backlines apart. Encourage room to run and create. Encourage teams to keep the ball in hand.
The problem is that England has excessive influence at the IRB. Fast, open rugby doesn’t suit England, whose team is currently rubbish (more than usual). Maybe the politics of English rugby is aimed at dragging the game back to their level.
Either way, the game continues to suffer against the long-held wishes of that sadly marginalised group: the long-suffering rugby fan.
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Knives Out said | February 24th 2009 @ 3:13am | Report comment
Given that I’m new here perhaps I should bite my toungue, however if you are Australia Gruffalo then you do your country a grand disservice with this antagonistic, ill-informed rant.
pothale said | February 24th 2009 @ 4:00am | Report comment
I suspect that is his intention, KO. Purposeful antagonism is the first weapon of choice for the professional troll.
Brendan said | February 24th 2009 @ 5:47am | Report comment
Good article Gruffalo!!
van der Merwe said | February 24th 2009 @ 6:36am | Report comment
Yawn. Haha, as though whining about a team’s playing style somehow diminishes its accomplishments.
sheek said | February 24th 2009 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Rugby can change the laws all it likes. At the end of the day it comes back to the participants & whether they’re willing to play the game a particular way.
More than anything else, people want to win. That’s one aspect of human nature we won’t change. And if they’re going to achieve it through dull rugby, so be it.
One thing, or two things separate the human from other life forms – the ability to think (for some!) as oppossed to instinct & the ability to choose. We can always follow another sport if we so choose.
Ben C said | February 24th 2009 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Sheek is, unfortunately, quite correct. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink etc. The fact that the Tahs were so appalling shows that the team’s intentions is more important than whether the ELV’s are in effect or not.
That said, England and the home unions do have excessive influence in the IRB but that is an entirely separate issue.
oikee said | February 24th 2009 @ 9:47am | Report comment
I was watching the game on saturday nite, no good getting worked up about the running game. You would have to change too many rules to make rugby union a running game. The defenders not having to get back at least 5 metres, too many players, but this adds to another problem, the scrum needs all the players involved. Kicking because there is too many players defending, constantly thinking about going to ground instead of running hard through the line, the list goes on why its hard for the game to change anything about the game. If you love the game all you can do is keep loving it, other than this all you can do if you want to see constant running rugby , watch league. You have the choice like me to watch both.
Think about this , if league did not exsist, would rugby union be more like league today? Well you keep wingeing about being a running game.
sledgeross said | February 24th 2009 @ 10:41am | Report comment
Great article Gruffalo.
The inherent problem is that Rugby is now professional, with huge amounts of money involved. CLubs, sponsors, players, all want as big a slice as they can get. This monetary pressure means teams will favour a more posession based game rather than “running rugby”. Im like you, I have very little interest in actually going to a rugby match anymore (unless its district level), and can barely stand to watch the ‘tahs or Wallabies anymore. I guess as you get older you do tend to romanticise about the halcyon days of long ago!
I have to admit, I think anyone who says you are merely being antagonistic is infantile and ignorant. You havent said anything that is untrue (well, your anti-Pommy comments may be stretching it).
Joe FC said | February 24th 2009 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
-”I guess as you get older you do tend to romanticise about the halcyon days of long ago!”..the problem is sledgeross, as with all things in life. the halcyon days of long ago never existed.
sledgeross said | February 24th 2009 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
Perhaps Joe, but I certainly enjoyed Wallabies matches more in the 80s than what I do now. I wont say professionlism killed the game, but it has caused it to evolve (or devolve) depending on what you are looking to get from the game.