Rugby, why do you persecute your fans?
Roar Guru By Gruffalo, 24 Feb 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- Campo, Chiefs, David Campese, Ella brothers, IRB, Johnny Wilkinson, Jonah Lomu, Kurtley Beale, Lote Tuqiri, Rob Andrew, Rugby Union, Serge Blanco, Super Rugby, Timana Tahu, Waratahs, World Cup
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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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February 24th 2009 @ 12:57pm
Joe FC said | February 24th 2009 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
fair comment sledgeross.
February 24th 2009 @ 5:58pm
Knives Out said | February 24th 2009 @ 5:58pm | Report comment
You’re right Sledgeross. It’s a great article, it complains about NOTHING in particular and then presents NO SOLUTIONS whatsoever. Not only is it wildly innacurate ,but it is also shallow and generally bizarre. In short it’s fantastic. Good for you if you like this sort of stuff. England are rubbish and they run the entire rugby world, that must be why SA changed their vocal anti-ELV stance after meeting with John O’Neill. England does hate running rugby and yet they have the temerity to develop an excellent domestic league. It must really have hurt dinsoaurs like you and the genius Gruffalo to see the Wallabies playing such expansive beautiful rugby recently. How deep the intellectual well is in your part of the woods brother.
February 24th 2009 @ 6:23pm
gatesy said | February 24th 2009 @ 6:23pm | Report comment
I’m not quite so pessimistic about the article. I don’t think that the ELV’s by themselves will suddenly open up the game and make it more attractive. I think Gruffalo is correct when he says that the backlines should be forced further apart. I don’t know how you do it – maybe you force everyone but the halfback to stand a certain distance back from the gate. If anything, the ELV’s are responsible for the increase in aimless kicking that is currently going on.
When you have a combination of defensive teams standing right up in your face like the Crusaders did on Saturday night against the Brumbies (probably right on the limits of the law – and that was without McCaw), combined with hands in the ruck you have the attacking and defending lines very close together, champing at the bits, like fighting dogs – and therefore it becomes harder to find a way through the middle or the outside, so the only solution is to go over the top. Yet every time that a team is patient enough to play the phases, it almost always produces attractive results.
We need to find a way to get the Rugby flowing and the backs having a bit of room to run and put on their set piece moves, with out the amount of aimless kicking that is currently blighting the game as a spectacle.
February 24th 2009 @ 6:45pm
Knives Out said | February 24th 2009 @ 6:45pm | Report comment
Watch a test from the 90s Gatesy and then consider how close together the players are. There was never a period when backs stood 20 metres apart spinning the ball gloriously through each pair of hands. In hindsight, the rugby from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s is visually appalling. What is the point is moaning and taking pointless pot-shots if nobody, i.e. the author, is to offer a solution let alone a question.
February 24th 2009 @ 8:44pm
Westy said | February 24th 2009 @ 8:44pm | Report comment
In the two super 14 games I have seen so far the referees have been peculiarly hesitant to enforce the offside. Sadly this may involve some ruthlessness. Memories of a certain NRL referees 20 penalties against Parramatta in ahalf to stop their off side play come flooding back. The point is there has been a peculiar hesitancy in enforcement of illegal offside play when space is at apremium. I chuckle at the intense scrutiny of the referee at the scrummage to clearly see players off side allowed to choke of play.it is worse at the breakdown. Is it possible to have second referee for offside?
Not even flatline attack can overcome crude off side play that is allowed to flourish. I and everyone knows the first referee to enforce it will blow 20 or more penalties in a half and be dropped from the merit list.
February 25th 2009 @ 2:23am
Knives Out said | February 25th 2009 @ 2:23am | Report comment
The off-side phenomenon also seems to be occurring in the 6N games that I’v caught, Westy.
To all, a technical reason as to why backs shouldn’t stand further apart than they already do – the ball carrier will inevitably become isolated if a break is made. Equally, does anybody seriously think that the backs standing further apart will have any effect upon backrow men such as McCaw or Smith? I think not.
Also, another point is that it is inherently wrong to suggest that rugby must be made a running game, as if for the good of the people. I’m a long-time sevens player but such a suggestion is completely at odds with the genesis of rugby and implies an unspoken superiority for one type of rugby, when our sport has been based on variety. I suggest Sledgeross and Gruffalo watch another sport. Perhaps league.
February 25th 2009 @ 6:20am
pothale said | February 25th 2009 @ 6:20am | Report comment
But SH rugby is superior rugby, KO. It’s only a question of by how much is at the heart of the discussion on ELVs.
February 25th 2009 @ 7:11am
Knives Out said | February 25th 2009 @ 7:11am | Report comment
Without starting a new discussion I’m not sure I agree with you there Pothale. I think NZ is a long way ahead of the other test nations but SA or the Wallabies aren’t. I think SA has great potential but I don’t have much faith in the current Wallabies team. We’re basically 3 years away from the next WC and I think the Europea nnations have a much larger scope for improvement, which is worrying.
February 25th 2009 @ 8:12am
Pete Taylor said | February 25th 2009 @ 8:12am | Report comment
So good that you lost to Wales.
England holding sway with the IRB is delusional at best if it were the case the ELV’s would not have made it past the initial discussion.
February 25th 2009 @ 8:20am
sledgeross said | February 25th 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
Thats a big chip to be carrying around “Knives Out”.
What can we say? You appear to be a paranoid, rugby-loving Pom, so good luck to you. Its great that you have a passion for sport.
Ok, Gruffalo doesnt provide any solutions, but he does make a pertinent point as regards the state of the game. You are right, the rugby from the “glory days” of amatuerism was visually appealling, but there is nothing wrong with reminiscing about the way things used to be, especially if you thought it was more appealling.
If you actually cared to read what I wrote, I dont bag the Poms style, nor their achievements. In fact, I even pointed out why top class rugby has become so cynical. I didnt say it was a bad thing, only pointed out I didnt enjoy it as much. Im not saying it is inferior to any other sport.
I suggest you put the toys back in the pram. I dont think Im a “dinosaur” and I certainly dont think the Wallabies play “expansive, beautiful rugby”, far from it (in fact I even said I dont enjoy watching Test matches as much). My “intellectual well” may not be too deep, but Im happy that Im not a paranoid belligerent. I find it amusing that you say “What is the point is moaning and taking pointless pot-shots if nobody, i.e. the author, is to offer a solution let alone a question” only to write a few posts later “I suggest Sledgeross and Gruffalo watch another sport. Perhaps league.”
Mmmmmmm, very deep intellectually, and not a pointless potshot at all is it mate
Enjoy your rugby!