Bruce Stadium in Canberra nears capacity. The Australian team scores try after try against the New Zealand opposition. The sniper goal kicker pots over the conversions effortlessly from the sidelines.
The winning margin is impressive, the game is full of action with very few stoppages.
I watch the game, live and on free-to air, in Perth.
No, I’m not hallucinating and you’re not dreaming, it’s real. It’s definitely rugby, but alas, it’s not rugby union. And the Australian team won, leading 24-0 at half time.
So what is rugby union doing so wrong?
Growing up in Brisbane, I have watched my share of Broncos games and state of origin series, I don’t mind rugby league but I always preferred watching the Maroons or the Wallabies at Ballymore.
For this reason, I feel qualified to compare the two games subjectively.
First off, rugby league at its core is a repetitive and unimaginative game. Run straight and try to smash through two or three guys trying to stop you. Repeat four times then kick as long as you can.
There are a few break out runs here and there, some crossfield kicks, and some play out wide for the speed men at times, but the game is about forward packs.
Southern Hemisphere rugby has the big hits too, but also has flair and variety. Players have multiple skills and many have genuine speed and agility, unlike league players that are all built like Julian Savia.
So why is the union game so hard to sell?
I sat there watching the league international for 40 minutes and thought I was watching one of those Fox Sports compressed games that you can finish in 60 minutes. But no, this was in real time.
And then it dawned on me and I grabbed my laptop and started typing furiously: there are almost no stoppages!
League doesn’t wait two minutes for the likes of Owen Farrel, Damien MacKenzie or Bernard Foley line up for a penalty. It is just tap and go.
There is no waiting for the forward pack puff to their way up field to their next scrum or lineout.
There is no standing around while a tired forward grabs his ankle while the other 15 stand around having a drink.
It is fine for us elitists. We have plenty of free time and relish the opportunity get another bottle of Grange from the cellar. But the modern world is full of kids and adults with short attention spans that aren’t going to sit around waiting for the game to resume.
I pre-record my games of rugby and pretty shortly, have already reached for the remote to skip ahead of brain-numbing, time-stealing stoppages.
I worked out recently that one of the Australin versus England Internationals only had 55 minutes of playing time. The other 25 minutes were spent watching penalty kicks or large men waddling around the park.
So how does rugby league do it?
The ball hardly ever goes out and play resumes within seconds after a penalty or a handling error.
It is all about the evolution of the game which has evolved the rules to make it a better for the spectator.
So how can we fix rugby union? How can we make it attractive to a wider audience?
I am sure I am going to upset the purists with my next few comments but please take them as thought provoking suggestions and not an assault on tradition.
We all love the southern hemisphere style of running rugby, so this is obviously a step in the right direction and should be encouraged.
The quick lineout throw after a deep kick into touch in backfield increases the tempo of the game. Why not formalise this?
I have played some Viva 7’s recently and the restart after the ball goes into touch is very similar – a pass from the sideline with the opposition 5-10m behind.
We see scrum after scrum, more often than not ending in a penalty kick for goal or another time wasting setup for a lineout further up the field.
Some of this was addressed the modified NRC and the failed short arm loving stellenbosch rules.
Can we end it all together with a short arm penalty – tap and go. Anything we can do to reduce the length and number of scrums will be a positive. How about a tap restart for handling errors.
Save scrums to resolve those contests where there is no clear victor.
And before you have your say, I know it kills the spectacle of the set piece of the lineout and scrum but is it really worth it? Is there a middle ground that can re-vitalise the game?
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Except the French, who love running rugby also and have a thriving competition.
Link
Guest
I agree, , but we ( WALLABIES ) used to play rugby like that in periods 1984 - 1986, 1989- 1993 and 1998-2003. But then we we had superior players in the forwards and the backs.... How many times did we see props Matt Dunning Al Baxter and Bill Young eat grass in their careers ??... BOORRRRRRRRRRRRRING 2004 - onwards Aussie rugby is on the nose bigtime ...Kids don't care about the WALLIES.. My too lads 20 and 23 and their mates talk about the AB`S and the NRL .They aren't interested in rubbish ozzie super teams and a rubbish national team..
piru
Roar Rookie
I don't know shirley, it drives me nuts! There seems to be a built in inferiority complex in Aussie rugby about league -this could be the heart of most of it's problems
piru
Roar Rookie
American football is at least as complicated as rugby (often much more so) and manages to be the most popular sport in the USA - ahead of much simpler games like basketball and hockey. The difference I think is that the NFL works hard to remove any ambiguity in its laws. What is a penalty on Thursday is always a penalty on Sunday and Monday - if there is ever a situation where this doesn't happen, it's treated as a serious issue and dealt with. NFL referees are held to a ridiculously high standard - there's no 'we all make mistakes' or 'play the ref' attitude in football fans. Refs either make the right call every time, or they are considered terrible.
piru
Roar Rookie
Timbo, the interpretation is (or was when I last reffed) that unless the player specifically prevents a tackle being made, then it's play on. It's a tricky area as it brings into question the legality of any decoy runners, technically by not getting the ball and running in front of the ball carrier, they are offside. Is a defender then tackling them without the ball guilty of taking a player out off the ball? Or are they themselves guilty of taking part from an offside position? Is getting tackled 'taking part' at all?
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I got embroiled in a debate on blocking tactics and took the time to look up the laws. "A player in an offside position shall take no part in the game." This applies to players off their feet in a ruck, in front of the kicker or in front of their player with the ball. It is up to interpretation and that is driven by the Referees. In my opinion if you are in an offside position and impede any player in any way or actively put yourself in a position to do same, it is cheating, cynical play. Many, especially Kiwi's, disagree with me and I respect their right to have an opinion, even if it is wrong because it doesn't agree with mine.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I am a long term Rugby fan and I am sick and tired of watching fat men standing around doing nothing. I see that every day I look into the bathroom mirror, I don't need it on my TV as well.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I think in some cases the 2 are intimately linked. Boring stoppages lose viewers. These are easy fixes because they don't impact the rules whilst the ball is in play. It will hurt the "Fat Forwards" in the northern hemisphere because they will either need to lose some weight or get fit or both. It will drive the game towards running rugby and away from oafish tactics.
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Yeah and Na, all teams do it - Was one of the first things I noticed watching the Force against the Chiefs live a couple of weeks ago - commented on it at the time - had a seat from behind the posts and saw the running lines of the Force then checked it out in following games and same thing happening. hadn't really noticed it as much on tv but live really stood out. Saw same again over weekend by all teams and starts wit the inside centres passing to outside behind a 2 or 3 frontline of players running in front.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Guest
Agreed Soapit. Obviously NZ are the worlds best in rugby, with daylight second. But how much daylight would there be if their gridiron was sanctioned? Dominic Bird blocked Stephen Moore who was unattached to the ruck, to create a gap for his team mate to stroll through. He then stood offside pulling on a Reds jersey later in the phases. In the same passage of playhe then took the ball himself to burst over for 5 points. The NZ commentators then praised the talent and commitment of the big number 4?! Ignoring the two penalties that he had given away if the referee had been brave and alert at the same time. If you want to look at improving the game, we dont need to change any of the laws. We just need to apply the laws we have now. Offside - daylight behind last feet Gridiron plays on defenders unattached An upskilling of officials. Too much is being missed off the ball. Retallick took Kerevi out of play without the ball. Result? Try, Chiefs, at the other end. Even the commentators dropped their eye patches for that one. NZ do everything better; including sneaky off the ball plays. I for one could live with our exit from Super rugby, to concentrate on a new national comp. Let NZ play themselves, Sth Africa and Japan. The laws are not the problem. The problem is that we dont apply them.
Council
Guest
But you'd rather watch the same pathetic excuse of an effort from a so called international team. Long as your team wins I guess.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Boom-Tish. At least Thurston would have the strength to carry Cooper, which isn't true of the reverse
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Or in last nights game where the whole line-out had to wait while a lock took a few minutes to do up his shoe laces...
Jacko
Guest
unanimous all sports teams rely on the opposition making mistakes. If teams are perfect then no points will be scored will they? Perfect defense would see to that. If the Lions kick it away they are in deep doggy doo doo. Abs will slaughter them on counter attack.
Jacko
Guest
Waiting for a complete T.osser to make a useful comment...Still waiting
Jacko
Guest
Watch old cricket and you will see 120 overs a day being bowled
MacKenzie
Guest
Kaizer you will be happy to read this: I was stunned two weeks ago to learn my Sunshine Coast rugby league supporting neighbours were going to watch their eight year old daughter go and play Aussie Rules. Saw the same family again yesterday and I asked her how her Aussie Rules was going. "Oh I don't play that anymore, I'm playing Rugby Union." The rugby development boys called at the school and introduced sevens to the kids. Why wouldn't they love rugby when it not only has kicking in it but also running and passing? A no brainer. So that is encouraging to learn that the code is looking after grass roots rugby.
MacKenzie
Guest
Kaizer you will be happy to read this: I was stunned two weeks ago to learn my Sunshine Coast rugby league supporting neighbours were going to watch their eight year old daughter go and play Aussie Rules. Saw the same family again yesterday and I asked her how her Aussie Rules was going. "Oh I don't play that anymore, I'm playing Rugby Union." The rugby development boys called at the school and introduced sevens to the kids. Why wouldn't they love rugby when it not only has kicking in it but also running and passing? A no brainer. So that is encouraging to learn that the code is looking after grass roots rugby.
Jacko
Guest
Haha if league introduces a no dickhead policy it will be a small comp. Was it an administrator who got caught with cocaine?
Jacko
Guest
Quade Cooper on Thurstons back?