Did over-regulation suck the life out of the Rugby World Cup?

I didn't think anyone would beat India! Your black caps put on a good show and unearthed some new talent in Ravindra :thumbup:

Did you get a chance to catch the cricket Pete? :stoked:

This We can't eliminate risk entirely and still have a sport.

No worries matey :thumbup:

And now you've been thrashed in the cricket by SA :shocked:

In a headlock? Sorry you are writing your own narrative to fit your views. Converstaion is going nowhere so will leave you in your echo chamber...

If by a conga line, you mean a few then that is true. But I find it hard to believe these guys weren't aware of the risks and we'll just have to wait and see what the courts think. People will point at the NFL's class action but in their case they were burying data that linked concussion to dementia, depression and alzheimers and they settled without admitting fault.

Agreed 100%. Rugby Union has disappeared up its own fundament. Especially with regards to its ridiculously extreme punishments for certain types of incidental head contact. News flash guys, your head still takes a beating in international Rugby depite the red card lottery they've inflicted on supporters. You dont see this in boxing, UFC, League or NFL. Those sports accept the inherent danger of playing a full contact sport. Dont see why Rugby Union doesn't understand this. They want to have their cake and eat it and in the process are making the sport irrelevant.

I'm not saying he didn't get comments and even threats from certain idiots. Just that I think we give them a little too much power by acting like they're anything more than internet try hards. We know they're out there. Look at what Nick Berry copped during the Lions, and I'm pretty sure there were similar reports re BOK after SA Ireland. Unfortunately we seem to be past the point of Rugby being above this carry on.

Yet people who love Owens give out about 2007 when Barnes did exactly that. People only like games to flow when their team is winning. When they are losing they don't like the game flowing against them.

So why no mention of threats after Ireland or any other game he did in the WC. Look how often 2007 gets brought up. It easy to say the media big it up but when certain teams lose the ref gets alot more grief after the game. Look at the SRP ref that had the same issue involving fans from the same country.

Look at the final. AS gets told to use if at every breakdown. the ball is there but NZ are to busy working out what they are going to do. Can't say its the NH when Oz and NZ do the exact same thing just not as well.

You can thank Lomu for the rise in the size of the back who are alot bigger than 20-30 years ago. In the forwards they are bigger but plenty go the 80 when needed to and we saw an old player play hooker (a demanding position) for nearly 80 minutes who normally only plays about 10mins there. Just because they don't doesn't mean they can't. The 3 SH teams after 1995 became alot bigger in all positions and the NH have now copied them. SA have taken it to a new level but a player like PSDT played a full 80 minutes, was by far the most physically engaged player and made the most tackles and is alot bigger than the 2007 and 1195 players in that position. of the 19 backrow on Andrews is bigger 1cm and 1kg, in 2007 Roussouw was 4kg heavier and 2cm smaller, the other two were smaller. In 1995 Bune was 13 for NZ at 1.8m, 85kg, this year it was Ioane 1.89m and 103kg. Are we saying that Ioane should have to lose 20kg to go back to 1995 weight but PST only has to lose about 5-10kgs. The day NZ played a winger the size of Lomu was the day that it showed size mattered and every nation picked accordingly.

So it you are over a players leg and you have the player in a headlock pulling him towards you where do you think you are going to fall. Most neck rolls are not cards because the other player is standing up and at the side or infront of the player. Where was SF intending to land.

Once he saw it he gave the yellow and he thought it could be red which is why he sent it for review to see if it should be upgraded. Why is grabbing someone around the neck and also as CPM put it Dropping weight on a players lower limbs both penalties that are cards depending on the severity. It is stupid that it can happen in a WC final because you would think that a player like SF would know better than to do it. Are you saying punching someone in the final shows that punching is a stupid rule. Blame the player for being an idiot.

You don't think that if Bongi was out for 6 months and was stretchered off the field it wouldn't have been red. Both players tried to tackle a player who they couldn't legally remove so both used their both to make a vulnerable play move.