An Unplayable and Un-watchable Game...

https://gwladrugby.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/an-unplayable-and-unwatchable-game/

This. Nicked from Gwlad.

Really liked the article. Don't agree with all of it (straight put in at scrums wouldn't be fair to the team with the put in currently because of the need to hook). I like the current lineouts (although a lot of illegal presentation still). Mauls yes are obstruction and too powerful a tool. You can't contest rucks easy enough because the attacking team just flies over the ball off their feet.

I find it increasingly hard to counter the safety question. I would say rugby is more dangerous than fighting professionally now - at least there you have some control over whether you get knocked out. Cannot honestly say I'd be pleased with my son choosing rugby as his sport either.

There has been a lot of 'evolution' that has seeped into the game over the last twenty years. Examples as lifting in lineouts, crooked scrum feeds, abolition of rucking, sealing off rucks, eight substitutions, most test teams favouring having their captain in the back row and not least refs offering interpretation rather than enforcement of all the rules, which allows mistakes to be highlighted as subjective.
This has all led to a game where constant flow or ball in play is the all consuming objective - rugby league style.
Twenty plus rucks are now commonplace - can't say I like it.

Recwatcher16 wrote:There has been a lot of 'evolution' that has seeped into the game over the last twenty years. Examples as lifting in lineouts, crooked scrum feeds, abolition of rucking, sealing off rucks, eight substitutions, most test teams favouring having their captain in the back row and not least refs offering interpretation rather than enforcement of all the rules, which allows mistakes to be highlighted as subjective.
This has all led to a game where constant flow or ball in play is the all consuming objective - rugby league style.
Twenty plus rucks are now commonplace - can't say I like it.

And even worse, has led to Nigel Owens being touted as the best ref in the world

Stone Motif wrote:

Recwatcher16 wrote:There has been a lot of 'evolution' that has seeped into the game over the last twenty years. Examples as lifting in lineouts, crooked scrum feeds, abolition of rucking, sealing off rucks, eight substitutions, most test teams favouring having their captain in the back row and not least refs offering interpretation rather than enforcement of all the rules, which allows mistakes to be highlighted as subjective.
This has all led to a game where constant flow or ball in play is the all consuming objective - rugby league style.
Twenty plus rucks are now commonplace - can't say I like it.

And even worse, has led to Nigel Owens being touted as the best ref in the world

Plays the audience mun and they love it. Can't beat a mass gathering for an everybody look at me type ticking off. Wish he'd warn them all before ko though, behind closed doors and card the feckers after 10secs if they blatantly break the law.

Stone Motif wrote:I find it increasingly hard to counter the safety question. I would say rugby is more dangerous than fighting professionally now - at least there you have some control over whether you get knocked out. Cannot honestly say I'd be pleased with my son choosing rugby as his sport either.

Not convinced about some of the so called safety wear on show these days. Think some give players a false sense of security and a degree of invincibility. Reckon if 1/2p took off his 1950s grand prix cap, he wouldn't get his head in the wrong place so much. Makes me cringe sometimes.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:I find it increasingly hard to counter the safety question. I would say rugby is more dangerous than fighting professionally now - at least there you have some control over whether you get knocked out. Cannot honestly say I'd be pleased with my son choosing rugby as his sport either.

Not convinced about some of the so called safety wear on show these days. Think some give players a false sense of security and a degree of invincibility. Reckon if 1/2p took off his 1950s grand prix cap, he wouldn't get his head in the wrong place so much. Makes me cringe sometimes.

Yes, I'm quite sure Ben Te'o's wnking spanner would just drop off if he was forced to remove his arm guard

Stone Motif wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:I find it increasingly hard to counter the safety question. I would say rugby is more dangerous than fighting professionally now - at least there you have some control over whether you get knocked out. Cannot honestly say I'd be pleased with my son choosing rugby as his sport either.

Not convinced about some of the so called safety wear on show these days. Think some give players a false sense of security and a degree of invincibility. Reckon if 1/2p took off his 1950s grand prix cap, he wouldn't get his head in the wrong place so much. Makes me cringe sometimes.

Yes, I'm quite sure Ben Te'o's wnking spanner would just drop off if he was forced to remove his arm guard

It would be comical if he hadn't given two different players concussions two games in a row.