Rugby confessions

Anyone got any confessions as a rugby fan that you have been trying to get off your chest for years and despite expensive therapy you simply can't hold it in anymore?

Well here is your chance - lets get some group therapy going!

So to get the ball rolling....here's mine.

Despite being a proud Scotsman....

Who supports "anyone but England" usually....

In 2003, at the rugby world cup.......




I wanted England to win the final!

Now as you exhale and no doubt your rage at my sacrilege grows let me explain myself!

Basically I think that team deserved to win the world cup and I admired them as rugby players - they were the dominant team for the past few years and I just liked the skill of Will Greenwood and the excitement of Jason Robinson, all conducted by Johnny at 10. Combine that with a beast for a forward pack with the likes of Johnno and Richard Hill and I just think they deserved to win it and I was supporting them (very quietly!)

So there we go - I might have just alienated myself from all the other Scots on 606v2 but I think that was beneficial for my own therapy.

So over to you guys - can any of you trump my betrayal?


p.s. I still support anyone but England now - 2003 was just a blip.

Don't think you'll be in a minority. I'm delighted England won that. It broke up the SH monopoly for a while.

I actually wanted Ireland to win the match against Wales in the 2009 Six Nations so they'd get their first GS in 60 years.

I verily confess, that on at least one occassion in the heat of the moment, I have shouted uncomplimentary things about a referee and the standard of his performance.

There's no real excuse for that kind of behaviour and, uh... well I'm a bigger, better person now.

Cari wrote:I actually wanted Ireland to win the match against Wales in the 2009 Six Nations so they'd get their first GS in 60 years.

You're not serious?

Notch - join the queue for that! Especially concerning Scottish refs...

No of course I'm not serious. I didn't begrudge them the win afterwards though.

Cari wrote:I actually wanted Ireland to win the match against Wales in the 2009 Six Nations so they'd get their first GS in 60 years.

I can't believe that. I want NZ to win the RWC BUT only if Ireland don't. Certainly wouldn't be happy to see us lose. I could believe it took the sting out of defeat but I'm amazed you wanted us to win

Thats not much of a confession Notch we all do that

They have felt the wrath of the Ravenhill faithful, that is true.

But now, I attack the decision- not the individual making it. That's the line. I shall not cross it again.

red_stag wrote:Thats not much of a confession Notch we all do that

Everyone does it when you're holding the whistle, I've heard

I was taking the pish. I don't think I have any rugby related confessions really. Other than fancying Gavin Henson at one time.

Notch wrote:

red_stag wrote:Thats not much of a confession Notch we all do that

Everyone does it when you're holding the whistle, I've heard

Not the winning team You always have at least 15 supporters no matter how bad a decision you make!!!

I have no real confessions but I do have some views that aren't agreed with such as thinking the 6 Nations is vastly overhyped.

I certainly did not want Ireland to win in 2009, nor did it offer any consolation that they ended up with a Grand Slam. I was pretty gutted with that defeat, particularly losing due to Wellies' kick just dropping short.

My confession is pretty basic. If I was offered a choice between my Region or my Country winning, I'd go Region first everytime. Prime example was Wales v Scotland and Dragons V Edinburgh day.

Risca Rev wrote:My confession is pretty basic. If I was offered a choice between my Region or my Country winning, I'd go Region first everytime. Prime example was Wales v Scotland and Dragons V Edinburgh day.

Yeah, I have to confess to occasionally feeling more excited about Ulster than Ireland.

Sometimes following Ireland can be a very tribal experience where you feel we are not quite united behind the team, sometimes it's great.

I'm probably a bit more excited about the new Magners League campaign Ulster will begin next season than the World Cup right now.

In an U16 games for Porthcawl,I got punched at the bottom of a ruck and thought i knew who'd done it, so when he was at the bottom it, i kicked him full force in the side of the head. he was out cold, and the game was stopped for about 10 minutes, he was carried off the field, with blood all over him, to the club house until an ambulance came to get him. The ref didn't see who did it.
At the next scrum my opposite prop called me a Cat for retailiating when he hit me earlier (I got the wrong guy)... I spent the rest of the game head butting him in the scrums and trying to break his nose with my shoulder at the scrum engagement.
It was against some club in the Cardiff valleys, can't remember who but we did lose heavily.

I guess another confession I could say is I used to work with Duncan Jones the Wales / Ospreys props father, who is called Gary. He used to work across the road (CLS Transport) from where my father worked (Joint Motorways) and I used to wash lorries there when I was young. One day Gary visited our workshop, normally as an excuse to have a tea break, and we were discussing rugby and he told me his son was the same age and played for a certain side. I looked at our fixtures and his team was one of our next opponents (I think it was either Maesteg or a Port Talbot comprehensive), so I asked his dad for a description no telling him we were playing them. I can't remember what position he was in those days but I was either at tight head (though i sometimes played loose head) I think, and I spent the entire game trying to nail him. I wanted him to go home with a black eye and I could tell his dad I gave it to him. Sadly it didn't work out, he ignored everything I tried and even managed to flatten me at a kick off, when I bounced off him. I didn't tell his dad I played against him...
The truth is I really should remember if he was loose head and if he was scrumaging against me, but my mind is blank on that bit, so I assume he wasn't a loose head in those days. Funily enough both companies closed down and we both went to work for a company called CarLine Transport in Bridgend and his dad helped me through my mecanics apprenticeship. Gary would regularly give me updates on Duncan and was very proud when he made his Neath debut. Though I seem to remember him saying he had a lot of skin taken off his face in one match.

^ Thats on the field, now for Off it.

I support Japan, I wanted England to win the 2003 world cup as did most of Wales.

I was kind of happy when Leinster lost in the 2010 semi.

AlynDavies wrote:In an U16 games for Porthcawl,I got punched at the bottom of a ruck and thought i knew who'd done it, so when he was at the bottom it, i kicked him full force in the side of the head. he was out cold, and the game was stopped for about 10 minutes, he was carried off the field, with blood all over him, to the club house until an ambulance came to get him. The ref didn't see who did it.
At the next scrum my opposite prop called me a Cat for retailiating when he hit me earlier (I got the wrong guy)... I spent the rest of the game head butting him in the scrums and trying to break his nose with my shoulder at the scrum engagement.
It was against some club in the Cardiff valleys, can't remember who but we did lose heavily.

.

mate not something to be proud of, this guy my dad knows played with James Hook at wales u21, and was predicted to be the next big thing and in a match a guy full on kicked him in the head- he had brain damage and can now longer play rugby....


my confession is first time the 10 gets the ball in any match i will tackle him- espicially late ones =)

another is tripping up scrum halves when they are trying to annoy our scrum half at the scrum.

Generally imagine how irritating i am on this forum and convert that on a rugby field and thats what i am like =D

I didn't want England to win in 2003 or 2007. Is that confession worthy?

Watching the Blues vs Dragons this season, I've found myself supporting the latter, simply due to the Blues being so dull.

Back a while when I used to go up to 'the oval' with my brother, some neighbours we would meet up with other local kids and get a game going. Usually 7 or 8 a side, some older kids (dogs galore getting tangled up with the play)... and others much younger but very competitive. No huge guys like there are today...but we showed plenty of speed on the dry winter turf and a ripped up cricket pitch which everyone tried to avoid. We played across field between quarters.

The games were epic...lasting for hours it seemed. We played until the point of no return when cramps and injuries started to dwindle the numbers.

There was this cocky little kid who had a good pair of hands for his age. He was fairly tricky and elusive... and extremely confident. At one point he made another foray from centre field towards the cricket pitch area and put on a step to try and get around the outside of me. I dived and clipped his ankle just as he was getting up some speed. He went like an out of control sports car... sprawling onto the cricket pitch area - and he got up gingerly 'wearing' grazes on his elbow, side, hips and knee. I didn't even know the kids name at the time - but it was none other than Stirling Mortlock. (I sold him a dummy or two that day as well,...)

Our junior side had gone a year undefeated. His side (a few years later) had gone about 3 seasons undefeated.

Another time at the same oval watching the Lindfield side play - he was there as a ballboy. They were great days...a couple hundred used to turn up. The smell of dencorub, beer and snag sandwiches. Stud marks everywhere...bits of tape and blood on the way to the sheds.

At one point some old balding, chirpy bloke said to SM after he fielded a kick to touch (if he'd missed it - there was a chance it could bounce over the fence and roll down a 30m hill to No.2 oval below)

"Not bad work, sonny! You'll make a decent player one day." (or something like that)

"I know... I'm going to play for Australia" - said the smug little kid. (in a croaky high pitch voice)

Notch wrote:I didn't want England to win in 2003 or 2007. Is that confession worthy?

Neither did I. I was working at a place in Fulham at the time and the people I worked for were proper tw-ts. I prayed for England to lose but to no avail. devestated I was.

My confession is that I can't throw a ball into a lineout with two hands. it's really annoying. In the pre lifting days I used to be able to hit my man every time but now I'm like Huw Bennett.

Celebrating wildly as a Wales supporter after beating Scotland 6-0 at Murrayfield in 1963 - the match of 111 lineouts, most of them from touch kicks by the Welsh half-backs!

AlynDavies wrote: I wanted England to win the 2003 world cup as did most of Wales.

Not anyone I spoke to in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Pembrokeshire, Cerdigion, Gwynedd, RCT.

I'm nearly half Welsh, but still want them to lose every game they play. I have no idea why. I'm sorry.

welshy824 wrote:mate not something to be proud of, this guy my dad knows played with James Hook at wales u21, and was predicted to be the next big thing and in a match a guy full on kicked him in the head- he had brain damage and can now longer play rugby....

It was a very dirty game which they started, something was bound to happen at some point. Especially as I was incensed they I was pinned down in a ruck and got punched in the face. I'm sorry I got the wrong person of course, but that's life in rugby I'm afraid. If you go away from home and the opposition are trying to intimidate you and cheat, especially when their coach is also the ref, and isn't interested in discplining his players. Then you have to take the law into your own hands to defend yourself at times. Any forward would of experienced this at some time or another in their life.
I'm from Kenfig Hill and any time our school played Kenfig Hill they normally gave me a special welcome. I remember my old best friend shaking hands with me before a game, then at the start of the game. in the first scrum trying to catch my nose with his shoulder (it's a trick people used to do to break your nose.. accidentally of course) I avoided the shoulder but the lock stuck his head up and caught me with the back of his head on my nose! and these were my mates!

These misunderstandings happen and I'm sure some of us have been on the receiving end by mistake...or had a niggle at the wrong guy.

Reminds me of a story a kiwi mate of mine told me one Monday morning at work in London many years ago. He was playing league on this occasion (during the weekend) and they went oop north somewhere...Bradford or Salford?...can't remember which.

He was a solidly built maori - not to be messed with. He was telling me about the match they had just played and how the opposition were really giving it to him racially as they were warming up...and as it turned out, physically during the match... right from the kick off.

There were a number of dirty incidents in full view of the ref who had lost control, or did nothing. He witnessed a similar thing happening to his mate, Alyn - getting stomped on in a gang tackle. The perpetrator was the same guy who had been mouthing off at the start. In this case, however, they were getting close to the private parts. Definite no-go zone and understood by all...except these guys apparently!

Towards the end my mate (who could certainly hold his own and was not the kind to forget these 'infringements') saw an opportunity when the nasty one was put away in a tackle. He grabbed the fellas sack and according to him "gave it a good twist". Apparently, you could hear the guy's cry in Manchester!

We used to split (excuse the pun) ourselves laughing at that. He also did imitations of The Scream (complete with agonised facial expression) in the office. Our boss, a quiet and unasuming gentleman who looked like a school teacher/professor came around the corner once in the middle of one of these re-creations. He paused, scratched his head confusingly (he had no idea what it was all about) and walked hesitantly into his corner office.

A former colleague of mine got a life ban for thumping a ref. The other team had apparently been having a go at him all match and the ref wasnt doing anything about it.

This guy was about 6'3'' and over 20 stone and one of the strongest guys I have ever met.

Most of the time i don't care about the score in a match once i win my scrum and front row battle.

I was 'supporting' South Africa during the latest Lions tour (only one I've watched).

HammerofThunor wrote:I was 'supporting' South Africa during the latest Lions tour (only one I've watched).

Nice going Hammer.

Here is my [kind of] rugby confession. Well its more of a football one but rugby was involved.

When Matt Busby died, the Man Utd fans all laid flowers and scarfs outside the ground etc. At the time I was living in Stoke (glamorous I know) and the following week, an old Stoke manager passed away. So the Sotke fans did the same and placed their tributes outside the ground.

Anyway, that Saturday was a 5 nations day and I was listening to the Wales game (I am Welsh) on my walkman/ radio. I went to that weekends Stoke game vs Wolves - a heated local derby at the best of times. Anyway, before the game the crowds were chanting at each other and I was struggling to hear how Wales were getting on. So I cupped my hands over my ears and closed my eyes in concentration.

Wales broke away in a move and were held up on the line, leading to about 30 seconds of pressure before finally going over. All the time I was there drowning out the cheers, listening to the rugby in my own little world. When Wales scored, I jumped up and down like a loony cheering and screaming.

Only to realise that a 1 minute silence was being conducted.

I was shoved about a bit and booed by the home fans.

I was mortified and described as a vile human being along with the Wolves fans who cheered that day, in the local press (although I wasnt singled out by name!). A low day for me........

I am sorry but it was Wales' fault!

That's a cracker Hobo! That's one of those 'waking up in a cold sweat' moments.

I shamefully retaliated whilst playing for my school. I'd made a decent break before being held up by the defence. It was in the maul when one of the opposition decided to make me an office i couldn't refuse, hand over the rugby ball, or lose my balls.

After enduring a few seconds of excruciating pain, my team mates took the ball off me. This boy was still squeezing me plums. I half turned round and punched as hard as could in his betty swallox. I then held on for life, he tried hitting my arm to get me off, which just resulted in me pulling down on them.

We scored from that maul, i gingerly walked back to the halfway line. I looked back to see this boy on his knees crying, holding his crotch. He couldnt continue and left the field....Ive never initiated any dirty play during my playing days, though i have retaliated

Fair enough in that case, boyo... the other kid would have well learned his lesson judging from that experience.

I'm not sure this is so much a confession, but the strangest game I ever played in was Porthcawl RFC youth Vs the Porthcawl Ladies team, when I was 14-15.
We were told before the game to be gentle and not do anything rough, be gentle in the scrums, no stamping etc, sadly no one bothered to tell the ladies team that. We lost the game but we basically spent 80 minutes being sexually molested by older women! Wearing boxer shorts under my rugby shorts was probably the biggest mistake I made in that game because it seemed at every ruck we got into there were hands having a feel, lol. I'm not sure if any of our guys were being inappropriate back but to the best of my knowledge they havent put our teams together since.
I know some of the boys still discuss it sometimes even after 17-18 years, lol.

ok this isint something i did but i have known a coach to tell a player in a maul from a lineout to crush the other guys balls.

then one time i remember a fight broke out as this lad punched one of our players (the smallest player on our team) so our pack leader, a fearsome red headed, tattoo wearing, 6ft 3 clad number 8 with an anger issue after someone calling him a ginger minge. (he is 16) ran straight into the middle of the fight and head butted the nearest opposition player AND didnt get sent off


also my team stopped a game halfway through a match as a ref sent off the most dosile player in our squad (he has an afro, semi italian and talks like he is high...) for getting punched in a ruck and the penalty went against us (ok our player did tell him wear to stick his whistle after the penalty but thats no the point) stupid ref