Suck it up and enjoy the RWC.

First topic message reminder :

I feel somewhat relieved to see that South Africa is for once amazingly not be the target of ridicule and mockery, but on the other hand mildly frustrated. Here are some excerpts from some “Expert” opinions on the New Zealand Herald panel regarding this weekend’s play.

Chris Rattue

“please, please, please - if there is a sporting God, don't let England win the World Cup with repeats of their effort against the barging Argies”

“We're not all England naysayers down here and a few of us actually enjoy snippets of the juggernaut rugby they play, as a contrast to our hopelessly naughty, frivolous attitude to the mighty sport."

"England, however, are all launching pad and no rocket”

“The joke is on England so far. When England wear white, their stumbling game looks vaguely noble because it is their way of playing and they are proud of that.”

Full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-experts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503159&objectid=10751120

Peter Bills

“An alien newly arrived from another world in time to watch the first weekend of the 2011 Rugby World Cup would have drawn a singular conclusion from the flurry of rugby activity.”

“our friend would have watched New Zealand score four tries in the opening 32 minutes against Tonga on Friday night.”

“Had he then turned his attention to England's match against Argentina in Dunedin the next night, he would have been confused. Just one try and only a single line break in 80 minutes from England?"

"Ah, his little scrawny face would have smiled. "I've got it - they are playing two different games."

“This abomination of a display was a disgrace to the good name of rugby football. Doesn't anyone in England understand that you can now play some cracking rugby under these much welcomed new law interpretations?”

Full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-experts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503159&objectid=10751108


Getting to the point of my article though, it seems to me that this “superiority attitude” about their game play is infecting the media, pundits and fans alike across continents like a virus.

The first thought in my mind was that game plans are horses for courses, it is very easy for the All Blacks being the superior team and skilled individuals that they are to play wide and entertain crowds with their interpretation of “exciting” rugby, and also depending on who your opponents are for the match.

It is also acceptable for England to play a more conservative arm wrestle with a team as physical as Argentina, who didn’t allow them to go guns “ablazing”

It is also true that some teams hit a competition on their feet running whilst others may warm up to some form.

I have seen as recent as a month ago, where NZ took on the South African approach to control possession and gain territory to strike outside with their midfield and come back in Brisbane against a very good Australian side.

I have seen a New Zealand team run amok in SA during this years Tri Nation breaking the gain line and beating defenders only to be stopped by cover defenders.

I saw a South African team on Sunday make over 100 tackles on the Welsh team, many a time restricting them to no gain line advantage for more than 7 phases, and then use only but a few opportunities to score tries.

For me this criticism of how teams play the game is totally unwarranted, it is creating a mass hysteria about what is good about Rugby Union and what is seen as dire game play.

Rugby is about structure, defence, control, and only when all those aspects are in place, can we put the cherry ontop with exciting back line play. I am sure for the true rugby fanatic, all of these aspects are entertaining.

There is another sport called Rugby League with all the running you can stomach, the more we are trying to convince ourselves that we must be more like Rugby League, the more we are losing the unique identity this great sport has.

Rugby Union has always been about having place for the big weightlifters of this world, the small fast and cunningly quick thinking players, the middle of the road, not too fast, but can’t pick up a car either players.

So once and for all I would like to make my position clear on this, if you do not like the way teams play the game, then simply stop watching them, but at least until NZRU is running world rugby and can convince enough member countries to totally eradicate mauls, rucks, kicks, pick and drives and merge Rugby Union with Rugby league, suck it up and enjoy the world cup.

so we can assume NZ is at least safe for a SEMI?

With A Hore in the mix, you´d think that´s a safe bet.

Let me be Frank, I should have been there

Well you'll all be glad to hear TGG is back ...anyone care to guess what his return post was about?

A referee?
Wayne Barnes?
The english?
His trip to eastern europe?

England's inept performance against Argentina.

Nailed on.

Some good posts here, good articles well written always seem to bring the best out of everyone else (almost).

I'm happy with win ugly or pretty as both have their merits, I think England's win against Argentina was neither though...

biltongbek wrote:A referee?
Wayne Barnes?
The english?
His trip to eastern europe?

2 out of 4, not bad....apparently the ref was biased in favour of England

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

biltongbek wrote:A referee?
Wayne Barnes?
The english?
His trip to eastern europe?

2 out of 4, not bad....apparently the ref was biased in favour of England

Shaddap!!!! link please.