The Problems With Rugby Union : Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:21 pm  

(1) Their ruck area. It's intensity goes up and down massively depending on the importance of the match. Also players will behave very differently at ruck time between an important match and an unimportant match. This is the main problem.

(2) Too much kicking to the corners, yes, granted can be effective, but IMO it stinks of negative play.

(3) The scrum. Well we all know about that! Rugby League should get rid of the scrum.

Re: The Problems With Rugby Union : Tue Jan 08, 2013 12:23 pm  

Went to Ospreys v Scarlets on Boxing Day and it was dire stuff.....roll on the start of the RL season

Re: The Problems With Rugby Union : Tue Jan 08, 2013 12:49 pm  

OzWelsh wrote:

(1) Their ruck area. It's intensity goes up and down massively depending on the importance of the match. Also players will behave very differently between an important match and an unimportant match. This is the main problem.
(2) Too much kicking to the cornersi yes, granted can be effective but IMO it stinks of negative play.

(3) The scrum. Well we all know about that! Rugby League should get rid of the scrum.

So don't watch it? I'm not a fan so I don't bother too much. Unless it's one of the comps on BBC.

People may argue they see the part I have made bold in a certain team who have a SL title recently..

Re: The Problems With Rugby Union : Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:33 pm  

What i mean by behaving differently is what they do around the ruck, whether they will get up if they're on the wrong side, or risk injury by going for a ball in the ruck, which affects the way the game is played greatly. Wheaeas if a few players aren't bothered about tackling on a certain day, then we can all see that, and that's an attitude thing, not something that is brought out by the laws of the game.

Re: The Problems With Rugby Union : Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:20 pm  

OzWelsh wrote:

(1) Their ruck area. It's intensity goes up and down massively depending on the importance of the match. Also players will behave very differently between an important match and an unimportant match. This is the main problem.

Fancy that, intensity of the game varying based on the importance of the match. A phenomena strangely repeated in most competitive sports.

(2) Too much kicking to the cornersi yes, granted can be effective but IMO it stinks of negative play.

Not sure how kicking for the corners and challenging for the ensuing lineout is negative ? If anything it is the opposite. Is attempting a 40/20 negative or kicking a high bomb that is challenged by the kicking team negative (as opposed to running the ball instead) ?

(3) The scrum. Well we all know about that! Rugby League should get rid of the scrum.

The competitive scrum disappearing in RU would have massive opposition within the sport.

Re: The Problems With Rugby Union : Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:27 pm  

I've made it clearer now for you to understand my point about the ruck in less important matches.

I'm just on about the ruck, not the general attitude of the players.

In League, the ruck is the same regardless of the importance of the match, generally speaking, yes there are quite small differences in interpretation between the NRL and SL, but players do the same things whether in a bottom of the table dead rubber or in the WC Final. It's just the speed and urgency which changes.

But in rugby union, it's completely different, as this is their problem, their ruck area does not lend itsellf to a professional game.