7ton says...

Back to the White card.

Does anyone know what the result was with the "supposed trip" white card issued in the Stormers/Hurricanes game?

I can't find any info on it.

Posted 13:38 02nd March 2012

7ton says...

D4stress

I enjoy rugby from all parts of the world and certainly enjoy the 6 nations. I also enjoy much of the HC but I have to say I have seen plenty of half empty stadia in this competition.

As for scrums it's good to see a nice solid one but like many people I am fed up with the constant timewasting and resets that is involved with this part of the game.

As for changing the laws years back rucks used to involve forwards rucking with their feet but thanks to mainly complaints from the North the ruck has now been reduced to just a heap of players on the ground.

Posted 10:59 01st March 2012

D4tress says...

@ powerplay - Please elaborate on what? We have sold out stadia for match upon match at club and country level. You guys can't keep your players away from NH clubs. We have more vocal, more involved and more willing to pay fans. Because the rugby is a better class up here.

It's a better class because we don't keep trying to change the rules to compete with other sports like the NRL. We get on with the business of learning the rules and applying them as they are. We have best refs (Rolland, Lewis, Poite) because we have the best infrastructure and competitions where the refs can learn.

Look - the ABs only beat France in the RWC Final (France - a team that didn't effectively have a coach before the match) with some very VERY dodgy refereeing decisions.

It doesn't really matter what I say here. Union is dying in the SH because you don't have the fans. And you don't have the fans because you play a terrible style of rugby. believe it or not - Union fans don't want to see 8 tries per game: then tries just become meaningless. Union is about scrums, and scrum resets, and collapsed mauls and rucking. That's what makes it special. We don't have 8 tries a game up here, but we still have 40, 60, 80 thousand people showing up at ¿40 a pop to watch these matches.

SH rugby needs to learn to love the game it plays. it's not league - it's union. Love it, play it, and the fans will come.

Posted 09:39 01st March 2012

sandal says...

Thank you, Richard Anderson, for your perspective on the weekend's Six Nations matches. I wasn't able to see any of the games (though I very much wanted to), but I read a lot of reports, particularly on England-Wales, and I read a lot of blogs below the line, again particularly on England-Wales.

It read like I had missed the match of the century. The odd dissenting voice was cast as an embittered man.

Now I wonder. Perhaps the northern hemisphere is just reverting to type.

Posted 05:57 01st March 2012

jontheref says...

chubbylugs

Yes, understand where you are coming from.

If the ruck is formed, yes he is offside.

If no one from the otherside is there, it is not a ruck, so the player you are referring to, is not "offside".

If the ruck is formed, different.

That is what the ref is there for.

Posted 17:15 29th February 2012

D4tress says...

Yeah - RA, bang on. 3 soldout stadia, in the middle of a season of soldout matches (HC) vs. 5,000 people rattling around watching white cards being flung out.

If you prefer that, there's nothing stopping you heading off southwards.

NH is the beating heart of Rugby Union. Better players, better supporters, better refs, better finances. If you want non-stop tries and no scrum just watch league. I spent 15 years playing as a second row. I enjoy watching scrums (and resets) and I enjoy watching rucks and mauls. These are what make our sport our sport. It sound like you just don't like Union. Tries are great, but they're only exciting because they are hard to score and comparitively rare. I remember nonsense matches in the "Super" Rugby (ha!) season where the losing team were picking up try bonus points. The tries were meaningless and the teams scoring them were terrible.

Watch NFL, League or something else if you don't like the wa we're playing.

The sooner we get a HC Winner vs. S15 Winner annual face off the better.

Posted 12:32 29th February 2012

celticspirit says...

I normally quite enjoy the Loose Passes, but this one, more precisely the NH vs SH bit is just plain terrible. Firstly, comparing internationals with the first day of a season in the S15 does not make sense anyway. Then, look at the World Cup: the more intense the games, the lower the scores, the fewer the tries, the longer the time to move the ball around the field. What do you expect? S15 is just a little funny prank as far as intensity is concerned, so obviously you throw the ball around. In the 6Nat, it is the pride of a nation that depends on it, so ALL CREDIT TO SCOTLAND for throwing the ball around like they did, despite the pressure. They deserved more. And the 6Nat deserves more than this article! If you must compare the two, then why not compare the Scotland-Francegame to the Sharks' game??? At least be fair in your comparisons. And then once again (I can't remember how many times this has been sad, but it seems necessary!): I take an intense 8 - 7 (see the WC Final) over a 38 - 24 any day. And a 23 - 17 with 4 tries would be HEAVEN if Scotland won for a change. Surely S15 is not the game they play in heaven, that is the game they play on earth, next to Rugby League and American Football...

Posted 17:27 28th February 2012

Headhunter99 says...

Richard Anderson, you have totally lost the plot about the England v Wales match.

For those of us fortunate to have been at Twickenham it was an enthralling, emotional and close match. The ups and downs of the match shared with the opposition fans sitting next to or near you is something you have no comprehension of. From the moment the Welsh national anthem was sung (and I'm English) till the final whistle after the TMO turned down Strettles try (TMO is right thats why he was there) it was an unbelievable atmosphere rollercoaster of a match. Turgid it never was,take of the blinkers mate

I agree with most of your other points but face it if your not English or Welsh you'll never understand...BTW congrats to the Taff's theres always next year.

Posted 10:24 28th February 2012

StunTheMullet says...

"Television replays, coverage, commentary ensure that even the most dozy of match commissioners would pick up any serious foul play during or shortly after the game, "

Au contraire - the citing commissioners were noticably MIA with their ladyboys when Sir Richie McCaw got elbowed in the face by Boofhead Mk 1 Hartley at Twickers in 2010, clotheslined in the face a week later by boofhead Mk II Andy Powell at Millenium Stadium in 2010 and eye gouged by la femme fatale Rougerie during the 2011 RWC final.

Posted 07:01 28th February 2012

welshmac says...

Slow ruck ball should be dealt with by th IRB. The time spent by Dickson and Philips stood over the ball was ridiculous.

Posted 21:57 27th February 2012