The skill of Rugby Union

[drawboy]

Please all you Union fans out there do not take this the wrong way but as a born and bred Rugby League fanatic I struggle to see the skill in the other code. I am however a massive fan of the ability of the kickers to kick a penalty from seemingly anywhere on the pitch, the same penalties that usually make up the majority of the score, a bit like field hockey. That said after the kickers I fail to see the skill in the game. I see handling errors in every tackle and play, knock on's are never seem to be penalised. Tackling seems poor and so does ball handling skills. I understand the ruck as a platform to set up plays but for me they too often descend into chaos where the ref can penalise any number of players.
Please enlighten me. I just do not get the game and I would like to understand it more. Ta.

 

[USER1999]

Well, this six nations is not a good advert so far. The weather has been appalling, and so the rugby has been ground out in the trenches so to speak.

In half decent conditions, you will see off loads from the tackle, and more free flowing rugby. League often just stops at the tackle, because possession is maintained what ever. Can't get into league. It's too stop start, too many similar sized players, no contest in the scrum, every one plays the same role, no break down to contest, in many ways, too American?

 

[drawboy]

Here we go, I was hoping to avoid the League/union continual argument but hey ho looks like that's failed.

 

[USER1999]

Not trying to argue, just putting the other (opposing?) view.

Just prefer union, partly because that was what I used to play, what with league being a minority northern sport like whippet smuggling.

 

[6inchcup]

Well, this six nations is not a good advert so far. The weather has been appalling, and so the rugby has been ground out in the trenches so to speak.

In half decent conditions, you will see off loads from the tackle, and more free flowing rugby. League often just stops at the tackle, because possession is maintained what ever. Can't get into league. It's too stop start, too many similar sized players, no contest in the scrum, every one plays the same role, no break down to contest, in many ways, too American?

utter tosh,league is a faster more skillful game than union,the rules were changed and the scrum cant be contested as such so the need for overweight forwards is long gone,the game is about possession and scoring tries NOT just about kicking,saw the highlights on the news this morning from the 0ne try in the game against wales and scotland,one try and that was a bit of a fumble,watch the games played in australia and tell me that isn't a fast skillful game,notice the england set up has a ex league star as its couch and you can see the influence in the ball playing.

 

[drawboy]

Not trying to argue, just putting the other (opposing?) view.

Just prefer union, partly because that was what I used to play, what with league being a minority northern sport like whippet smuggling.

TBH Murph if you take the six nations and internationals away that are mainly watched by day trippers with no interest in the domestic game there isn't too much of an argument for union either as a week in week out spectator sport. Anyway, I'm watching the game and oh look another penalty to kick due to the ruck infringement again, here comes another 3 points.

 

[Val]

I like both, League is a faster game but both as skill full as each other

 

[Kellfire]

I love the tactical nature of rugby union.

Yes too many matches are dictated by the conditions and descend into kicking contests but rugby league just doesn't have anything like the tense nature of a ruck or maul inches from the goal line.

 

[drawboy]

Yes but by now I would have thought someone knowledgeable about the game would have answered my original question by now and explained the skill of the game to me instead of the yo-yo ours is better than yours argument.

 

[Kellfire]

I just did, for me it's more tactical and that's why I prefer it. League definitely have the better ball handling skills and it's a faster game.

 

[drawboy]

KF my mate, always nice to have a conversation with the Sol meister! How is it tactical? the RL scrum is a farce but then again even though the union scrum is contested it seldom is clean and more times than not collapses and leads to a penalty. The ruck is the same the ball cannot be gathered by the opposing team as this leads to a penalty too. I'm watching the so called highlights from the first half, it is a disgrace. Poor ball handling, worse decisions near the line, terrible ball handling. It really has had the full gamut of errors that union is renowned for. I do not think there was much in the way of tactics shown.

 

[Foxholer]

I've seen wonderful and dire marches of both codes.

I'm old enough to remember when RL didn't have any restriction on the number of tackles. On soggy grounds, that could be horrendous to watch! And RL scrums are almost as stupidly pointless as RU ones are dangerous, technical and rife with cheating.

League CAN be excitingly fast (particularly the Aussie style) with obvious physicality. Union can be even faster in the backs, but the nature of the game means that bulk can be an advantage for forwards and the physicality is less obvious.

My main gripe with Union, the rather dominant code in NZ, is that since it went Professional (and payment was the reason/justification for the split in the first place) the wonderful aspect about Union - a place on the field for every body shape - has gone, at least at the top level. I actually met the 1999 All Blacks and the 'least abnormal' looking was Jonah Lomu! That has always, in my lifetime, been the style of League players where upper body strength is so important so the game becomes rather 1-dimensional. Watching the 'battle' of the Union forward packs can be quite fascinating. Sam Warburton's MOTM award yesterday was well deserved.

A couple of things both codes do have, that Football needs to acquire imo, is 1. respect for/acceptance of Referees. 2. An immense post-match feeling of camaraderie - even for/with the opposition that you've been attempting to pummel into the ground for a couple of hours!

 

[Foxholer]

the RL scrum is a farce but then again even though the union scrum is contested it seldom is clean and more times than not collapses and leads to a penalty. The ruck is the same the ball cannot be gathered by the opposing team as this leads to a penalty too. I'm watching the so called highlights from the first half, it is a disgrace. Poor ball handling, worse decisions near the line, terrible ball handling. It really has had the full gamut of errors that union is renowned for. I do not think there was much in the way of tactics shown.

Ruck and Maul are where the major wearing down of the opposition occurs. League scrums are indeed a farce, but Union ones are getting to the stage where something more needs to be done to avoid serious injuries imo.

It is the variety of types of play in Union that makes it more attractive to me.

 

[SocketRocket]

I've seen wonderful and dire marches of both codes.

I'm old enough to remember when RL didn't have any restriction on the number of tackles. On soggy grounds, that could be horrendous to watch! And RL scrums are almost as stupidly pointless as RU ones are dangerous, technical and rife with cheating.

League CAN be excitingly fast (particularly the Aussie style) with obvious physicality. Union can be even faster in the backs, but the nature of the game means that bulk can be an advantage for forwards and the physicality is less obvious.

My main gripe with Union, the rather dominant code in NZ, is that since it went Professional (and payment was the reason/justification for the split in the first place) the wonderful aspect about Union - a place on the field for every body shape - has gone, at least at the top level. I actually met the 1999 All Blacks and the 'least abnormal' looking was Jonah Lomu! That has always, in my lifetime, been the style of League players where upper body strength is so important so the game becomes rather 1-dimensional. Watching the 'battle' of the Union forward packs can be quite fascinating. Sam Warburton's MOTM award yesterday was well deserved.

A couple of things both codes do have, that Football needs to acquire imo, is 1. respect for/acceptance of Referees. 2. An immense post-match feeling of camaraderie - even for/with the opposition that you've been attempting to pummel into the ground for a couple of hours!

Thats a good post.

 

[chrisd]

I went to Twickenham for my first ever rugby match -England v Wales. I have aways been into football. I was astounded by the skill levels and the tactics showed that that day.

 

[drawboy]

You are easily pleased mate, If they beat Wales they have a clean sweep now that is disgusting from a side that cannot score a try against Italy.

 

[chrisd]

You are easily pleased mate, .

Maybe, but I wouldn't watch rugby league if it was the only sport televised. I couldn't stand it back in the Eddie Waring days and still see nothing in it to make me interested in watching it.

One mans meat.................. !

 

[ScienceBoy]

I love to watch league, grew up watching it.

BUT I would rather play Union I would not enjoy league even half as much. I loved getting stuck in to rucks etc and I would miss that aspect.

 

[Captainron]

If you want to watch faster more attacking rugby the you should watch Super Rugby from the Southern Hemisphere.

Rugby union has a spot on the field for all people. Smaller guys can play the game too. Much more of a thinking game. Miles more options to think through than league. In training we practice dozens of options for each scenario. Fitness in league is superior though. Will give you that.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

On the televised intro for the Scotland v Wales game they showed a couple of tries by JPR and Barry John. That was rugby skills of the highest order.
Union Rugby nowadays is about giants stonewalling each other and has become as boring as League.
One decent game in nine in the 6N so far, when England beat Scotland...eight tries I think.
Disappointed with Wales recently, they are starting to look like a poor mans Old England.....very negative.