Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
League is and will always be the poorer cousin of union in world sport. Minority sport played properly in 3 countries.
The skill of Rugby Union
- Thread starter drawboy
- Start date
User20205
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bluewolf
Money List Winner
You're exactly right, but it doesn't make it any more or less of an exciting sport does it? Or do we judge a sports excitement level solely on the amount of people watching/playing it?
Mmm, I turned down a ticket for what would have been my 3rd Grand Final this year - league, you can keep it in west Yorks... its awful.
Sorry but I think you are missing the point. The kicking game is an integral part of the game for field position. The laws are there to be adhered to and referees don't shy away from penalising (unlike football) and so if you transgress you run the risk of the side converting the penalty for 3 points.
Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
League isn't exactly a new sport though is it. It has had plenty of time to grow and spread around the world. If it was a better game than union it would have grown faster and captured wider audiences. I think it has a lot to do with it.
bluewolf
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How much has Union grown over the last 30 years? How much has participation in any sport grown? Genuine questions, as I don't know. Most sport in this country has been aggressively attacked by footballs governing bodies. people now have to make a choice between football and, for example, Cricket or Rugby. The growth of football has had to come at a cost. How much has the average crowd at Yorkshire Cricket Club changed over the past 25 years? I remember attending a Roses match in the mid 90's and Headingly was rammed on the Thursday. I doubt that it's rammed on the Saturday now.
User20205
Money List Winner
It's about who plays what at school, some play union, none (relatively) play league. I like league, it's maybe a purer form of rugby. And also the scrums are what they should be, a restart!! Not the whole game.
That said if league is so much more skill full than union, how come the worst player on the pitch today, and England's worst player for the last year is from league. I'd drive chris Ashton back to Wigan myself!!!!
That said if league is so much more skill full than union, how come the worst player on the pitch today, and England's worst player for the last year is from league. I'd drive chris Ashton back to Wigan myself!!!!
bluewolf
Money List Winner
I don't think I've stated that league is more skilfull then Union, and I agree that Ashton has been poor this season (also that Farrell was poor today).
It should be pointed out, if we are examining the impact of ex league boys in Union, that one of the driving factors in Wales success is Shaun Edwards. I played against Shaun a few times (training matches only as he was older than me) and he was as hard as they come. You would literally have to break his legs to stop him running at you. Also, Im old enough to remember some of the early Union imports into League. More often than not, they were a failure. I seem to remember an all black called John Gallacher moving to Leeds and failing miserably. Maybe we should agree that the sports are just different enough to be entirely seperate skill sets..
User20205
Money List Winner
league has been an entirely positive influence on union, just felt like slagging Ashton off :thup: he'd still be rubbish in league, we'll keep Farrell tho I like him.
The original thread was a little anti union (I know you weren't the op) I happy to agree they are similar but different !!
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Andy808
Tour Winner
I just can't watch league as it looks like they are humping each other after a tackle.
Way too funny to take seriously!
Way too funny to take seriously!
Whereditgo
Journeyman Pro
Rugby Union and Rugby league are 2 sports that have similar basic skills and fundamentals, shape of the ball, passing towards your own goal line, the tackle etc.
They have developed over the years and rugby league and perhaps more importantly the hierarchy within the code who set the rules have managed to improve the game beyond all recognition. Long gone are the low scoring wars of attrition drawn out over 80 minutes by 2 sets of mudpluggers that used to be the norm 20 or 30 years ago.
Having said that personally I think Rugby league is in danger of going too far and becoming ‘Americanised’ where teams take it in turns to score.
The law makers in Union have taken a few wrong turns in recent years in an effort to speed up the game, the scrummage which used to be a genuine contest and a game-within-a-game (ask any front row forward from yesteryear) have become a complete farce with the referee’s simply guessing who is at fault and penalising almost every set piece. The ruck has become an area whereby the defence are not allowed to contest for possession (the ball carrier still has to ensure that he takes contact on his terms though, or it does result in a turnover), the idea being it would promote for fast recycling of the ball and more open play. What actually happens is neither side need commit players to the contact areas and simply stand off packing the mid field.
20 years or so New Zealand arrived with a fresh new approach to threequarter play, with the outside half and inside centres taking the ball very flat on the tackle line, defenders were not able to, or more accurately, had very little time to react to what was happening in front of them and very effective it was to! The recent trend for Union to employ former League players in coaching roles, specifically for the threequarters has resulted in the outside half standing very flat with both centres also very flat, no one is actually moving when they receive the ball, no one is injecting any pace or altering the lines of running, the slide defence, which is enhanced by half of the defending pack can easily stop any attacks before they develop, they can’t contest for possession though!
So to answer the OP: Union has incredible skill levels, the techniques required in the line out to boost a 6’8†tall guy that high and get him back to earth safely in the line out, power and pace, huge players who are incredibly athletic for their size, excellent handling skills (rarely seen, especially at international level, owing to the fundamental changes to the Laws mentioned above, and poor coaching), the ability to kick with both feet (the ball – not heads! Lol) and even in the much maligned set scrummage.
Whereditgo – 30 years as a player (at a half decent level) and qualified and disillusioned coach
Whereditgo for President of the IIRB
They have developed over the years and rugby league and perhaps more importantly the hierarchy within the code who set the rules have managed to improve the game beyond all recognition. Long gone are the low scoring wars of attrition drawn out over 80 minutes by 2 sets of mudpluggers that used to be the norm 20 or 30 years ago.
Having said that personally I think Rugby league is in danger of going too far and becoming ‘Americanised’ where teams take it in turns to score.
The law makers in Union have taken a few wrong turns in recent years in an effort to speed up the game, the scrummage which used to be a genuine contest and a game-within-a-game (ask any front row forward from yesteryear) have become a complete farce with the referee’s simply guessing who is at fault and penalising almost every set piece. The ruck has become an area whereby the defence are not allowed to contest for possession (the ball carrier still has to ensure that he takes contact on his terms though, or it does result in a turnover), the idea being it would promote for fast recycling of the ball and more open play. What actually happens is neither side need commit players to the contact areas and simply stand off packing the mid field.
20 years or so New Zealand arrived with a fresh new approach to threequarter play, with the outside half and inside centres taking the ball very flat on the tackle line, defenders were not able to, or more accurately, had very little time to react to what was happening in front of them and very effective it was to! The recent trend for Union to employ former League players in coaching roles, specifically for the threequarters has resulted in the outside half standing very flat with both centres also very flat, no one is actually moving when they receive the ball, no one is injecting any pace or altering the lines of running, the slide defence, which is enhanced by half of the defending pack can easily stop any attacks before they develop, they can’t contest for possession though!
So to answer the OP: Union has incredible skill levels, the techniques required in the line out to boost a 6’8†tall guy that high and get him back to earth safely in the line out, power and pace, huge players who are incredibly athletic for their size, excellent handling skills (rarely seen, especially at international level, owing to the fundamental changes to the Laws mentioned above, and poor coaching), the ability to kick with both feet (the ball – not heads! Lol) and even in the much maligned set scrummage.
Whereditgo – 30 years as a player (at a half decent level) and qualified and disillusioned coach
Whereditgo for President of the IIRB
