Rugby Pet-Hates

[cormac]

Hugh Cahill. Not in my name

He seems to have disappeared from the airwaves for the last couple of months.

Spoke too soon.

[nc6000]

The constant need some commentators have to refer to a player's height and weight etc. Yeah, we know they're big. It's rugby!

[Made Of Ale]

Penalty advantages. Specific complaint is that not scoring a try nearly always equals 'no advantage'.

In my opinion:

• If you make a decent territory gain (20m or so), advantage should be over.

• If the ball gets over the try line, and you have a legitimate chance of scoring (e.g. from a cross kick), advantage should be over.

• The advantage should be time limited (1 minute?), at which point it should be advantage over or come back for the penalty.

Also, the advantage takes no account of how likely a team is to score a try from any play. If you haven't scored a try all match, why should it be 'no advantage' if you don't score while on pen advantage in the 80th minute?

The current interpretations cause overlong advantages and repeated penalty cycles that are biased against the defending team. Leinster make the most of this, but I'm still fed up of it TBH.

[Oldschool]

Extra players joining the original maul.
It's dangerous.

[Dave Cahill]

There was a situation around the Sam Costelow yellow card in the Scarlets vs Ulster game that World Rugby needs to take a look at. The facts of the incident, as outlined by the Referee in his process with the TMO, were that blue(ulster) 14 - Sexton- was in the air attempting to reclaim a high kick, Red 10 - Costelow - went to air, also in an attempt to win the ball, but was not in a realistic position to do so. He collided with Sexton in the air causing Sexton to land on his back. An almost textbook yellow card - and this was awarded.

What the process didn't and doesn't take into account is what happened to Sexton when he landed. The force of his landing upon his back caused a 'whiplash' effect on Sexton's head and neck. This is something that is not accounted for in the process but needs to be.

Sexton was unable to continue and had to be replaced.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Penalty advantages. Specific complaint is that not scoring a try nearly always equals 'no advantage'.

In my opinion:

• If you make a decent territory gain (20m or so), advantage should be over.

• If the ball gets over the try line, and you have a legitimate chance of scoring (e.g. from a cross kick), advantage should be over.

• The advantage should be time limited (1 minute?), at which point it should be advantage over or come back for the penalty.

Also, the advantage takes no account of how likely a team is to score a try from any play. If you haven't scored a try all match, why should it be 'no advantage' if you don't score while on pen advantage in the 80th minute?

The current interpretations cause overlong advantages and repeated penalty cycles that are biased against the defending team. Leinster make the most of this, but I'm still fed up of it TBH.

I broadly agree that they can be far too long but I think it’s a tricky one. It annoys me when there’s a long advantage for a minor offside in the middle of the pitch, but then I think teams deserve a longer one for really cynical play near the try line.

Another frustration is when a team gets a penalty deep in their own half and are clearly winding up for a box kick but the ref plays advantage, they should just blow straight away in most cases.

[OTT]

I hate when a penalty try is given and the ref also gives a yellow card as well. There were a few examples over the last two weekends of it off mauls, in the South Africa vs Arg match the Boks got two penalty try’s where the maul was brought down and two yellow cards were doled out, it ended the Argies chances. It’s cynical so give the PT no problem with that at all but it just feels like a double punishment to give a yellow as well.

They are also doing it on quick taps where guys would be in for try’s but are tackled before the 10 and get the pt and yellow card given against them. I think it happened us (Leinster) down in South Africa last season in one of the matches, we gave away the pt and lost a player for most of the rest of the game making it almost impossible to get back into it.

The punishment is the pt the yellow is just way to harsh for me, especially the way a lot of other things get officiated.

[riocard911]

I hate when a penalty try is given and the ref also gives a yellow card as well. There were a few examples over the last two weekends of it off mauls, in the South Africa vs Arg match the Boks got two penalty try’s where the maul was brought down and two yellow cards were doled out, it ended the Argies chances. It’s cynical so give the PT no problem with that at all but it just feels like a double punishment to give a yellow as well.

They are also doing it on quick taps where guys would be in for try’s but are tackled before the 10 and get the pt and yellow card given against them. I think it happened us (Leinster) down in South Africa last season in one of the matches, we gave away the pt and lost a player for most of the rest of the game making it almost impossible to get back into it.

The punishment is the pt the yellow is just way to harsh for me, especially the way a lot of other things get officiated.

On the RSA vs Arg match, I do think the yellow card for Etzebeth for pushing one of the Argentine players into his airborne team mate, causing the latter to land dangerously, was deserved. That action could have resulted in a serious injury. I can understand attackers being frustrated by illegal blocking/running lines, but that's not the ideal way to go about it.

[enby]

1. Conversions. A waste of game time, just give 7 for a try.
2. Refs not enforcing the use it rule
3. Dara O'Brien
4. The hames they have made of the Heineken Cup. Bring back 6 games in the pool. Get rid of two legged knockout matches.
5. Any Welsh team
6. The haka
7. The disappearance of the drop goal other than in the last minute. I love a nice drop goal
8. Crooked put ins
9. Internationals on a Friday or Sunday
10. World Cup quarter finals

[riocard911]

The legalisation of the "crooked" put in at the scrum; the strike against the head, which done well was an art form in and of itself, was thereby tossed on to the slagheap of history, ochón!!!!

[Dexter]

Good thread.

Mine are:
- Big fat teams being allowed to slow the game down
- commentators ooohing and aaahing over “linespeed” when it’s quite often offside ignored by the ref
- refs and assy refs ignoring the offside line saying it’s “not material” (it is material)
- fake tan
- Jamie George

Jaysus, that coulda been me writing that post! Every with every single one

[neiliog93]

Not policing offside and big obese teams slowing down the game (especially South Africa) are the two biggest issues ruining the game, and incentivising/rewarding loads of kicking, while punishing teams who try to attack or play expansively, especially from inside their own half.

[Ruckedtobits]

Daire O'Brian talking as if he understands Rugby on ATH;
Continuous pick and go attempts from inside 5 metres;
Hand flapping by scrum-halves if ball isn't 'on a plate' for them;
Yapping scrum-halves shouting for offside.

[Laighin Break]

Daire O'Brian talking as if he understands Rugby on ATH

FTFY*
*"talking" is probably optional

[Oldschoolsocks]

Daire O'Brian talking as if he understands Rugby on ATH

FTFY*
*"talking" is probably optional

This

[ronk]

- Jamie George

Jaysus, that coulda been me writing that post! Every with every single one
[/quote]

Guy starts a brawl as he tries to attack a team doctor on the side of the pitch. He doesn't even get a disciplinary hearing and the Dr (and his team) are forced to issue apologies.

What happened to rugby that it would fall so far.

[paddyor]

The TMO replays especially when a try has been scored and they play that heart thumping sound effect. The delay of game is cr@p and no amount of dramtaization will change that.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

- Jamie George

Jaysus, that coulda been me writing that post! Every with every single one

Guy starts a brawl as he tries to attack a team doctor on the side of the pitch. He doesn't even get a disciplinary hearing and the Dr (and his team) are forced to issue apologies.

What happened to rugby that it would fall so far.
[/quote]

Couldn't disagree more with this, the doctor was being a pr!*k and should have known his place.

Jamie George also seems to be one of the most popular players in the world. Judging by social media he seems to go to about 90% of player weddings across the UK and Ireland

[ronk]

You might enjoy Trevor Brennan putting fans in their place but I hate it.

Rugby doesn't need the people watching in the hope of some thuggery.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I've never understood the idea that any sports person should have to rise above a d!%khead being a d!%khead. If they do then great, fair play to them. If they don't then I don't blame them one iota.