England Rugby Union & it's popularity...

[without a dream]

I find that union's only really appreciated by people who've played it properly, as in not just in PE at school. I also don't believe anyone can have been bored watching the All Blacks going in full flow like against Wales for 50/60 mins at the weekend. Imo no team in sport has consistently demonstrated such mastery of their game as NZ have.

 

[tidyman]

I went to both games when Wigan destroyed Bath at Maine Road at League and then ran them very close at Twickenham at Union.

Not sure it really proves anything though.

They say one of the good things about Union, is there is a position for you no matter what size or shape you are. You can look at 1-13 lined up these day before a league game and struggle to make any sort of guess as to who are the forwards and who are the backs.

 

[without a dream]

Just an aside here, there have been a few mini competitions of 7 a side Rugby, both codes being played in competition by one side of Union players, the other comprised of League players. It was the League players who came out on top each time, as their overall fitness is superior.
This was some years ago and if anyone has seen anything recently where the Union players triumphed, I'd be interested.

There's no proper scrumming or breakdown in 7s though which is where a Union team would get their own back as that's knackering in a completely different way to open play. The wigan bath cross code game was before Bath were fully professional. Sale won the last 'clash of the codes' which was done as a half of each code rather than 2 games.

<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Codes_(rugby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Codes_(rugby</a>)#The_games

 

[SWP's back]

Just an aside here, there have been a few mini competitions of 7 a side Rugby, both codes being played in competition by one side of Union players, the other comprised of League players. It was the League players who came out on top each time, as their overall fitness is superior.
This was some years ago and if anyone has seen anything recently where the Union players triumphed, I'd be interested.

There's no proper scrumming or breakdown in 7s though which is where a Union team would get their own back as that's knackering in a completely different way to open play. The wigan bath cross code game was before Bath were fully professional. Sale won the last 'clash of the codes' which was done as a half of each code rather than 2 games.

<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Codes_(rugby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Codes_(rugby</a>)#The_games

Was about to post the same.

 

[Deleted member 52846]

Totally agree, I love watching the dark arts of rucking and scrummaging. What is funny is a league fan calling union scrums pathetic, there is absolutely no point in scrum in league.

That's incorrect. A scrum is formed to bunch players into one isolated area creating more space across the pitch and is an advantage to the team with the ball as when the ball comes free from the scrum there is lots of space to exploit. It's not about who can push whom where or who can gain a penalty from getting it wrong to get another kick in the game (yes, another kick).

It is a test of strength and technique. A proper mans thing.

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

 

[SWP's back]

That's incorrect. A scrum is formed to bunch players into one isolated area creating more space across the pitch and is an advantage to the team with the ball as when the ball comes free from the scrum there is lots of space to exploit. It's not about who can push whom where or who can gain a penalty from getting it wrong to get another kick in the game (yes, another kick).

It is a test of strength and technique. A proper mans thing.

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

At my height and shape (6' 4" and 17 stone), I was never built for league but perfect to be a lock forward.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

That's incorrect. A scrum is formed to bunch players into one isolated area creating more space across the pitch and is an advantage to the team with the ball as when the ball comes free from the scrum there is lots of space to exploit. It's not about who can push whom where or who can gain a penalty from getting it wrong to get another kick in the game (yes, another kick).

It is a test of strength and technique. A proper mans thing.

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

Exactly, in Rugby Union, until relatively recently, since when they've tidied the game up, wingers looked to me, to be living in hope for a cross kick all match whilst watching Tarquin and Benjamin kick the shit out of each other in a scrum
and generally fall about in a heap of 20 or so players, with a resultant ''Offside'' that no fucker watching could ever have seen, or realised why the whistle has blown.
Too messy for me, but to each their own.

 

[SWP's back]

It is a test of strength and technique. A proper mans thing.

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

Exactly, in Rugby Union, until relatively recently, since when they've tidied the game up, wingers looked to me, to be living in hope for a cross kick all match whilst watching Tarquin and Benjamin kick the shit out of each other in a scrum
and generally fall about in a heap of 20 or so players, with a resultant ''Offside'' that no fucker watching could ever have seen, or realised why the whistle has blown.
Too messy for me, but to each their own.

Pfft

 

[Ancient Citizen]

It is a test of strength and technique. A proper mans thing.

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

At my height and shape (6' 4" and 17 stone), I was never built for league but perfect to be a lock forward.

Correct. Another fat Union bastard ;)

 

[SWP's back]

It is, I'm not disputing that, but as a spectator I find a RU scrum no more exciting than a tug if war comp where a ref blows his whistle to stop it 80% of the time and awards a penalty to one team who then kick it.

In rugby league there is 80minutes of strength and technique on offer as there is much more rugby played therefore much more passing+running with the ball in hand and therefore lots more head on tackling.

At my height and shape (6' 4" and 17 stone), I was never built for league but perfect to be a lock forward.

Correct. Another fat Union bastard ;)

Haha. Cheeky twunt. Im lean.