Rugby World Cup

The disrespect for refs does come from the top...if managers (like Mourinho and Ferguson) didn't like it, it wouldn't happen. They should lead by example. When Markus saw Saints players arguing with the ref during his first game, he let it be known he didn't like it. Saints don't encourage it, so it's less likely to happen. It looks bad, achieves little, and, in fact, is probably counter-productive as it gets players even more wound up.

 

Cheers. That's some story too - you'd think they'd have known a bit about hydration then and the dangers, but it was a different era. Thanks for this post too - there were some tough hombres out there in many sports, weren't there?

 

I know it's been said, but, if not caught at the time, can't video evidence be reviewed and players penalized after the game? Not only a ban, but hit them in their pocket - I'd take 50% of their monthly salary and donate it to a charity. That might make them think about trying to con the ref .......

 

Retrospective punishment can be dished out for some things, but don't forget how things aren't always clear when viewed in slo-mo. A cricketer was recently given out for diverting the ball with his hand....looked clear cut in slo-mo, but when viewed at full speed, it was obviously a purely reflex, defensive action. Sadly for him, it wasn't retrospective, but dealt with during the game.

 

I understand, but cheating and getting away with it is, in my opinion, killing many sports and needs to be dealt with. Bring back Norman Hunter and Chopper Harris and let's make football a man's game again

 

Oh no Dave!! we need to cut the silliness out, but let's leave the real thugs out. Somewhere in between where a player really can have a "strong" tackle. I'm wincing just thinking about a Ron Harris tackle

 

Is this still going? Interest seems to have plummeted since last Saturday.

 

Watched a rerun of the 70 cup final between Chelsea and Leeds a while ago. I'm not sure there'd have been 10 men left on the pitch these days!
I remember an interview with Ron Harris who said " we recognized that Eddie Gray was the key to their play, so I nobbled him as soon as I could". I looked at that challenge - studs up, right into his knee. Shocking ......

 

Semi finals will be all All Blacks, SA, Australia and possibly Ireland I reckon. Assuming Ireland beat the French today ......

 

I'm expecting a good game today. Australia vs Wales was a cracker yesterday, if Ireland vs France is anywhere near as entertaining it'll be well worth staying in for.

 

Er, perhaps next time then.

 

Don't think anybody is pretending rugby is blameless or completely non violent because that would be wrong, but I agree that there's much less disrespect toward referees (though it's not unheard of). That said, when tense situations arise in rugby they tend to be more dramatic (and sometimes more thuggish) than football ones - but the refs do get in and try and take control/sort it out. (Maybe refs are listened to more because they do get stuck in no matter how chaotic the situation is?).

I was looking for a rugby league example of refereeing on youtube (I don't know union enough to know where to start - I am from a rugby league town and nothing else gets much of a look in) and one of the first videos that came up is this brawl, which is a pretty ridiculous and needless situation but you can hear how the refs try and deal with it because they're all microphoned up (I'm always interested by the mics on referees in rugby league - wonder if that would help in football?):

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Not saying if their decision was right or wrong, I don't know, but they made a decision and stuck to it firmly.

That said, for all the talking of video refereeing potentially coming into football, I've seen a few complaints about it from rugby players/coaches lately being used to much. Guess you can never win!

(Whoops, I actually intended that as a link rather than embedded, but suppose it doesn't matter!)

 

I'm not saying that this would solve anything in terms of players showing dissent (aka arguing), but Rugby Union has two rules (OK, Laws, for those RU Old Boys) - Only the captains are allowed to talk to the referee, and if/when a player shows dissent (including having a moan) the referee can award a penalty, then move the restart point further up the field, 10 metres at a time, every time the offending player opens his mouth. I've watched a referee award a penalty, then move the penalty 30 metres up the pitch, until the other players on the team told the one that was moaning to shut up, using fairly basic language.

I did once hear a rugby player ask the referee if the referee would penalise a player for thinking something. The referee said 'No', so the player said 'Well, I think you're a c**t'

 

Just a friendly tap!

 

The Irish supporters are making a fantastic noise at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff will be a fun place to be later this evening!

FT France 9-24 Ireland. Ireland avoid the All Blacks in the quarters.

 

Gentleman's sport.

 

Hopefully NZ can smash the French to smithereens. Why? Their rugby is so so stodgy and what the French need is a team to put 5 or 6 tries past them without reply and then perhaps they will wake up and see that rugby is a game that involves great handling skills and swift movement, Interestingly of the 6 Nations teams in the WC, it is those with SH coaches that have been the more enterprising so far. England were outpaced by a superb Australia while France looked so sterile in every department.

 

I deed not see eet