Happy Thursday Comrades. I for one am looking forward to this weeks Bled one in Melbourne. Talk about putting pearls before swine. Still, I hope a couple of my friends enjoy the game.
As always this is a fan run site and any contribution is always welcome feel free to reach out to me at happyman@rugbydownunder.com be it with an article an idea or an opinion piece.
What Makes a Person a Professional Athlete – Opinion
One of my favourite quotes about professional sports is from a former NFL player Mike Golic. He was quoted as saying that a professional sportsman gets paid to do all of the things between game day and game day.
His argument is that you play the game for free. It is the things in-between that they you are paid to do well. Skills enhancement film review, weight training, physio, sponsor events and corporate functions. While players do get renumerated on the basis of position and ability the ones who are good at tall of the other things are the Athletes who have real value to the organisation.
If we go back in time and look at Israel Falou I have heard the statement that he was kicked out of Rugby. This is incorrect he had his contract terminated (albeit) in a ham fisted way by RA as he could no longer be employed as a professional athlete. I am sure he would always be welcomed at any amateur club to have a run.
If anyone follows Quade Coopers Instagram most of what he posts is skill development.
Taniela Tupou (Pravda Article Here) and Angus Bell look to have completed a long rehab process like professionals.
Feel free to discuss.
New Tackle Height Law in Community Rugby in England
Good Tackle under the new laws
A high Tackle under the new laws
Make no mistake this is coming to Australia in the next year or so. The backlash in England has been profound, I refer you to the Eggchasers podcast.
My view is nuanced with respect to this issue. While I want the game to be as safe as possible part within reason. I also hold the view is that part of the reason men and women play the game is that it has an element of danger and that players accept that they can be injured.
So do we do dangerous activities to escape life or to prevent life from escaping us.
The referral for the article came from Eloise many thanks
Full Article Here
World Rugby has recommended a law trial which will see the legal tackle height drop to the base of the sternum
This year will mark a worldwide change to the tackle height in the community game. Already in force in France, unions will be rolling out their own versions after World Rugby approved the law trial.
Underpinned by a need to make the game safer, what does this mean to the players, coaches, referees, and the watching public?
It will be down to coaching to assist with implementation so it could be a bumpy road ahead.
‘We play now’: Has that incredible Bledisloe call changed rugby for the better?
Fine Article from ESPN Here
As we approach Bled 1 My question is did everyone’s favourite cheese eating surrender monkey change the game or was it just a blip on the radar.
Honestly, I am still in therapy over the call and I can honestly say he would never have made that call against the Kiwis at Eden Park or anywhere for that matter. For mine the restraint of Nic White in the post-game when talking to the Ref was extemporary as I don’t feel I would have not been able to handle myself that well.
It is a sliding doors moment as I don’t think either Foster would be the Kiwis coach or Eddie would be ours if the correct call had been made.
French referee Mathieu Raynal etched his presence into Bledisloe folklore when he determined Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley was deliberately – and persistently – time wasting at the death.
The Wallabies had surged back from a 31-13 deficit with three second-half tries to stand on the brink of an unthinkable upset triumph. With victory seemingly in their grasp, after repelling an attempted maul to win a penalty on their line, Raynal shocked all in sundry by awarding the All Blacks a free kick after losing patience with repeatedly telling Foley “we play now”.
The All Blacks packed a scrum, went to the blindside where Will Jordan offloaded to send Jordie Barrett in at the corner. Boos rang out around the stadium. The All Blacks celebrated wildly. The Wallabies were stunned.
Ten months on it’s worth reflecting whether Raynal set a precedent – or if he merely acted on a whim.
While the movement within rugby is to reduce stoppages, dead time and keep ball in play as much as possible, the truth of the matter is Raynal’s decision was largely motivated by a grudge, or perceived slight, by Foley earlier in last year’s memorable Melbourne match.
One of the Wallabies’ second-half tries to Andrew Kellaway should not have stood – following a clear forward pass. Raynal was in the process of checking the pass with his television match official when Foley, knowing full well the try was likely to be scrubbed out, hurriedly slotted the conversion. Raynal oddly thought he had no choice but to then restart play and confirm the try – but he did not let that incident slide.
Herein lies the crux of the later time-wasting decision.
Call it revenge or levelling the ledger, perhaps. Raynal sure had the final say.
More broadly rugby is, however, fast attempting to embrace the need for speed.
Super Rugby Pacific this year set the blueprint with a series of law reforms that included time limits for conversions (90 seconds), penalty kicks (60sec), scrums and lineouts (30sec) and for the ball to be used at rucks (sec).
TMOs could only interrupt play for serious and obvious foul play – and adopting an eight-minute off-field review system for incidents to be assessed on a yellow or red card threshold stopped referees standing around watching endlessly replays on big screens at match venues.
All told, these changes removed as much as six minutes of dead time from games. Through Super Rugby’s first four rounds points per game jumped from 53 to 61 – the most in the competition’s history.
Most, if not all, fans would agree these are positive, proactive steps to improve the on-field product and viewing experience.
The World Cup is set to adopt the same bunker style card review system but it is unclear at this stage whether the other shot clock measures will be ushered in for the global showpiece.
Compared to other nations such as the traditionally forward-dominated Springboks and England, teams that would happily trudge from set-piece to set-piece, the All Blacks and Wallabies generally attempt to play with vastly greater pace and tempo.
Fiji Refocus After Beating Tonga
From the Fiji Times Here
Other rugby on this weekend.
Improving discipline and skill sets is a focus for the Flying Fijians this week as they prepare for a physical encounter against Pacific rivals Samoa in Apia this weekend.
And assistant coach Brad Harris knows too well that Manu Samoa will not be a team to take for granted given its return to the World Rugby 10th ranking after its outstanding 24-22 Pacific Nations Cup performance against Japan recently.
The Fiji Water-sponsored national side has been through a gruelling training session under the scorching Nadi heat these past two days before heading to Samoa tomorrow.
“We had a really good start,” coach Harris remarked on their 36-20 win over Tonga last Saturday.
“We started the game with two tries which was really positive. And then after that a little bit of fatigue settled in some of our boys so that’s certainly a focus point for us this week.”
Harris, who has been at the helm of the Fiji 7s and the Fijian Drua sides, says he has also been working with the boys this week based on the line-out setup and the options that were presented in the tough encounter against Tonga last Saturday.
“The pictures that were painted were what we expected but we just got to be a little bit better on our skill sets,” he said.
“But as I touched on earlier, you know, for a Fijian team to start the game with two tries is a fantastic start.
“So we’ve got some areas that we need to improve on like discipline, the penalties which led to Tonga getting some entries into our half.”
Overall, Harris says the national side and its coaching staff are happy at where they are so far and hope to match the physicality of a strong Samoa side during this weekend’s showdown.
After registering the victory against Tonga, the Flying Fijians head to Samoa for another Pacific rivalry battle at Apia Park on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians will leave for Apia on Thursday night.
The side returns home on Monday.
Hoss back tomorrow I have left him plenty of airspace for the games on the weekend.
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