Most hated world rugby side?

[Gagger]

Which nation is the international hate figure of world rugby?

Is it South Africa with Bakkies Botha as their poster boy?
Is it the Kiwis with their annoying win record and ignorance of breakdown laws?
Is it England with their traditional cluelessness with the ball in hand?
Or is it the unpredictability and arrogance of the French?

Nope. I reckon it's us, Australia.

There I've said it.

Growing up, it was simple. There were the bad guys in black like Richard Loe, and the good guys in gold like Michael Lynagh. We had Rod McQueen's understatement and Ealesy balanced out that lovable rogue Campo. Australia were the one team that challenged New Zealand's strangle-hold at the top, and do it with running rugby.

Early 90's England thought Australia was great as well. We were the smiling friendly guys living under perpetual sunshine in Neighbours. The Wallabies were talked about in the same reverential breath as the All Blacks.

But that's long gone. In Pommy, and I suspect world eyes (shit, we even get traditionally booed at the HK sevens), what we see as banter, they've come to see as cock-sure arrogance. It probably started with Campo in '99, got ramped up by Eddie Jones until '06, and was carried on by O'Neill and Tuqiri at the RWC last year. Ricky Ponting hasn't helped things along the way.

If you're winning, you can get away with a lot. But we haven't been. And what's been even sweeter for the previously downtrodden, is the nature of the losses - weakness in the most manly area of the game - up front.

I believe this is a key source of the insanity and intransigence of the norths ELVs refusal. As in all wars that escalate out of proportion, both sides see themselves fighting a greater evil. The south against faceless old school tie pompous conservatism, the north against a dodgy dealing south bent on re-creating rugby league to re-assert their dominance.

John O'Neill is the lightening rod for the Norths venom as to date he's kept up the modern Aussie tradition of not going quietly. So we Australia now cops all this as well. Do you see any Kiwi heads above the parapet?

If you give a shit, the good news is that the answer to these problems is in place. Perhaps because he's not originally Australian, Aussie Robbie doesn't go for the verbals. It's been hilarious watching the press doing their best to stir ahead of Saturday's game, so far without ammunition. If he can put this together with some actions that speak louder than words, then who knows. Maybe we can be the second most hated team in world rugby?

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Gagger;

A great argument;

Personally, I can't see look past the English. They are the villains in my view of world rugby. (Not least because they beat us regularly!)
The venom and inaccuracy of the media, Stephen Jones, 10 man rugby, the hyperbole when they win a game, their role in ruining the ELV role-out, their role in trying to prevent the first World Cup, their role in holding back professionalism, the penalty driven winning style.

Possibly because I live there as well!

 

[naza]

Its us.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Its us.

Admittedly when we have had fuckwits like Tuquiri and Henjak in the playing ranks I can understand.

 

[Thomond78]

Gagger;

A great argument;

Personally, I can't see look past the English. They are the villains in my view of world rugby. (Not least because they beat us regularly!)
The venom and inaccuracy of the media, Stephen Jones, 10 man rugby, the hyperbole when they win a game, their role in ruining the ELV role-out, their role in trying to prevent the first World Cup, their role in holding back professionalism, the penalty driven winning style.

Possibly because I live there as well!

On the first because we said it'd be the death of proper tours and would introduce professionalism; on the second, because we said it'd kill tours absolutely and cause major problems in funding and governance.

And we were right on both; deny it who can. Everyone's spent the last ten years trying to sort those out.

As for "penalty-driven winning style" - cock. France? Wales? Or are they now SH teams? What about SA, those apostles of running rugby? If it's DGs, what about Australia and SA in 1999? Or, if it's negative, forward-based rugby, how did Australia score in the 1991 RWC final again?

As for venom and inaccuracy - Ratpoo, the Grewi and Growden. People in glass houses...

What it is, is people get pissed off with being lectured, and O'Neill does nothing else but lecture us, and usually wrongly. If the boot were on the other foot, so would you. There are more players and more nations in the NH, yet being constantly told that everything we do is wrong gets people's backs up. The more so as things are actually ticking along nicely here, so being told that the apocalypse is around the corner irritates those of us for whom it's patently not.

It's not just on that that O'Neill is a loose cannon; his sounding off on the S14 and 3N, announcing that expansion has to be done this way, and it's going to happen, end of, has royally pissed off SARU amongst others, and I doubt if he's flavour of the month in the NZRU on a regular basis. The man simply cannot seem to get the message that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and then sounds off again when he gets out-manouevred by committee monsters like Noisy after he's pissed off the very people he should be trying to win over. He's not helping your cause at all; rather the contrary.

Gagger's right in most of his points, and it's a shame. I remember that team in 1984, the first test match I went to, and they were brilliant. In 1991, they charmed everyone, but never pretended that they weren't prepared to get down and dirty up front. The change started in 1999, when they were frankly dour in the rugby played and started the b?al bocht about how everyone else wasn't running; and the 2001 Lions turned a lot of people up here with Nathan Grey's cheap-shot on Richard Hill. As long as John Eales was there, it was manageable; but once he went, and Eddie Jones stepped in, his incessant whining got on everyone's nerves. Pity.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Ease up!

It's a personal opinion! England are the team that give me the irrates the most.

I think it would be entirely possible for tours to continue AND have the World Cup, I don't see the two as mutually exclusive.

And yes, over recent years, we have lost to England, and there is much bleating and crowing when this happens. We were destroyed up front in the 2007 QF, but the thing is, England never looked like scoring a try... and that gets my goat.

And the fact that England receive these shots at goal isn't the fault of the defending team infringing- it's England's

As far as Ratpoo, the Grewi and Growden go, we all think they're dickheads anyway. They're symptoms of a vile media circus which perpetuates in Australia, and any intelligent rugby fan laments the media coverage in this country. For fuck's sake Tuquiri is the most quoted player!

And whilst Eddie was a whinging little turd that irritated fans on both sides, was Clive Woodward a shrinking violet on the whinge front?

 

[Thomond78]

I know, MSB. It's just the patent inability of people like the Grewi et al to get the message that the entire NH is not their caricature of England, and their caricature of England is not the entire NH, gets my wick on a regular basis. :angryfire:

As for Lord Bald, burn the baldy twat. Anyone who had to suffer what he did to the Lions will happily chip in for the firewood.

 

[Cutter]

Nathan Grey's cheap-shot on Richard Hill

Yes, how can we forget, the first ever instance of foul play between a team from the NH and a team from the SH.

I've asked before (I dont remember this "cheap shot"), does anyone have footage? Is it on youtube?

 

[Thomond78]

Nathan Grey's cheap-shot on Richard Hill

Yes, how can we forget, the first ever instance of foul play between a team from the NH and a team from the SH.

I've asked before (I dont remember this "cheap shot"), does anyone have footage? Is it on youtube?

I'll have a look; I certainly remember seeing it at the time.

 

[Thomond78]

Still looking (how many people are labouring under the illusion anyone wants to see another fecking lion dance, FFS? :nta, but in the meantime, too good not to share this classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Z2m6DgwQ4

What the hell was the Aussie tight-head thinking? I mean, not even the Claw would have done that that openly! :lmao: :thumb

 

[RugbyReg]

How come no one's mentioned those fucking Fijians?!

 

[Thomond78]

How come no one's mentioned those fucking Fijians?!

We already talked about the ABs - surely that covers the Fijians as well...? :nta:

[Ducks before Virgil explodes...]

 

[Virgil]

How come no one's mentioned those fucking Fijians?!

We already talked about the ABs - surely that covers the Fijians as well...? :nta:

[Ducks before Virgil explodes...]

WHAT!!

By the way are you guys claiming Ratpoo as one of your own? :nta:

 

[Spook]

Gagger;

A great argument;

Personally, I can't see look past the English. They are the villains in my view of world rugby. (Not least because they beat us regularly!)
The venom and inaccuracy of the media, Stephen Jones, 10 man rugby, the hyperbole when they win a game, their role in ruining the ELV role-out, their role in trying to prevent the first World Cup, their role in holding back professionalism, the penalty driven winning style.

Possibly because I live there as well!

There are more players and more nations in the NH, yet being constantly told that everything we do is wrong gets people's backs up.

Are there more rugby players in the NH from clubs to schools to pro? I'd be interested in seeing the numbers. :nta:

Anyway, if number of players was a measure for importance, Ireland, Scotland etc would have no voting rights at all.

 

[Scotty]

I think it would be entirely possible for tours to continue AND have the World Cup, I don't see the two as mutually exclusive.

Part of the reason they can't exist is the professionalism (in a manner of speaking) has gone too far in countries such as England and France - they are just playing too many games.

 

[Ash]

...the English... their role in trying to prevent the first World Cup, their role in holding back professionalism,

On the first because we said it'd be the death of proper tours and would introduce professionalism; on the second, because we said it'd kill tours absolutely and cause major problems in funding and governance.

And we were right on both; deny it who can. Everyone's spent the last ten years trying to sort those out.
[/quote]

The World Cup has nothing to do with the death of full tours - a four year event leaves a three year window. Professionalism is what caused it, yes. Funnily enough, if lessons had been learnt from, say, football (soccer), maybe nations like England etc would've realised what would soon come: club vs country. But when dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era, no measure was taken and the result is clubs will either not release players, play line ball to keep them around, or schedule surgeries during international windows.

 

[Blue]

Australia. Other countries ban their drug cheats and their CEO's don't complain about the ref. :fishing
Oh an Australia has Campese. That's enough for most people.

 

[naza]

Its definitely us.

Our fans - 90% closet league supporters who want to see the end of scrums, mauls, and all that stuff that 'gets in the way' of 'running rugby'. The worst rugby supporters on the planet - no such thing as atmosphere at a Wallabies game.

Our media - no need to go into details. Worst rugby media on the planet.

Our administration - arrogant antagonistic pricks who are glorified accountants, not lovers of the game.

Our players - devoid of flair, passion, skill & personality. The Bundy Rum ads sum it up for me. The enduring mystery of Australian rugby is how it is our professional players have amateur skillsets.

 

[Scotty]

naza,

Are you sure you aren't English? Why are you always so negative?


Clearly Phil Vickery obviously wasn't talking about you:

Vickery, a former skipper of England, made it well known when their Test team was announced during the week how keen he was to beat Australia.

"I'm as passionate about playing for England as I've always been," Vickery said. "I don't think there's any bigger Test match than against Australia. I grew up watching Australian teams, and they were always the best. It didn't matter what it was ? tennis, golf, shove ha'penny, darts. They're good at everything.

"One reason why Australia are so good is their attitude to life in general. Whereas we might look at a particular problem, moan and find every reason not to do it, they look at a problem and think, 'How can we do it? What do we need to do? Where do we need to improve?' It's like with the new laws. They look at it and decide to embrace it. In that respect, they are a lot more proactive than us."

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/madness-promises-a-pack-of-surprises/2008/11/13/1226318837382.html

 

[Pfitzy]

Vickery's just prepping us for a massive rogering.

... on the second, because we said it'd ... cause major problems in funding and governance.

The governance issue up there is created by paying players is the fault directly of the Union in question (RFU) being unmovable old toffs and the bankrollers (the club owners and sponsors) actually wanting something for their dollar. Moreso in England than anywhere else...