Things that get up my nose about rugby these days

[Schadenfreude]

I'm sticking strictly to my "No high-5s" rule...

The exception is: if you take a hat-trick in the ashes.. then go for it.

 

[Swat]

On try celebrations, I think that a dispensation should be allowed depending on the quality differential between team. For example, if Portugal scored against the All Blacks then up to 5 minutes of hugging and self-congratulation is not unwarranted, particularly as they would probably be down 60 points at the time. An Australian who scored against Romania and then did the turtle should be beaten with a sack full of doorknobs.

No English player should be allowed to celebrate any point scoring. Why should they celebrate? Look who they have to play for.

I also agree with Blue, hugging is unacceptable unless you have just scored the winning try in the RWC Final/S14 Final/TN decider etc. Any display of manlove should be confied to a quick congratulatory pat on the bottom. (NO Hopoate style patting).

Where do you sit on the reverse monkey ebola cloud?

 

[Lee Grant]

I also agree with Blue, hugging is unacceptable unless you have just scored the winning try in the RWC Final/S14 Final/TN decider etc. Any display of manlove should be confined to a quick congratulatory pat on the bottom. (NO Hopoate style patting).

No fingers or tongues either.

Very droll BPC - funny.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Further to all the above fine points I'd like to add:

1 - beer in plastic cups
2 - corporate types in it for the networking

both of which may just be a Sydney thing

 

[mark_s]

Super rugby teams names that make no mention of where the team is from (which is all of them).

Night test matches in NZ in winter

Second string touring teams to rest the star players

Jerseys without proper collars

The rugby season starting in summer

The growing gap between top tier and lower tier nations

 

[Army_Gav]

1. Library crowds, make some noise!
2. Toffs. We are going to make noise, so FOAD
3. PA announcers telling us the laws, FFS, we are not dumb! We don't stop during a movie for people who can't understand the plot do we?
4. Ticket prices. Brumbies, I'm looking at you!

 

[Schadenfreude]

On announcers telling us the laws. They were doing it at the reds this year at the start - but they were invariably wrong.

 

[Sully]

Climate change and political threads on Rugby Forums!

 

[tigerland12]

The growing gap between top tier and lower tier nations

Didn't you watch the World Cup?

 

[Dan54]

Patting opposition players on the head when the stuff up. Gutless!

Has been done for years, is not new to game.

 

[Dan54]

Also don't like stupid swan dives to score when not needed, always remember Zimbabwe (I think it was) in 87 world cup doing that and stuffing his shoulder putting him ouy for rest of tournament, he was their best player too.

 

[mark_s]

Didn't you watch the World Cup?

Was that this year, who won?

 

[Tordah]

I hate it when commentators call a pass forward because it drifted forward, saying stuff like "see here, the pass is thrown in front of the 22 and then is caught behind the 22, so it's definitely forward. Even worse when refs call those. And I hate Stuart Barnes.

 

[BPC]

Where do you sit on the reverse monkey ebola cloud?

Same rule. Okay against a better/equal team or if Carter beats four or more players individually to score. If he is given a pass that requires him to simply fall over the line against the Cheetahs, Lions, Rebels, Force etc then one of the forwards should break his fingers as a subtle reminder.

 

[#1 Tah]

The English.

Chris Ashton.

 

[Bardon]

Another thing that annoys me lately is the amount of moaning that goes on after a loss. It seems some coaches can no longer just hold their hands up and say hey they were better than us we've got areas to work on and improve for our next game. Instead now it's soccer style interviews "The Ref was terrible he cost us the game" type of statements.

I'm not saying their aren't bad refs out there or even very good refs who sometimes make bad calls. But I see that type of thing as something for the fans to complain about. Our game has always had a rock solid repect for the ref. Now it's being eroded by head coaches trotting out the ref excuse to cover up other areas. Sure there will be times a ref/touch judge's decision costs a team, but every week? Leave the moaning to the fans or the media and conduct yourself in a more respectable manner on a week to week basis. Then save your rage for when it's truely justified and then people will actually listen rather than just think the wind bag is off again.

This disrepecting of the ref is creeping on to the field with everyone of the 30 players feeling they have a right to mouth off at the ref or touch judge. I don't want to see a future where there's a soccer style surrounding of the ref everytime he makes a decision. We have a great system of captain/pack leader talks to the ref already.

To the coaches who do this all the time: Rugby is a mans game if you want to constanty cry about decisions made by ref/judges go apply for X-Factor.

 

[#1 Tah]

Old blokes who go on a forum and complain and then dont follow up!

Seriously guys, some of these are great, and while we might not be able to change things on an international level, I am sure that most of you play/are involved in a club that would be willing to hear some of this out in regards to try celebrations etc...

Make a difference!!

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

Also don't like stupid swan dives to score when not needed, always remember Zimbabwe (I think it was) in 87 world cup doing that and stuffing his shoulder putting him ouy for rest of tournament, he was their best player too.

Could not agree more. Remember what happened to that London Irish player when he was being a dick. I am waiting for the day that someone like Chris Ashton or (touch wood) James O'Connor injure themselves doing it.

Remember Terry Mattherson who played for the Bronco's. Stuffed his shoulder 3 times trying to score a try, without a dive.

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

Super rugby teams names that make no mention of where the team is from (which is all of them).

Night test matches in NZ in winter

Second string touring teams to rest the star players

Jerseys without proper collars

The rugby season starting in summer

The growing gap between top tier and lower tier nations

Agree with your point on the collar thing in principle. I have played in both era's for considerable time. I do however see a safer environment for players. Gone are the tackles where a player gets away from someone and grabs the collar and pulls them down. It was very dangerous, that and the fact for some reasons ref's never seemed to penalise for it in spite of the fact that it's above shoulders.

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

Another thing that annoys me lately is the amount of moaning that goes on after a loss. It seems some coaches can no longer just hold their hands up and say hey they were better than us we've got areas to work on and improve for our next game. Instead now it's soccer style interviews "The Ref was terrible he cost us the game" type of statements.

I'm not saying their aren't bad refs out there or even very good refs who sometimes make bad calls. But I see that type of thing as something for the fans to complain about. Our game has always had a rock solid repect for the ref. Now it's being eroded by head coaches trotting out the ref excuse to cover up other areas. Sure there will be times a ref/touch judge's decision costs a team, but every week? Leave the moaning to the fans or the media and conduct yourself in a more respectable manner on a week to week basis. Then save your rage for when it's truely justified and then people will actually listen rather than just think the wind bag is off again.

This disrepecting of the ref is creeping on to the field with everyone of the 30 players feeling they have a right to mouth off at the ref or touch judge. I don't want to see a future where there's a soccer style surrounding of the ref everytime he makes a decision. We have a great system of captain/pack leader talks to the ref already.

To the coaches who do this all the time: Rugby is a mans game if you want to constanty cry about decisions made by ref/judges go apply for X-Factor.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Case and point South Africa's supporters (except PaarlBok from memory) who complained about losing to the greatest team in world cup history. You didn't hear us sook about the ref when we lost to Ireland in spite of the fact some penalties could have gone our way to win the game. Fact we played bad. Fact South Africa played bad.

Blaming the ref is a sign of weakness, but i guess most ref's laugh it off and they should in this sort of manner.

'Yep i made 4 mistakes in that game now that i have seen the replay, but your 10 dropped the ball once. Kicked out on the full once. Forward passed once and kicked 3/5. That's 5 mistakes he made, how about you fix your backyard before peering over the fence?'