Rugby World Cup 2023

[Beebo]

Argentina are poor , England using kicks to great effect but geez it’s a snore fest .

When you have 14 men for 77 minutes then there is no other option.

 

[MrGrumpy]

When you have 14 men for 77 minutes then there is no other option.

Indeed , ruined it though .

 

[gavroche]

That was a very boring game and dreadful from Argentina.

 

[Beebo]

It was as an awful game for the neutral observer, but Argentina have proved themselves worthy opponents to all southern hemisphere sides.

I’m no fan of the new rules. They are too protective. IMHO.

I coach an under 13s team (10am every Sunday) and it’s almost impossible to get them to tackle below the chest all the time. Especially when the contact situation is congested.

It’s far easier for winger on winger in open play. But forward on forward in a congested breakdown zone is very difficult to control.

I can’t see how you can begin to challenge for a high kick if the catcher is allowed to jump
for the ball, as they will always be coming down into a dangerous contact situation.

It’s going to take a long time and lottos red cards to get the change in the game. And the type of game I played for 25 years is now extinct.

 

[AndyRM]

Fair play to England, though the Argentinian discipline and handling was shocking.

Dull as dishwater as a game, George Ford's kicking masterclass aside.

 

[matticus]

I coach an under 13s team (10am every Sunday) and it’s almost impossible to get them to tackle below the chest all the time. Especially when the contact situation is congested.

The two bookings I saw were VERY easy to avoid. (Neither were malicious foul-play, but the rules seem fair.)

 

[Beebo]

The two bookings I saw were VERY easy to avoid. (Neither were malicious foul-play, but the rules seem fair.)

I don’t think the laws are fair at the moment. There has to be equal responsibility on both players to ensure they are in control. The catcher had no control of a safe landing.

The yellow card foul was more malicious and premeditated than the red card. The Argentinian guy was just late and unnecessary.

I can’t see how Curry can avoid the contact, other than not challenging at all. The catch was made 6 feet in front of him and the gap closed in a split second.

The problem was that an accidental head clash occurred with lots of blood, which just looked worse. Being sent off for what is ultimately an accidental incident just seems unfair to me.

 

[figbat]

I’m not a fan of the modern laws either. The two incidents today were obvious highlights of a nanny state culture but the scrum is also largely dead - the teams are often using it to win a penalty rather than actually contest for the ball or for territory. And the players celebrating winning a penalty like they’ve scored a try…. it’s just not a good look. And I get lost on balls kicked into touch, as there seems to be a new law every week about what happens next.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

The yellow card foul was more malicious and premeditated than the red card

Agreed. Although the degree of head contact and the danger it posed was less.

The catcher had no control of a safe landing.

In a congested part of the field when does a catcher have control?

I can’t see how Curry can avoid the contact,

I think this is the nub of the issue

other than not challenging at all

That's extreme.
I wrote after the red card v Ireland that...

It's not the split seconds before impact that are the problem but the seconds before those.

Committed, going full pelt, unable to determine how high the catcher will be standing on landing or even what direction he will be facing the "defending" player has no alternative in the moment.
I think, that what World Rugby are doing is forcing players to assess before they get to that stage.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but in the minds of a lot of people, I think, a Red Card signifies an element of malice. I don't think World Rugby take the same view. I don't think any reasonable observer would detect malice in this incident (unlike the Argentinian Yellow) and therefore reflex to "a Rec Card is unfair".

With time, coaches and players will adapt and hopefully approaches will be tweaked. For instance:

Being sent off for what is ultimately an accidental incident just seems unfair to me.

What will be more unfair is the length of any ban that may follow.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Everything in slow motion looks a lot worse than in normal time.
Yellow card yes red card no.
Not a great spectacle i agree but after going down a man England then had to nullify a dangerous Argentina side.
George Fords kicking was brilliant.

 

[pawl]

If Curries was a red card so was the Argentinians

 

[geocycle]

Great start to the tournament. France v ABs was excellent. I also enjoyed the England game in a slightly perverse sort of way. I thought both were competitive in a way that the other fixtures so far haven’t really been.

George Ford was excellent and channeled his inner JW. But that was only possible because the 7 man pack got dominance for the first time in many games. I thought both decisions were correct as far as the laws go. It does raise issues as to whether the forthcoming bans are going to be appropriate, especially as the team had to play nearly all game without him. There needs to be something that at least in hindsight distinguishes these clumsy collisions from premeditated attacks.

 

[geocycle]

Really looking forward to Scotland v SA. Should be a cracker, SA have awesome power but Scotland are very talented. Come on the Scots!

 

[Dogtrousers]

The thing about the tackle protocols is that Rugby has a mega, potentially existential, problem with head injuries.

I don't pretend to understand the protocols but at least I realise they exist. Unlike some of the talking heads who seemed to think that there has to be malice for it to be red. FFS try to keep up.

My own, uninformed, opinion is that leaping Aussie rules style catches are inherently dangerous.

 

[MrGrumpy]

This gonna be tough for us ! Super hard group to get out off .