Rugby in trouble?

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...rugby-21203265

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...rugby-21203265

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...teful-21203329

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...and-ugly-rugby

Of course, it could be asked would we have seen stories like these if the result had been different on Saturday, but I think rugby has got big problems. Who but a South African would have enjoyed the second test and who but a Brit would have enjoyed the first one? I daresay there are those in South Africa and the UK who didn't get too much satisfaction out of their side winning either given the dismal fare on show (Dan Biggar passed the ball three times in the hour he was on the pitch on Saturday and the two no. 13s passed it twice between them!).

It’s a difficult one, if you stop the kicking you end up with an monotonous forward battle. I think rugby players are a lot fitter, coaches more tactical and with all the subs allowed it’s hard to find a way to win entertainingly at test level. I think the lions got drawn into trying to match the boks game plan instead of trying to play to their strengths. Run the ball on Saturday and we’ll see a different game - more entertaining, but with the risk of getting beaten.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...rugby-21203265

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...rugby-21203265

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...teful-21203329

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...and-ugly-rugby

Of course, it could be asked would we have seen stories like these if the result had been different on Saturday, but I think rugby has got big problems. Who but a South African would have enjoyed the second test and who but a Brit would have enjoyed the first one? I daresay there are those in South Africa and the UK who didn't get too much satisfaction out of their side winning either given the dismal fare on show (Dan Biggar passed the ball three times in the hour he was on the pitch on Saturday and the two no. 13s passed it twice between them!).

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Didn’t think the lions played well in the first game even, losing at half time by 10 points weren’t they? Didn’t realise SA had only played a handful of games in 20 months so no wonder they were rusty. The South Africans are large brutes and the lions should have been running the ball tiring them out not kicking it all the time like biggar did. Gatland got it all wrong and it wasn’t a good advert for rugby at all.

Never understood the reasoning of rugby fans.

You spend in excess of £100 for a ticket, then clap and cheer when they kick the ball out of play and wait a further 5 minutes lining the players up like 6 year old children in the playground, to throw the ball back in.

Each to their own though

That 1st half of 40 minutes went on for not far half an hour with all the stoppages.

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Originally Posted by goats

Didn’t think the lions played well in the first game even, losing at half time by 10 points weren’t they? Didn’t realise SA had only played a handful of games in 20 months so no wonder they were rusty. The South Africans are large brutes and the lions should have been running the ball tiring them out not kicking it all the time like biggar did. Gatland got it all wrong and it wasn’t a good advert for rugby at all.

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Good theory about running the ball but the few times they did they got smashed backwards and lost ground.
The South African centres are massive and don't miss a tackle.

I’m only ever a casual observer of rugby confined to watching Wales for a few matches in the 6 nations, big autumn test and World Cup pretty much. Alongside an occasional premiership game when I visit the parents.

In many ways I feel the advent of professionalism has led to some features that have been a detriment to the game. The defensive game seems to have improved to a point where it stifles creativity and chance in the attacking game. Players are massive now, the average weight of backs now must be so much greater than pre-90s averages (let alone forwards). “Big hits” seem to have become totemic rather than guile, flair and attacking risk.

I know this can be argued for many sports but Union in particular seems to suffer from the referee being far too important compared to other team sports.

I don’t really know what the solutions are as I’m not well versed enough in technicalities but as a spectacle it is purely by growing up in Wales that I even watch what I do of it. If you showed a lay person either of these tests or the State of Origin series I dare say the latter would be the more attractive spectacle.

On the Lions in particular, again probably due to not being a massive rugby fan, I’ve never felt any attachment to it. I get it if you’re a player selected for the Lions and what that means, ditto if you’re playing them as an opponent. I know it’s a storied institution with a long history but I always thought a select northern v southern hemisphere series every 4 years made more sense to me than a select 15 playing a test nation.

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Originally Posted by Kind of Blue

I’m only ever a casual observer of rugby confined to watching Wales for a few matches in the 6 nations, big autumn test and World Cup pretty much. Alongside an occasional premiership game when I visit the parents.

In many ways I feel the advent of professionalism has led to some features that have been a detriment to the game. The defensive game seems to have improved to a point where it stifles creativity and chance in the attacking game. Players are massive now, the average weight of backs now must be so much greater than pre-90s averages (let alone forwards). “Big hits” seem to have become totemic rather than guile, flair and attacking risk.

I know this can be argued for many sports but Union in particular seems to suffer from the referee being far too important compared to other team sports.

I don’t really know what the solutions are as I’m not well versed enough in technicalities but as a spectacle it is purely by growing up in Wales that I even watch what I do of it. If you showed a lay person either of these tests or the State of Origin series I dare say the latter would be the more attractive spectacle.

On the Lions in particular, again probably due to not being a massive rugby fan, I’ve never felt any attachment to it. I get it if you’re a player selected for the Lions and what that means, ditto if you’re playing them as an opponent. I know it’s a storied institution with a long history but I always thought a select northern v southern hemisphere series every 4 years made more sense to me than a select 15 playing a test nation.

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in terms of rugby union i think its about time they played with 13 players just like rugby league for the reasons you mentioned

It’s been a while since I’ve even had any interest in the Wales Rugby Team, but I tried watching the game on Saturday purely out of Nostalgia.

I changed channel after witnessing 3 Scrums each taking about 2 minutes to settle and the game resume.

I no longer understand the rules and don’t enjoy it. I hope they do listen and make the necessary changes.

It's become a sport for huge chaps to grab each other very tightly for lengthy periods . The referee then blows his whistle and asks them to crouch down and place thier heads between big bottoms and very thick sweaty thighs.

Rugby Union is so boring these days and I don't like it. It used to be good, watching the 1970s Welsh team is like looking at a different game all together. I was even watching the programmes on the Lions previous tours last week, and 20 years ago the game was more fluent than it is now.

I started watching Rugby League recently and it is far more entertaining, not something I would have said a few years back. But it is non stop action and lots of running with the ball.

This Lions series has been dismal. However let’s not forget we have just enjoyed a terrific Six Nations involving a raft of terrific games.