Rugby - England

[Leothebear]

I no longer bother to watch the current England. I find their rugby ugly and tedious.
What do you think?

[tjh290633]

Who do you prefer to watch? Ireland v. Wales was at the level of "Is this a private fight, or can anyone join in?".

New Zealand rugby always seems to be played in torrential rain.

TJH

[Laughton]

I'm with you Leothebear - I thought the Ireland/Wales game a much better game to watch.

Personally, I think they need to look at the offside rule at the scrum, ruck and maul - defensive line is now up so fast that attacking players are more often than not holding hands with the tackler when they receive the ball.

[simoan]

I no longer bother to watch the current England. I find their rugby ugly and tedious.
What do you think?

What's this based on? Surely not just the Georgia game? FWIW I don't think Ireland or Wales play better rugby. Arguably, the French do.

The fact is that the game has changed, partly because of the rule changes and partly because even weaker countries can now organise themselves well enough defensively to stop the stronger team playing an expansive game. This means dominance in set pieces is even more important. I agree with Laughton that one way to stop this trend is to review the offside rule to give the team with the ball more time and space.

All the best, Si

[Leothebear]

What's this based on? Surely not just the Georgia game? FWIW I don't think Ireland or Wales play better rugby. Arguably, the French do

Since Jones I suppose. When was the last time England played fast free flowing rugby? It's always brutal forward power stuff.
However I take on board the offside rule.

I've been a football fan most of my life but became disillusioned with the game and found rugby more exciting. Now I'm rather disillusioned with that too

[Laughton]

Perhaps they could look at the "putting the ball into the scrum straight" rule at the same time.
It actually is still the rule - it's just that referees seem to have forgotten it.

If applied that might make life a bit more interesting again.

[PinkDalek]

Laws of Rugby.

[didds]

I'm with you Leothebear - I thought the Ireland/Wales game a much better game to watch.

Personally, I think they need to look at the offside rule at the scrum, ruck and maul - defensive line is now up so fast that attacking players are more often than not holding hands with the tackler when they receive the ball.

They can tinker with the laws all they like, but unless the referees are instructed by WR/whoever to actually police the tweaks its all meaningless.

As they arent policing straight scrum put ins and throwers not standing in the field of play when lineout throwing, I dont see any point on fiddling about expecting anything to change.

I'd suggest the post ruck defense may be aided by making rucking a pushing contest again, so mid field doesnt end up filled with 6 defensive forwards for a start. But that boat sailed in 1992.

didds

[simoan]

What's this based on? Surely not just the Georgia game? FWIW I don't think Ireland or Wales play better rugby. Arguably, the French do

Since Jones I suppose. When was the last time England played fast free flowing rugby? It's always brutal forward power stuff.
However I take on board the offside rule.

I've been a football fan most of my life but became disillusioned with the game and found rugby more exciting. Now I'm rather disillusioned with that too

I don't think the issue is with Eddie Jones or how England play. How else would Jonny May have so many tries if England didn't play expansively when they get the chance? On Saturday, the weather pretty much forced the way England played; you can't go flinging the ball about in weather like that. It was always going to be a forward dominated game. And then you had the opposition... Rugby is not much different to football in that you can only play the team in front of you, and if they come with a game plan to be physical, contain and disrupt just to keep the scoreboard down, and with no ambition whatsoever to attack, there's not much you can do. Particularly if it's only your second game as a team in several months. It's the same in football where weaker teams will park the bus and hope to get lucky on the break - the best team normally grinds out a win but it's a dreadful spectacle as a viewer.

All the best, Si