Rugby - New Year, New Coaches, New Laws

[Joe Kick Ass]

Happy camp.

[finbar]

What a load of self-serving drivel. I'm glad he wasn't in the least bit to blame for his slow and crap passing. The piece is also obviously verbatim, having somehow escaped the usual editorial process that removes tedious repetition.

[Havak]

It could hardly be a happy camp. Let's not mince words here - losing at home to Wales is as close to total disaster as it gets in world rugby right now. It's almost as bad as losing to Fiji.

Finbar - if you can stand it you should read VDs autobiography. Andy Gomersall - and specifically his large ego - is referenced therein.

*edit* And yes I do understand the irony of VD commenting on someone else's large ego.

Personally I find it amusing he is blaming the forwards. Not that he is completely wrong there of course - but every scrummy blames the pack when he has a bad game? I find it even more amusing that Ashton thought the only change needed (and therefore the only problem?) from Rome was the scrum half.

He is too loyal to his players - many should not be getting this third chance.

And fingers crossed Wales keep up their record of conceding soft tries to the Italians.

[LDiCesare]

From rugby365:

A rough pattern seemed to emerge in the weekend's Super 14 matches during open play - attacking teams would make use of quick-tap free kick, but since they couldn't get line-out possession from a touch-kick, the tendency was to boot the ball deep into opposition territory.

Another factor that promotes the deep punt is the fact that players can no longer receive a pass from outside their 22, and kick for touch from inside the 22. If they do, the opposition will have a line-out from where the ball was kicked.

This result is that the defending player has fewer options. He could run the ball in attack, he could chip and chase, or he could punt long, and try to win territory. The latter is the safest option, which is probably the reason why it was employed so often last weekend..

So it looks like the new laws will favor long punts and those so exciting mammoth kicks across the ground. That's fine if we get wingers and full backs who counter attack, but it may be boring if they keep exchanging kicks until one finds touch.

[finbar]

In the matches I saw, there was really only one kick fest, with long kicks into the opposition half. Mainly because both teams lacked imagination. In the other matches, there were chips, counter attacks, kicking for touch, the usual. The bottom line was that the ball remained in play a lot longer. There were a lot of very tired players.

The better kickers, receiving the ball passed back into the 22, didn't have any trouble putting it into touch on the bounce.

And that was after one week under the experimental laws.

[Joe Kick Ass]

I said this in one of these threads a few months ago. The 22 rules particularly; the alteration is one that inhibits defence more than anything, and that'll just make it easier for the attacking team to kick away possession, since they are more likely to receive it back in broken play.

It doesn't do anything to improve skills or back play at all.

[finbar]

How is it different to before? When the ball could be kicked out on the full from a pass back into the 22, the opposition earned the line out throw. They generally recovered the ball from the line out. Broken play, line out, what's the difference?

As I've said a number of times, under these laws, a good kicker can put the ball into touch on the bounce. They were doing it last weekend.

Havak, Gazza has obviously watched one too many England rugby Tests recently. If you feel the sudden urge to buy three green, battery-operated parrots, remember we're here for you.

[Havak]

The lad gazza has issues doesn't he?

Personally I don't have any issues that can't be alleviated by six pints of Abbot or Hobgoblin.

As a point in fact I plan to equip myself in exactly that way to watch Ashton's Follies get whipped tomorrow night.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Originally posted by finbar
How is it different to before? When the ball could be kicked out on the full from a pass back into the 22, the opposition earned the line out throw. They generally recovered the ball from the line out. Broken play, line out, what's the difference?

wtf

broken play is what produces tries; that's the pretty epic difference between receiving the ball when the defensive line is scattered, and on first phase ball where the defence has had a timeout to realign itself.

In field kicks are the most prolific producers of tries. Even moreso than turnovers. For obvious reasons.

I don't get how this can be not significant.

[finbar]

Time will obviously tell, JKA, it remains academic at this stage. There wasn't a lot of evidence of advantage/disadvantage last weekend, but that's after only one week, with players still getting used to the laws, and, more importantly, with coaches yet to work out how to exploit them.

Havak, I notice that Ollie Barkley has nicked off from Bath to Gloucester. Presumably there's a jail somewhere close to the Gloucester ground where he can get day release to train.

[finbar]

Hey Havak. George Smith has a younger brother. Tyrone. Bigger, quicker, plays #13, just started with the Brumbies. He can play a bit. Be afraid.

[finbar]

Take comfort, LdiC, that's the best that England XVI can play, and having pre-pubescents orchestrating your game might be painful in the short term but it's a good long-term investment. I'm sure many of their interminable chats behind the ruck - I've never seen so much chatter and arm waving going on when the ball should have been being cleared - were about anti-pimple cream.

Havak, I think the fascinating irony was that the experience - including a number of those who shouldn't (and still shouldn't) be there - was the difference. That, and too many of their experienced players like Rougerie and Haymans having shockers. Thought Mr Croft got around the field well, worked hard, put in a nice tackle or two. He won't thank whomever it was who threw that first pass to him that landed at his feet.

Elsewhere, unsurprisingly, the Taffys' skills in broken play burned the Italians. Shame that the intercept try - a blind man AND his seeing-eye dog could see it coming - knocked the stuffing out of Italy. Still, it lifted the Taffys, as did Peel's disappearance from the field.

And the Paddys underlined, without really trying, just how ordinary the Scots are.

EDIT. Freddie Michalak debuted for the Sharks yesterday. They won. Just.

[Havak]

You might think I’d be delighted – and naturally I am pleased at the result – but I still have grave reservations about Ashton. I’m still not sure he knows his arris from his elbow when it comes to forwards.

Interesting that you pointed out Crofty worked well Finbar. My problem with Ashton stems from this – he was asked a specific question by the BBC pitchside girl after the game: “What about the new boys (Croft and Wigglesworth)?”

His answer? “Tom struggled to get up to the pace of the game but he can only learn from it. Richard was great”.

Wtf? No one in an England shirt made more first or second up tackles in the second half than Croft? If that is struggling with the pace of the game I would love to see him when he is actually coping!

In a way it was the worst possible result – changes won’t happen now until the next string of embarrassments. Ashton might even survive losing at Murrayfield now (and no one should survive that as Scotland are terribly woeful right now).

Poor Italy – I felt they were unlucky to go in trailing at half time but after the fly half gifted Shanklin a score they lost their discipline entirely for ten minutes and Wales stepped up a gear at the same time. Wales thoroughly deserved their big win. I’ll still support Ireland and France against Wales however – we don’t want the taffies slamming again now do we?

Bath do seem to be struggling to retain their players Finbar. Quelle domage as they say in Paris?

Look forward to seeing the younger Smith – if he is a fraction as good as his brother he will be well worthy watching. Not afraid of him however – England are terrible at the moment so sod’s law states that the next time we meet the Wallabies we will probably stuff them.

(was the England XVI thing a reference to Luger-gate in 2003? Ironic that Walsh reffed last night?)

[finbar]

Indeed, I thought Mr Walsh wore the red rose with pride last night. He murdered les grenouilles. Not, of course, that they needed a lot of help disemboweling themselves.

I didn't see Ashton's post-match stuff. Croft was certainly up with the pace. Wigglesworth was his usual competent, tidy self. Yes, the result postpones the inevitable. Pity. Balshaw under the high ball is a distressing sight. At least France are taking the experimental route. It will be costly at times in the short term but I know which team I'd rather be in three years time.

[LDiCesare]

Indeed, I thought Mr Walsh wore the red rose with pride last night. He murdered les grenouilles. Not, of course, that they needed a lot of help disemboweling themselves.

However hard I could be against Walsh, the only thing I can really criticise is when he didn't see Noon knocking the ball 10 meters forward leading to Heymans' try. Apart from that, the French should have played more intelligently by kicking once or twice the ball at Balshaw, who was sollicited only twice and was miserable both times.
The ref I am really angry against is the one who refereed Italy. Giving a yellow to Bergamasco and not a card to Evans who late shoulder charged a kicker twice!!! Italy didn't need that yellow card. They were tired in the end game, and Shanklin had effectively killed the match with his interception. Still, Italy has found MArcato, who can be a quite fine full back I believe (unfortunately, they still don't have a 10). A pity Masi apparently learned to kick this week, but still has to learn when to do so.
Oh, and Scotland played this week-end too. Or at least they were on the pitch. Best game by the Irish since a long time, but without much of an opposition.