Pathetic, Defensive or Sportsmanlike?

[Perm]

Rugby Union is far harder to play than Rugby League, especially at the breakdown area of the game. In League you have alot more time to set your defence and can organise yourself a bit better. In Union you have less time to do so, also in the rucks if you are an openside flanker like myself it is hard. You have to get to the tackle situation a couple of seconds before everyone else so you can win the ball or protect it for your team.

 

[Langeveldt]

Not in South Africa, or is this board dominated by the views of a vocal English minority?

Rugby league isnt even a sport.. So don't worry about which is the more dominant sport

I'll watch this on sky later, but I cant imagine the Blue Bulls doing that, I think they were genuinely worried that they'd been pushed hard yet again by the Free State and might come unstuck.. Maybe the kicker didn't have the blessing of his entire team in doing so, maybe a few angry words were said after he kicked into touch?

 

[KennyD]

if you are an openside flanker like myself it is hard.

Perm = gun.

 

[Goughy]

I'll watch this on sky later, but I cant imagine the Blue Bulls doing that, I think they were genuinely worried that they'd been pushed hard yet again by the Free State and might come unstuck.. Maybe the kicker didn't have the blessing of his entire team in doing so, maybe a few angry words were said after he kicked into touch?

Seen it yet? What do you think?

 

[Johnners]

From Goughy's description, it's definetly not something done in the spirit of the game imo. I'm a firm beleiver that everything possible (in the spirit of the game of course) should be done to acheive a positive result.

Such a tactic is also giving yourself a vote of no confidence in that you've actually considered the fact that you may indeed lose the match from such a situation.

 

[Langeveldt]

Seen it yet? What do you think?

Yeah, I was shocked that nobody commented on it at all, maybe there is an unwritten rule in Union that when the hooter goes at full time, nobody plays on and scoring a try would be poor sportsmanship? I looked on News24 and it didn't seem to be an issue, so I'm not sure what I make of it..

Cracking match that didn't deserve a loser I guess...

 

[open365]

Especially for you.

Adrian Chiles, the one good things about football.

I'm not sure about the whole sportsmanship thing, i play rugby myself and it is increidbly tough, i can't imagine how tiring it must be to play on for another 20 minutes once you've planed your game around 80.

think about the risks involved in going for the try when the players are that tired and i think it's understandable that they kicked it out.

Your the first person i've heard mention it in that way, at the time me and my dad didn't notice it at all.

 

[Smudge]

I think it's a toughie - their position on the field obviously had a major effect, along with the fact the match was at altitude. Imagine if they tapped it and passed it to a forward who crashed it up, but the ball was turned over in the ruck, giving the opposition a half decent chance at a long-range droppie. Unlikely yes, but possibly more likely than them getting all the way down the field into a scoring position.