I watched the game and was riveted. I didn't know *** was going on... I really don't understand rugby, but enjoy watching it.. perhaps because of the confusion, I don't know, but I was caught up in it as always. Cool game.
Mickey, if you understand football (NFL/CFL) you'll catch onto rugby mighty quick. There are a fair few similarities.
The KEY difference (IMO) between football and rugby is that in rugby, the ball touching the ground or a player being tackled with the ball does NOT result in a dead ball. The team that has possession is free to continue to recycle the ball by passing it to a teammate laterally (there is no forward passing allowed in rugby) or move the ball to another part of the field by kicking it.
football: touchdown = 6 pts, conversion kick = 1 pt, field goal = 3 pts
rugby: try (almost the same as a touchdown) = 5 pts, conversion kick = 2 pts, drop goal = 3 pts.
Line-outs (when the ball goes out the side) is taken in a way that's similar to soccer. Scrums occur when certain rules are broken. The team with the advantage is the side that feeds the ball into the scrum. The object is to pass the ball through the center of the scrum to the back where it can be picked up by a player and put into play.
Those are the bare, bare bones basics... But being a football fan myself, I highly encourage other football fans to give rugby a try! You'll be very pleasantly surprised. It has all the physicality as football but without all the consistent stop-go restarts from down to down.
(Which is the reason why I also don't care for baseball... I like games where there is constant, non-stop action... Like hockey. I don't like games where there is lots of waiting and standing around for stuff to happen).
Just heard on the nightly News that a group of Tongans went to a rugby match in a town in the USA to watch a fellow Tongan play in a game. The team with the Tongan player lost and his mates, to give him a bit of cheer, started to do the Tongan version of the Haka. The local police in attendance at the match had never seen this and fearing a riot was taking place, pepper sprayed the Tongans mid haka.
Shoot straight you bastards. Don't make a mess of it. Harry (Breaker) Harbord Morant - Bushveldt Carbineers
Just heard on the nightly News that a group of Tongans went to a rugby match in a town in the USA to watch a fellow Tongan play in a game. The team with the Tongan player lost and his mates, to give him a bit of cheer, started to do the Tongan version of the Haka. The local police in attendance at the match had never seen this and fearing a riot was taking place, pepper sprayed the Tongans mid haka.
blurry
Daft Wullie, ye do hae the brains o’ a beetle, an’ I’ll fight any scunner who says different!
Something wrong with that vid... Why would a group of Tongans perform New Zealand's "Ka Mate" haka?
In any event, it's sad that a cultural misunderstanding would cause such a reaction....
But let's not get into it here -- inevitably it will get political, PLUS it's way off-topic.
I'd prefer to get back on the topic of Rugby World Cup... England 2015!!! That should be interesting. I wonder the British Isles teams will be fired up enough and see enough of a home turf advantage to propel them past the typically strong South hemisphere powerhouses: NZ, OZ, S.A...
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Re: 2011 Rugby World Cup!
The final was oddly disappointing. As has been said, the French played to win (but lost) and the All Blacks played to lose (but just managed to win).
I was intrigued to see that a solo singing spot was given after the game to a girl called Amy Westenra. There is a tartan registered to the Westenra family of Christchurch – her family, I shouldn’t wonder.
The name looks Dutch to me, but then that is not a hindrance to having a tartan.
Regards,
Mike
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.
[Proverbs 14:27]
...But being a football fan myself,
......... I like games where there is constant, non-stop action... ......
One of those statements in incompatible with the other
The older I get, the more I appreciate rugby. (and baseball)
Yesterday's game was riveting, and the French came to win, while the Kiwis seemed to play not to lose.
I wouldn't necessarily call it a good game - both teams played too tight, but also too many mistakes. Thoroughly enjoyed it, though had to turn the sound down on the NBC commentators.
Daft Wullie, ye do hae the brains o’ a beetle, an’ I’ll fight any scunner who says different!
Originally Posted by Mickey
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