Anyone else getting bored by the Tri-Nations?

[Bullitt]

You not watched the S12/14 in the last 10 years?

That's always been 80 minutes of aimless aerial ping pong occasionally interrupted by sloppy defending and the odd moment of genius. Certainly not a "northern" thing.

 

[Nickdnz]

I would say it is much more open then north rugby, but I'm not trying to insult NH rugby, I am just pointing out that NH are more practised kickers where as SH is traditionally more open play, which is hard to argue against, and I think if you had better have watched Super 12/14 in the last 10 years you may have a clue. If you think SH defending is so crap, why dosn't England win more often against South Africa, Australlia or NZ?

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TRUE LEGND @ Aug 23 2009, 08:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Yeah thanks mate, i forgot to add how exciting rugby is in the NH forgive me for even forgetting to mention it :huh: :huh:[/b]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Aug 23 2009, 08:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Ah, that old argument.

"I can't defend it here, I'll slag off the NH instead... That'll unite all of us..."[/b]

My thought too.

Look, let me be blunt here, a lot of hay has been made on the comments by Henry and Deans about how kicking is killing rugby, etc, etc but lets be clear here that any complaining about hoofing the ball only then to instruct your teams to do just that in one of the most astonishing displays of cynicism seen this month in sport only illustrates the obvious conclusion that sometimes cheap and hollow talk damages the game more than actions.

Change starts at home. If Henry doesn't like kicking contributing most of the points in 3N games then he needs to stop making faces at the IRB in the hope that they'll embark on yet another beauracratic nightmare and start challenging his players to consider other options than just kicking for goal when given the penalty and kicking the ball for territory when just catching a high ball.

Brian Ashton once (a long time ago) challenged his charges to kick as little as possible but as the years passed, his views faded and conservatism took over.

Henry too was one of a long line of Kiwi coaches who espouged those same proud principles initially but now is slowly threatening to fall into the same trap.

I have a new game plan for New Zealand: pass it to Muliana and have a guy with a sniper rifle ready to knee-cap the bugger if he dares hoof it.

Huzzah, I've solved the problem.

EDIT: That NH rugby is tighter and much more defence heavy isn't an accident because of how the climate is up here as well as the condition of the pitches. As pitch technology improves however, this is changing and France tends to lead the way in spectacular fireworks rugby. A lot of these arguments between North & South tend to put the GP & ML against the S14 but people rarely factor in the Top 14, much of it from the tasteless jerseys through to the endless brawls, gouging and spectacular rugby pack out stadiums from North to South France season in season out. Is kicking killing the French game? I don't know, why don't you ask the 500,000+ people who will watch Stade Francais in person this season*?

(*Stade are to play 5 games at the Stade de France this season roughly averaging 79,000 a game which contributes to the phenominal average gate which would make even Sinners green with envy)

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nickdnz @ Aug 23 2009, 09:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I agree on one thing, recent rugby in SH has been poor. However i think that can be attributed alot because of the death of the "running game" and the introduction of "kick the ball constantly and aimlessly, and wait for a penalty", a method the north has been well practised in for years...[/b]

Sigh, I thought we'd been through this. Yes it's been done in the NH for years....2 years. The same as in the SH. Since the Argentina 2007 WC campaign which was based around a very effective kicking game that involved an bucket-load of up and unders. And it's been badly immitated since.

It's a matter of time before the trend dies out when people realise everytime you do it to a good french***(like) team you'll get destroyed by solid counter-attacking rugby or by trying to do it to a team that's always gonna win the kicking game such as the current South African team.

***because the trend was never really taken up by french teams appart from in the odd match here and there.

Its not a trend that either hemi-sphere copied. And I'm not blaming the argies either because they did it well, not aimlessly.



As for last night's match. I think it was an excellent match, but that's not changing my mind about the format of the competition which remains dull because like has been said already, nobody wants to see the same match three times in a couple of months.


And I agree with Prestwick: "Well the NH sucks more" isn't a valid defence. Its effectively the same as "I know you are but what am I" or "that's what she said".

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Im not to sure if we can compare NH rugby to SH rugby because all Tri nations teams are at the top of the table and the NH teams are sitting middle of the top 10... Figure that out

 

[Bullitt]

I assume that means Argentina are no longer Southern?

Again.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Aug 24 2009, 07:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I assume that means Argentina are no longer Southern?

Again.[/b]

I was vouching for the Tri nations teams because thats whos getting the stick at the mo

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TRUE LEGND @ Aug 23 2009, 08:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Im not to sure if we can compare NH rugby to SH rugby because all Tri nations teams are at the top of the table and the NH teams are sitting middle of the top 10... Figure that out[/b]

Why?

We were talking about stlye and it was a SH poster who said that the NH started the boring kicking game style rugby.


And anyway, the original question was about format of tri-nations. Is it getting boring?

Not comparing NH and SH style of rugby.

 

[Jethro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TRUE LEGND @ Aug 24 2009, 05:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Im not to sure if we can compare NH rugby to SH rugby because all Tri nations teams are at the top of the table and the NH teams are sitting middle of the top 10... Figure that out[/b]

Think it's down to defensive patterns in the South.

Still think they need tor re-arrange the T3 to include Los Pumas and cut the number of times we play each other to two maximum.

We have retained the Bledisloe so not that interested in the two remaining AB v Wallably matches, though am fired up to watching us taking on the Bokke. The EOYT will no doubt see the ABs massacring some more Northern teams including the French.

 

[Bullitt]

Assuming the ABs have any centres by then...

 

[Prestwick]

Or hookers who can throw.

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Aug 23 2009, 02:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

or "that's what she said".[/b]

"The Southern Hemisphere is miles better than the Northern Hemisphere!!!"

"That's what she said."


My God...

 

[Prestwick]

"I know you are but what am I?" :bleh!:

 

[jawmalawm24]

What teams are ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the irb rankings?exactly so no matter how much you guys argue the tri-nations are still gonna be the top 3 and have been for a very long time.

Anyway back to the topic I will agree even thou we won the other night I really don't give a s#@! about the tri-nations it's boring as hell and we won the bledisloe whippdy doo. I think the only time I really got into the tri-nations was when I was living in Australia and and back then we were losing quite a few games to them.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

I agree we are a better team then Australia this year but sad to say not as good as the boks

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Also like to add i still love watching the TN always have always will im not fussed if they add to it... Its the top 3 heavy weights battling it.... cant get enuff of it

 

[candybum]

I think the games are still pretty exciting, its just the format is too long. If it were kept shorter, we'd see some All Blacks playing in the Air NZ cup like the old days (of couple years ago).

 

[nik]

I find it surprising the All Blacks won the game in Sydney by playing so crap for the most part. It was an exciting game when watching live, but definitely not watchable second time round. The execution was very poor by the ABs.

I don't find the tri-nations boring at all really. Its still very exciting. Most games have been tight for the most part, but they haven't been a spectacular as last year's tournament. Maybe its due to no free kicks (more penalties). It slows the game and makes it more forward oriented, the backs are made to look redundent. South Africa have seemed to adjusted and have got the right game plan. But the ABs and Aussies haven't.

It seemed more fair when free kicks were awarded instead of penalties because TV replays shows the referee don't always make the right decision, and because of that no teams should be gifted 3 points. Points should be earnt.

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jawmalawm24 @ Aug 23 2009, 11:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I really don't give a s#@! about the tri-nations it's boring as hell and we won the bledisloe whippdy doo. I think the only time I really got into the tri-nations was when I was living in Australia and and back then we were losing quite a few games to them.[/b]

No interest in the off-topic chat. The above post sums it up for me. Didnt even bother watching the match on Saturday morning.

 

[Prestwick]

Also, guys, I don't know if you've all noticed but a big chunk of the French Top 14 season is played in the Summer. With modern pitch technology why are we playing in the winter?!

Lads, its not the NH or SH that sucks...its just Anglo-Saxon and Celtic rugby that sucks. French Club rugby is where its at!