P
Prestwick
Guest
One thing that always without a doubt crops up when New Zealand play is the legendary issue about slowing the ball down at the ruck or sneaking a turnover out of nowhere. All Black captain Richie McCaw is a bona fide genius at just such an art as many players will testify.
Before him however there were others. Richard Hill for example was excellent at just such a thing, something which frustrated and infuriated just such an All Black side in 2003 when England toured.
Opinion among rugby greats is divided over whether it is 'cheating' or just merely 'playing the game'. Iieuan Evans comments on the RUCKU podcast with Will Carling and Zinzan Brooke that it is catagorically cheating. He is joined, mostly by other greats in the back row who have suffered at the hands of such arcane arts of the ruck.
On the other hand, England heroes Will Carling, Richard Hill and Martin Johnson as well as Zinzan Brooke contend that it is playing the game. That it is just bending the rules at most rather than breaking them.
Richard Hill notes in a recent interview that:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("The Silent Assassain" (i.e. Richard Hill))</div>
The debate continues. Your thoughts?
Before him however there were others. Richard Hill for example was excellent at just such a thing, something which frustrated and infuriated just such an All Black side in 2003 when England toured.
Opinion among rugby greats is divided over whether it is 'cheating' or just merely 'playing the game'. Iieuan Evans comments on the RUCKU podcast with Will Carling and Zinzan Brooke that it is catagorically cheating. He is joined, mostly by other greats in the back row who have suffered at the hands of such arcane arts of the ruck.
On the other hand, England heroes Will Carling, Richard Hill and Martin Johnson as well as Zinzan Brooke contend that it is playing the game. That it is just bending the rules at most rather than breaking them.
Richard Hill notes in a recent interview that:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("The Silent Assassain" (i.e. Richard Hill))</div>
"Slowing the ball down is a skill, as much as anything else," he insists. "People think it's cheating - it's not.
"It's not giving the attacking player the luxury of landing how he wants to, taking people out of their comfort zones."[/b]
The debate continues. Your thoughts?