Earn the right ?

[TheOvalBall]

I'm hearing this more and more used in rugby.
Earn the right to go wide ? Really ? What a weird way to use words.

You create chances to go wide. You don't have any rights in rugby. You get what you work for.

Earn the right is so self entitled. It's terrible that commentators and pundits use that.

 

[bushytop]

I'm hearing this more and more used in rugby.
Earn the right to go wide ? Really ? What a weird way to use words.

You create chances to go wide. You don't have any rights in rugby. You get what you work for.

Earn the right is so self entitled. It's terrible that commentators and pundits use that.

It’s been around for years and isn’t intended quite how you’re taking it. It just implies that if you take it wide too soon, you’ll essentially be running into a well organised defence. Where as if you play the phases through a few rucks, eventually you can go wide against a defensive line, with less defenders and more gaps.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Aye, I'm not quite sure how you're interpreting so as to be self-entitled? And it's been used as long as I can remember; at least 15-20 years.

It suggests that you can't just fling it out to the quick guys and think that they're going to run around a set defence - you need to put in hard work to disrupt a defending backline first - hence earning the right.

 

[Which Tyler]

It’s been around for years and isn’t intended quite how you’re taking it. It just implies that if you take it wide too soon, you’ll essentially be running into a well organised defence. Where as if you play the phases through a few rucks, eventually you can go wide against a defensive line, with less defenders and more gaps.

Agreed, it means that you need to disorganise the defence before you have a realistic chance of exploiting.
If the defence is all lined up, you're not going anywhere, except turned over (bundled into touch counts).
If you've pulled them in to defend narrow, creating a mismatch or an overlap, got them worried about what's happening inside - then you've "earned the right" to go wide. You've done it by putting in the hard work, and identifying the right time and place.
EARNED not ENTITLED.

 

[Rinkadink]

You get what you work for.

I think this is a non-native language issue as the bit I quoted above is pretty much exactly what the phrase "earning the right" means. You need to put in the hard work (inside/forwards/carry) before the pay (outside/backs/wide)?

 

[oj121]

What a 'look at me give me attention' comment.....

You do have to earn the right to go wide. I dont think any back 3 player in the world would like you very much just flinging it straight outside...

 

[bushytop]

What a 'look at me give me attention' comment.....

You do have to earn the right to go wide. I dont think any back 3 player in the world would like you very much just flinging it straight outside...

Yeah... surely you have to ‘earn’ the right to post that kinda self-important rambling

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

how is earning something self-entitled?

 

[TRF_heineken]

The way I understand it was that you earn the right to go wide by sucking in the defence and building pressure. To go wide essentially mean you want to limit space on one side of the field, but in doing so create a chance to gain territory by a significant margin or hopefully score a try in the corner.

Nothing to do with self entitlement, more about grafting first, reap the reward later.

 

[Crags]

The new saying i hear most now is picture at scrums. Like in life, Sayings come and go.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It is a slightly odd choice of words thinking about it as rights are not earned.

 

[Which Tyler]

It is a slightly odd choice of words thinking about it as rights are not earned.

They aren't? Tell that to anyone who's ever fought for their rights.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Front rowers don’t fight a literal battle at every scrum either, but people often use metaphors to concisely communicate a familiar (but complex) concept. Explaining it in detail every time you refer to it would be both time-consuming and totally unnecessary because everyone understands the metaphor.