The Rugby Thread - Part Deux

Springboks vs All Blacks — 22 August 🏉🇿🇦

I’ve already got my ticket sorted, so I’m selling 2 spare Category D tickets for the game at Ellis Park.

R850 each

Saturday, 22 August | 17:10
Genuine Ticketmaster tickets.

DM me if interested.
 
Ok so hear me out...

Tell me if you agree or not, just a fun discussion or debate.

As we all know modern rugby is extremely close at the top tier level in terms of player's condition, physically, fitness, endurance etc etc etc..

So the slightest edge in any aspect of the game would be unfair to the opposition team if they're not allowed to have the same psychological advantage, or being psyched up / hyped up right before the kickoff.

Yes I'm talking about the haka, I think it's unfair to other teams that doesn't get that psychological boost right before the kick off.

This is not about traditions, history, culture etc...
This is purely about a psychological advantage which one team gets before the kick off.
 
Many opponents draw inspiration from the haka.

Look how well it's worked for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
 
sand_man said:
Many opponents draw inspiration from the haka.

Look how well it's worked for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
Click to expand...
Yes I'm aware, what I'm trying to say say is only New Zealand 🇳🇿, Fiji 🇫🇯, Tonga 🇹🇴 and Samoa 🇼🇸 have this "psychological advantage" / "hyped advantage" just before the kick off which in my opinion is unfair to the opponent playing against any of the above-mentioned teams.
 
NoStepOnSnek88 said:
Yes I'm aware, what I'm trying to say say is only New Zealand 🇳🇿, Fiji 🇫🇯, Tonga 🇹🇴 and Samoa 🇼🇸 have this "psychological advantage" / "hyped advantage" just before the kick off which in my opinion is unfair to the opponent playing against any of the above-mentioned teams.
Click to expand...
Any source of inspiration is fine by me. As long as it's grass-roots and not astro-turfed.

I mean the boks could come up with a cultural thing of their own.... but it probably would have to come at the expense of the woke rainbow project. And since the springboks are under the watchful eye of the rainbow project architects, I can't see any grass-roots war cry or chant or cultural expression, on the level of the Haka, on the horizon.

I love the spectacle of the Haka.... especially when it is performed in the NZ parliament to remind tptb their task might not be as easy as they hope it to be.

Try not to get goosebumps watching this....

 
Well, we have the Impi song playing just before we are about to run out. That gets my juices flowing. And those Zulu warriors. Especially the main Impi, damn, that dude is buff!
 
Something I found refreshing - albeit a bit jarring - was the comment by Nick Mallet this week relating a story about an occasion in which the ref when asked by then-bok coach Mallet why he didn't penalize the boks in the last minute(over an obvious infringement), which would have meant them losing against the Wallabies, replied..."Ah....they [the Wallabies] didn't deserve to win."

A reminder not to put too much stock into sport where political stakes are as high as they are in SA.

The boks have been propping up a failing political class for some time.
 
Reminds me of a recent rugby podcast in which one of the interviewees was pointing out how often the players have no clue as to why or how the refs make the calls they do i.e. most of time it accounts for the look of bemusement on the faces of the players.

The rugby laws seem very complicated and subjective in making on(or off) field calls. It appears the TMO helps in some cases but is also slowing the game down and teetering on the edge of control-freakery often with little to show for it.

The game has become less human. Even tho' officiating comes with a sometimes-harsh price to pay for the best seat in the house, it seems to me most people are okay with the odd mistake, by the ref as long as he is consistent overall.

I wonder how long before the task of refereeing the game is delegated to AI, in the interests of 'fairness' and 'compassion' towards officials.

Personally, I think I prefer the human form of refereeing the game, but I would also prefer the laws to be easier for the average supporter to interpret in the moment.
 
Did you people play rugby?
Any adrenaline, hype, inspiration last a minute or so. By the time the haka has finished, teams got ready and tv crew decide its time for kick-off, its all gone.
When that few seconds before kick-off count down you get your adrenaline rush back, but thats equal for both side.

Too much adrenaline/inspiration is actually bad. Then you can easily make stupid mistakes or not follow game plan. Some inspiration is more needed later in the game. Then the Haka is long forgotten, but the local crowd will be louder than ever in giving inspiration.
 
Here's hoping the one-handed intercept attempt doesn't result in any yellow cards... for either side.

I hate that rule.

It's too instinctive a reaction to be sending players off, imo.

p.s. To reset - for cases of a 'certain try' - just let the attacking team go again without being as loose as risking a one-handed intercept that doesn't go to ground.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X