'Personal attacks on teams and individuals are divisive and unhelpful... it shouldn't be accepted'
Lewis Moody is hoping for a big improvement in Leicester’s Gallagher Premiership form between now and the end of the season – and an end to the personalised abuse that is blighting the sport and society in general.
So serious has the issue become in recent times that Tigers even sought police advice last April on how best to handle the matter.
Having finished eleventh place last term, one spot above relegated Newcastle, Leicester’s on-field fortunes haven’t much improved this season.
Halfway through their 22-match schedule, they again occupy the eleventh spot having won just three of eleven matches and would be favourites for the drop but for Saracens’ automatic relegation for salary cap breaches.
Moody, the 2003 World Cup winner who spent a dozen season at Welford Road, has no problem with performances being questioned in a critically constructive manner.
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The Rugby Pod rounds up all last weekend’s Guinness Six Nations and Gallagher Premiership action
They have to questioned in instances such as Leicester going to Sale last weekend and abjectly losing 36-3. However, he takes issue when the criticism turns to personalised abuse and crosses the line.
“Not to diminish the importance that games have for people but like any environment, all players and all coaches are trying to play to the best of their ability,” he told RugbyPass.
“No team or player ever takes the field trying to have a bad game or wanting to underperform or make a mistake. No coach ever prepares a team poorly because he is preparing a team to be successful at the weekend to the best of his ability.
Fascinating listening to @GMB talking about pressure of social media and how to better monitor trolling and hold individuals to account. Wonder if they will reflect also on how they look at the toxic behaviours and language they themselves and other media outlets have condoned?
— Lewis Moody (@LewisMoody7) February 17, 2020
“People have the right to be upset and disappointed in performances, of course, but it’s the language and the rhetoric and the behaviours that are used and condoned that have become an acceptable part of everyday practice, whether it is personal accounts or social media or the media – whatever platform it is happening on, it’s unacceptable.
“You wouldn’t say these things to people’s faces. Invariably people often wouldn’t say the comments they put on social media or in the media to someone’s face because there is an outcome, someone is going to be upset, distraught. There might be an angry reaction.
“It’s not to say that people can’t be disappointed. It’s when there are personal attacks on teams and individuals and the language and the rhetoric that is used is divisive, unhelpful and quite frankly shouldn’t be accepted.
https://twitter.com/RyanKirby2/status/1229482853991358467
“It’s not to say people can’t have a difference of opinion, it’s just doing it in a manner that is kind and reflecting on the fact that everyone is trying to do the best possible to the best of their ability. But we live in a strange time where everything we do in our lives can be put on a public forum.
“There is no place for it [personalised abuse] in any walk of life, let alone in sport. People are going out to do all they can to win and at the end of the day it is a game and there is always another the following week. Nothing is ever that important. The death threats, the toxic language and hate that is spread, it’s not acceptable.”
Reflecting on the inconsistent Leicester that exists now compared to the multi trophy-winning squad he was part of from 1997 through to 2010, Moody is hopeful that the settling of the relegation issue for this season will encourage Tigers to become more expressive in the months ahead and finish with a flourish.
“That has held them back in the performance because it was not where would have expected, certainly against France."@LewisMoody7 tells @heagneyl he thinks the Saracens elephant might still be in the room #ENGvIRE ?????????https://t.co/3CDkTpFoSI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 23, 2020
“It has been a tough five years for Leicester with various different coaches coming and going and certainly for a mate of mine in Geordan Murphy to be any the helm when those times are so tough,” said the Land Rover ambassador.
“For the club and some friends, I’m relieved that Saracens did get relegated because it means it takes the pressure off Leicester to some degree in that the relegation is no longer going to be something for them to worry about.
“It shows the pressures of the modern game, the challenges that they have had in terms of trying to fit into the salary cap, they have had a much smaller squad size to choose from whereas Sarries were able to have a greater squad size with more world-class players.
So here's how we stand after Round 11…#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/8ju9WJGr53
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) February 23, 2020
“They probably look at some of those last few seasons and say it wasn’t on an even playing field, but hopefully the pressure is off the shoulders of the coaches at Leicester and they can start to relax and play some of the free-flowing rugby that they are capable of playing.
“Look at the backline they have, it’s second to none in terms of talent and the signings they have made and will be making. The real positive for Leicester is actually their academy side who over the last few seasons have performed really well, making it to academy finals.
“It shows the focus is being put in the right areas, looking at the young talent coming through and growing a new generation. All clubs need to be doing that but it is easy to say and challenging to do.”
WATCH: RugbyPass goes behind the scenes at the Leicester Tigers academy
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to comments