Things we miss about rugby from 10 years ago
The world is a crazy, ever-changing nightmare of a place. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, it all changes shape again and then bursts into flames, like that lava lamp I had as a kid.
A time-traveller from 30 years ago would be baffled by the fact that we all possess tiny devices capable of accessing all of the world’s knowledge, which we instead use for catching imaginary monsters and abusing strangers for their opinions on popular culture.
Someone from 20 years ago would laugh in your face if you told them the President of the USA was the guy from that Home Alone cameo, and the most likely contender to replace him is the world’s biggest movie star Rocky Maivia. Even looking back 10 years brings to light some strange and forgotten relics of how things used to be.
Let’s take a nostalgic wander back a decade to reminisce about some of the things we miss about rugby union:
Size Differences:
Rugby has always billed itself as a sport for everyone – no matter your shape or size there’s a position for you. Small and speedy with a penchant for hair gel? You’ll be a winger. Love a pie? Prop. Violent headcase? Flanker. Mouthy and irritating? Scrum half.
Now, everyone is bloody massive. Shane Williams is often referenced as proof that you don’t need to be a big guy to make it in rugby and he was admittedly one of the best in the world in his day. But the modern game has moved on, and even the smallest of players need to be able to run through a brick wall without batting an eyelid. There are still a few smaller players about, but watching a Jonah Lomu trample through a Mike Catt is only going to become less likely as the years go by. The Welsh backs of 2015 were bigger than the New Zealand forwards of 1987, and the disparity between backs and forwards is shrinking rapidly. The formerly rapid increase in player size has plateaued somewhat, but the modern game demands all players can sidestep and shimmy, as well as smash and crash.
Backs can no longer shirk the tackle, and every international forward worth their salt should be able to attempt a half-decent drop goal, even if it is like watching a sea lion trying to doing ballet.
Proper Rucking:
Truth be told the true art of rucking had already been somewhat lost by 2007, but elements still remained. Sure you wouldn’t see anyone doing the Brian Moore mountain goat impression, but it was still generally accepted that if someone was lying on the wrong side of the ruck a shout of “GIVE HIM A SHOE-ING!” would ring round the stadium.
Now when we see anyone launching themselves headfirst into a mass of bodies like Jacques Burger fired from a cannon we look immediately to the referee to send the offending projectile to the sin bin. Oh for the days when “player welfare” meant taping their ears back on and buying them a pint. Rucking back in 2007 even merited academic study, as researches attempted to discover a link between ruck frequency and match success. More recent research has objectively indicated that rucking has significantly decreased since 2007, and that rucks are less likely to result in turnovers, meaning that my angry ramblings are backed up by scientific evidence for once.
A competitive Southern Hemisphere:
In 2007, South Africa edged England to cap off a brilliant and unpredictable world cup. Argentina cemented their place on the world stage with a respectable third place finish. Australia and New Zealand dominated their groups but crashed out in the first knockout round to England and France respectively.
The “Big Three” Southern Hemisphere sides were constantly vying for top spot in the world rankings and were seen as the biggest scalps any side could claim. Any of the three could beat anyone else on their day. In 2017 however, things are very different. New Zealand are still sitting pretty of course, but despite an impressive showing against the Pumas in the opening of the Rugby Championship South Africa haven’t been a real threat for several years and the less said about Australian Rugby Union right now the better. In the last couple of years, both sides plummeted to their lowest rankings in history at 7th and 6th respectively. It makes us long for the days when…
New Zealand didn’t dominate everything:
New Zealand has near enough always been the best team in the world. They’ve never slipped below third in the world rankings and have spent more time in the top spot than the rest of the world combined.
Despite that, you could always rely on the Kiwis to choke in major tournaments and give the rest of us a fair chance. It became something of a running joke, as in 2007 the All Blacks plummeted out of a third consecutive tournament that they’d been expected to run away with. However, come 2011 and the curse had been broken. Now, they’ve sorted that out and pretty much any contest with New Zealand in is a foregone conclusion. It’s just selfish is what it is. Having said that, the All Blacks still have a habit of dropping the Rugby Championship in
Cup-winning years, so you can at least use their rare losses as a valuable predictive tool for betting your life savings on the next world cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
3 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
3 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
3 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments