I'm a huge rugby fan. I've been glued to every minute of every match and will continue to do so till the World Cup is over.
I also attend quite a lot of matches and watch most of everything even when it's not something as huge as the world cup. I watch 7's as well.
In terms of being a supporter I've got mixed allegiances. England first and I also get passionate about the Scotland team (because they tend to always display guts and determination despite coming from a piddly little place and with no support to develop and retain players) .
To say I'm disappointed with the England squad's "performance" on Saturday would be a huge understatement. The air was blue!
I thought they'd played exceptionally well in the first half. Seems sadly that the team thought that they'd got it in the bag and just had to do "whatever". They were ill disciplined: they just gave away a mass of points in penalties. They were appalling at the breakdown. They've always stretched the rules there but they couldn't get away with it with this referee. With crash ball centres and a whole match based on crash ball strategy they were never going to get away with lack of discipline.
It also seemed that the big change in players by Wales because of injury just got them confused and they lost the plot! I'd say they threw it away. There was no "attack" and no creativity.
I sincerely hope they've had the fright of their life and learned some lessons for the match with Australia.
I've loved the tournament so far but way too much time is being lost with huddles before line-outs and scrums. There needs to be a strict time limit on getting ready for both, with penalties being dished out for failure to comply.
Lord knows what the thinking was with England on Saturday. Either stupidity or arrogance are the only options I can come up with.
Agree with every word Northernlass, including your allegiances. I am mostly English, a bit Scottish and married to a fearsome Scot. We are off to watch Scotland vs. Samoa later in the tournament.
I am still angry about the match today.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
What gets me, KT53, is that, with a couple of minutes to go, they get the chance to tie the score up with a kickable penalty and decide to go for a try to win the game. They had managed only one try in the previous 78 minutes and thought it prudent to turn down the draw and go for it at that late stage. I know a lot has been said about the players making that decision but Stuart Lancaster is ultimately to blame. He should have sent them out with no ambiguity as to what they should do should a situation such as this arise. Wallpaper should be peeling off the dressing shed walls!
if anyone can justify why sports people are paid more than those who treat our loved ones if they have cancer, run a school who teach our children or more than our PM who has his finger on the nuclear button , I'd be pleased to hear it.
You don't know what you're talking about Hostafan1. The vast majority of professional sportsmen and women are not paid extortionate amounts of money. They also have a very short career and, in many cases, find themselves in there mid thirties looking for their first job. Millions of people get huge pleasure watching professional sports every week. Amateur sport wouldn't thrive without professional sport and a large proportion of the teachers, doctors, nurses, our loved ones with cancer and our children would be socially and physically worse off.
if anyone can justify why sports people are paid more than those who treat our loved ones if they have cancer, run a school who teach our children or more than our PM who has his finger on the nuclear button , I'd be pleased to hear it.
they're just adults playing games.
If you're meaning rugby players then I don't know where you got the silly idea from that they do. They don't!
I think you're demonstrating a high degree of commercial and political naivity with your comparison.
"Some" TOP sportsmen and women do indeed get excellent sponsorship deals and salaries. They earn it by the revenue they bring in. Aside from that they get where they are by working exceptionally hard with high degrees of self discipline and personal and financial commitment.
They never get paid just for "turning up" like doctors and teachers and other workers in the public sector. Indeed if you look at absence levels in the NHS and with teachers it's true to say that way too many get paid for NOT turning up!
Aside from that I've come across doctors who frankly are grossly overpaid and underworked and also pretty incompetent with it.
Well said Northern Lass. I was a professional sportsman for fifteen years and I was never paid an extortionate amount! In addition to playing I also had a full time regular job, did a part time degree, coached juniors and did lots of community work in and around the town. This was on top of the training both at the club and under my own supervision. I played at the top level in my sport but was never full time professional and at that time neither were my peers, with the exception of a few of the overseas imports and, for a short time, one club.
Posts
I'm a huge rugby fan. I've been glued to every minute of every match and will continue to do so till the World Cup is over.
I also attend quite a lot of matches and watch most of everything even when it's not something as huge as the world cup. I watch 7's as well.
In terms of being a supporter I've got mixed allegiances. England first and I also get passionate about the Scotland team (because they tend to always display guts and determination despite coming from a piddly little place and with no support to develop and retain players) .
To say I'm disappointed with the England squad's "performance" on Saturday would be a huge understatement. The air was blue!
I thought they'd played exceptionally well in the first half. Seems sadly that the team thought that they'd got it in the bag and just had to do "whatever". They were ill disciplined: they just gave away a mass of points in penalties. They were appalling at the breakdown. They've always stretched the rules there but they couldn't get away with it with this referee. With crash ball centres and a whole match based on crash ball strategy they were never going to get away with lack of discipline.
It also seemed that the big change in players by Wales because of injury just got them confused and they lost the plot! I'd say they threw it away. There was no "attack" and no creativity.
I sincerely hope they've had the fright of their life and learned some lessons for the match with Australia.
I've loved the tournament so far but way too much time is being lost with huddles before line-outs and scrums. There needs to be a strict time limit on getting ready for both, with penalties being dished out for failure to comply.
Lord knows what the thinking was with England on Saturday. Either stupidity or arrogance are the only options I can come up with.
Agree with every word Northernlass, including your allegiances. I am mostly English, a bit Scottish and married to a fearsome Scot. We are off to watch Scotland vs. Samoa later in the tournament.
I am still angry about the match today.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
What gets me, KT53, is that, with a couple of minutes to go, they get the chance to tie the score up with a kickable penalty and decide to go for a try to win the game. They had managed only one try in the previous 78 minutes and thought it prudent to turn down the draw and go for it at that late stage. I know a lot has been said about the players making that decision but Stuart Lancaster is ultimately to blame. He should have sent them out with no ambiguity as to what they should do should a situation such as this arise. Wallpaper should be peeling off the dressing shed walls!
I thought their shorts were nice and I also enjoyed the singing!
Japan to win
can I just say. " it's only a game. Nobody died as a result"
leggin' it now.
if anyone can justify why sports people are paid more than those who treat our loved ones if they have cancer, run a school who teach our children or more than our PM who has his finger on the nuclear button , I'd be pleased to hear it.
they're just adults playing games.
You don't know what you're talking about Hostafan1. The vast majority of professional sportsmen and women are not paid extortionate amounts of money. They also have a very short career and, in many cases, find themselves in there mid thirties looking for their first job. Millions of people get huge pleasure watching professional sports every week. Amateur sport wouldn't thrive without professional sport and a large proportion of the teachers, doctors, nurses, our loved ones with cancer and our children would be socially and physically worse off.
There, you've had your reaction.
If you're meaning rugby players then I don't know where you got the silly idea from that they do. They don't!
I think you're demonstrating a high degree of commercial and political naivity with your comparison.
"Some" TOP sportsmen and women do indeed get excellent sponsorship deals and salaries. They earn it by the revenue they bring in. Aside from that they get where they are by working exceptionally hard with high degrees of self discipline and personal and financial commitment.
They never get paid just for "turning up" like doctors and teachers and other workers in the public sector. Indeed if you look at absence levels in the NHS and with teachers it's true to say that way too many get paid for NOT turning up!
Aside from that I've come across doctors who frankly are grossly overpaid and underworked and also pretty incompetent with it.
I presume Hosta that you're just playing games.
Well said Northern Lass. I was a professional sportsman for fifteen years and I was never paid an extortionate amount! In addition to playing I also had a full time regular job, did a part time degree, coached juniors and did lots of community work in and around the town. This was on top of the training both at the club and under my own supervision. I played at the top level in my sport but was never full time professional and at that time neither were my peers, with the exception of a few of the overseas imports and, for a short time, one club.