Rugby has been a dirty game for a long time. I know of a former Scottish international from the amateur era who was told that his role was "not to start fights but to get straight in there and end them" He has spoken about how he was aware of his aggressive attitude in certain situations even 20 years after he retired from playing.
Yeah but rugby players still have respect for the ref, and each other.
Sexual assault is an unusual way of showing respect.
Well I never! Somewhat unexpected. NO fluke either. Scotland rattled France and pushed them off balance. Fantastic game from Ritchie and Watson preventing the flow of quick ball. get defense in the backs. forwards never took a backward step
Which means we'll implode against Wales. We seem to front up for the tough games but then bottle the next one. A case of believing your own hype.
NO fluke either
Without the red card I dont think you'd have won, cracking result though as I said earlier this will really put pressure on Pivac. The Scottish scrum looks good and the welsh scrum aint good!!
Maybe , maybe not AA. We would still have given them a game anyway when I feared a stuffing.
Nice to see a Scotland pack with a bit of a hard edge. I thought they were immense as a unit. contained the French pack and slowed and turned over ball all game. Tactical kicking still a work in progress, Hogg looked dangerous, better performance from Hastings.
Marler seems intent on getting a ban with his tweets. He said after his international retirement that he absolutely hates being in an international camp as he can't stand the travel and time away from his family. He said too that he used to deliberately try and get banned before the 6N and other big blocks of matches as he can't stand being in camp. So it is probably part misguided attempt at being funny as seems to be his thing and part "if he punches me great that's a red for their captain if he doesn't do anything and I get a ban who gives a f.. I'm finally outta here"
Thats a charitable view, I just think he's a WGBE
I even googled WGBE and I can't find it?
Willy Grabbing Bad Egg.
WGBE
Weapons grade bell end?
My take - there's always been a little tussle on the pitch. In the old days, if someone tackled you a bit strongly, you told your teammates, and you all got him in the next ruck. It happened. Everyone was friends at the end.
And it's been going on for some time - remember Mendez on Ackford 30 years ago. And he got the wrong bloke; it was Probyn who'd been winding him up https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/featured-post/33915/probyn-column-the-truth-about-why-mendez-punched-paul-ackford/ - and that was for genital grabbing as well.
The difference is nowadays there is nowhere to hide. The cameras are everywhere, so it appears to be worse. But it's cleaner than it used to be. Just more visible (after the event!)
Yep, the difference is the player that reacts gets worse punishment than the on doing the winding up. Players need to be stopped from doing shit that is trying to get others to react
Some chat on twitter that the games are all going to be off?
France Ireland is definitely off, Wales Scotland looks to be going ahead at the mo.
Willy Grabbing Bad Egg.
Excellent!
And it’s been going on for some time – remember Mendez on Ackford 30 years ago. And he got the wrong bloke
I was at that match.
The difference is nowadays there is nowhere to hide. The cameras are everywhere, so it appears to be worse. But it’s cleaner than it used to be. Just more visible (after the event
I reckon that the game has been much cleaner for the last few years and is going through a dirty patch, but it's nowhere near as dirty as it was a few years ago, or in the lower levels. (One of my colleagues walked in with a black eye this morning, having been red-carded.)
I also wonder if it's because teams get so much home advantage, for whatever reason, that sometimes they think they can get away with anything when playing in front of their home crowd?
Lswes and Marler cited, not Liam which is odd
Lswes and Marler cited, not Liam which is odd
If only there was some way in which these things could be dealt with as they happen, so that they have some bearing on the game, and not on a subsequent game in another competition. Maybe have a few experts on or near the pitch, watching the game and officiating on what happens, maybe even in real time. The could even apply the laughable titled Laws, occasionally. I mean, it's not as if several million people managed to miss Lawes' tackle, or Marler's weirdness. They weren't hidden at the bottom of rucks or in a dark corner of the stand.
Anyway, I'd suggest some sort of poll, like a rugby twitter, where a question could be put up eg "Testicle fondling? Red, yellow, pen or play on?" and the general public can vote. You could even charge for it so the unions raise money..
And bonus, more stats. "Well. 78% of voters have gone for the 'Free Marler' option, which means he can carry on playing. However, 85% were located in England, and 37% were multiple voters. Keep the money coming in, people."
Unfortunately Marler is not easy to replace in the England pack. SA ran through the England scrum in the WC final until Marler's power was brought on.
He is a troublemaking bleeder though. A real dirty git.
Genge tends to replace him and he is not as strong, and just as dirty.
not Liam which is odd
what did he do?
what did he do?
Looked like a neck roll flip at a ruck followed by an "accidental" elbow to face. Must have been not as bad as first viewing, it wasnt replayed
thanks...I missed that
Genge tends to replace him and he is not as strong, and just as dirty.
Is he? His disciplinary record says otherwise. He’s an aggressive carrier but doesn’t get involved the the dickery that Marler does.
Lawes did nothing wrong - arms out and goes over the top of Alun Wynn.
Yet Williams deliberately lifts and up ends Curry - thats a red card.
Leyton where is Lawes left arm? Attempted wrap or trailing so leading with shoulder?
Doesn't matter - it never made contact. On the field it'd be a warning from the ref, Lawes will get warned about his technique nothing else.
Lawes did nothing wrong – arms out and goes over the top of Alun Wynn
Funny he's been cited then.
On the field it’d be a warning from the ref,
About what he did nothing wrong in your opinion.
Lawes will get warned about his technique nothing else.
See above.
In the real world he makes contact with the head, he leads with the left should and has his left arm dropped, its very similar to the Tuilagi one. Tuilagi gets a pass from me as its near the try line but the Lawes one is just a cheap shot, AWJ is going down because he's been tackled properly by someone else, Lawes comes in to simply damage him, any decent flanker would wait for him to drop and jackle as he's isolated.
Yet Williams deliberately lifts and up ends Curry – thats a red card.
I can only think other angles show it as not being the case.
I can only think other angles show it as not being the case.
Who cares about other angles? I don't see anyone posting other angles of the Marler incident. Doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Who cares about other angles?
Citing commissioners?
^ that’s much dirtier than a smack in the chops. No wonder the French bloke thumped someone.
I’d like to have seen Jones thump Marler as well, then it get reviewed and have the ref tell Marler to get ****ed. He’s one of those fannies that thinks everything he does is hilarious.
I’d like to have seen Jones thump Marler as well
Yep, with the benefit of hindsight, knowing we would lose anyway!
Never seen AWJ throw a punch I dont think. I would have loved Samson Lee to have ****ed him following the gypsy boy jibe too!
Yes 😀
France have submitted a load of info re potential eye gouging / contact with the eye area that led to their prop losing his shit. The pictures don’t look good. Will Hanning get cited?
Was that in the scuffle that Ritchey ran into, ending in the Frenchie getting red?
I’d like to have seen Jones thump Marler as well, then it get reviewed and have the ref tell Marler to get ****
But that was AWJ's point - he couldn't do anything like that because he would have been sent off and Marler would have remained on the pitch.
But that was AWJ’s point
Exactly
Was that in the scuffle that Ritchey ran into, ending in the Frenchie getting red?
Yup. The pics don’t look great.
But that was AWJ’s point – he couldn’t do anything like that because he would have been sent off and Marler would have remained on the pitch.
Of course. I just like the thought of AWJ reacting in a traditional manner, the matter being reviewed by the TMO, and when the ref sees what Marler did he sends Marler off and pardons AWJ. It’s merely wishful thinking!
10 weeks for the ball snatcher.
I think they're called the scrum half actually.
Ape that'd be the good d days.
Being a borders 9 in Hampshire a ref once told me "I don't know what you're doing but if he hits you again I'm sending you off" good reffing as I was raking his ankles at every put in..
