Rugby World Cup

[Cousin Jack]

Farrell goes against what I see is the spirit of rugby. He has a history of dissent, high tackles, and generaly poor sportsmanship. He is a good player, a superb kicker, but IMO should have been told to mend his ways or be cast out long ago. He is not the only one.

Unfortunately all of the above are creeping in since the game went professional. I can remember long ago an England player ((I think it was Dickie Jeeps) hoofed the ball into touch because someone on the other team had obviously been badly hurt in a tackle. That sort of sportsmanshup is long gone.

[Noggin]

Farrell goes against what I see is the spirit of rugby. He has a history of dissent, high tackles, and generaly poor sportsmanship. He is a good player, a superb kicker, but IMO should have been told to mend his ways or be cast out long ago. He is not the only one.

Unfortunately all of the above are creeping in since the game went professional. I can remember long ago an England player ((I think it was Dickie Jeeps) hoofed the ball into touch because someone on the other team had obviously been badly hurt in a tackle. That sort of sportsmanshup is long gone.

The second paragraph is part of what I love about rugby. They'll fight like hell to score, but will always help a team member on the opposite team to get back up after a tackle, ruck or whatever. I have seen apologies after a bad tackle in the last few games - especially in the wet when it wasn't a deliberate action but a slip causing a bad tackle. I love that they are 'big' enough to behave that way.

The first paragraph - I totally do not understand WHY no one told Farrell to stop being a twat. He's the only person I see doing all you have listed on a regular basis. Others do it occasionally but Farrell seems to 'use' all of that to gain - and the more he gets away with it, the more others will want to play that way. He isn't 'big' enough to play - he's a big man with a little attitude and it spoils every game he uses those tactics.

The Kiwi mate pointed out that he was "deliberately holding the ball to create SA to get pissed off shows exactly what he is".
Ok, I know that up to a point teams use this to rile the other team, but when it's one player that always uses those tactics along with dissent, high tackles and all the other little things, I really do wonder why he hasn't been smacked out by someone!! Maybe not during a match tho!! But then, the mentality of the game is to leave it on the pitch, so maybe that's how he gets away with it each match?

[Cousin Jack]

It's professionalism innit. He wins matches!

Every sport that has allowed professionals has become tainted with the same sort of behaviour. Rugby is fast and a contact sport, the opportunities to gain a little advantage are always there, and get exploited. Scrums are even worse, but very very difficult to see the shenanigans that go on in the front row.

IMO Rugby Union has lost the plot in all sorts of areas, but we will never get the genie back in the bottle.

[Demannu]

The scrum is now a total mess!
It needs a boots and braces overhaul as it spoils the spectacle of the game!
As RU seems to be unlimited tackle RL now, perhaps a 5/6 man scrum could solve the technical issues that mar the current game.

[Cousin Jack]

Getting back to straight feeds and hookers actually hooking would be good, but that probably would need less bodies. The current massive weights really dont help. IIRC you were not allowed to actually push until the ball was in, now it is on the set command.

[v8-powered]

My view of the world....

Should have left Marler and Cole on longer - they know how to get in to the head of the Bokke and disrupt the play. Sinkler and Genge are both great but lack experience at that level.

Farell needs a damn good talking and his captaincy should be put in to question, he didn't really help tha cause with his poor discipline and giving away 10m to RSA.

Shame as well the game has now be soured too with the allegation that the RSA hooker called Curry a white cnut, may well be true but can you imagine if the tables were turned????

[Demannu]

Getting inside your opponents head innit!
Hows your wife and my kids
Does your sister still do that thing with her hair brush when you scuttle her
Etc etc
Poor old Genge and Sinkle were totally outclassed last night. That final scrum penalty! The SA tight head and flanker were driving in on the hooker, of course the loosehead is going to lose his bind and go down.
The final is between 2 masters of the 'dark arts'

[v8-powered]

Getting inside your opponents head innit!
Hows your wife and my kids
Does your sister still do that thing with her hair brush when you scuttle her
Etc etc
Poor old Genge and Sinkle were totally outclassed last night. That final scrum penalty! The SA tight head and flanker were driving in on the hooker, of course the loosehead is going to lose his bind and go down.
The final is between 2 masters of the 'dark arts'

100% Marler - top windup merchant.

[Cousin Jack]

Just watched the RL test between England and Tonga. A cracking match, both teams played open exciting rugby. Highly physical, with some big blokes on both sides, but fast, fit, athletic big blokes. By comparison most of the England RU team looked overweight, big, strong but a bit chubby, not go mention slightly old.

[v8-powered]

Just watched the RL test between England and Tonga. A cracking match, both teams played open exciting rugby. Highly physical, with some big blokes on both sides, but fast, fit, athletic big blokes. By comparison most of the England RU team looked overweight, big, strong but a bit chubby, not go mention slightly old.

Sums it up pretty well.

When my lad was playing regular league he was at his peak of fitness, for union he can rock up after having skipped training for weeks and after a good nght on the beer.

[Druid]

Owen F, captain or not, was treading dangerous ground in arguing with the ref. Some would have sent him off.

OMG, I'm so pleased you wrote that. I so so wanted him sent off for arguing. But didn't have enough conviction that I was right to post about it!!

One thing I have always loved about rugby is that there is respect - between the teams and between the ref and the teams. No shouting matches about who is right and who is wrong. Ok, sometimes some argybargy between teams, but generally shakes of hands after and all back to rugby.

Farrell seems to over step that line in a lot of ways (not just last night).

Was interesting trying to explain to a French last night that I dislike Farrell as I consider him to be a 'dirty player'. Not a description that I found easy to translate!! LOL But we got there in the end.

I always thought that my Kiwi mate was biased in his dislike of Farrell, even though I agree with him generally. But when a couple of English mates confirmed some of what he said I figured he really is as bad as he looks.

WTF don't the team/managers pull him up on his behaviour??

I have told you my opinion of Farrell before (more than once probably), and your Kiwi mate is right. Yesterday's performance should have been his last as captain at least. When Tuilagi has to drag the captain away from arguing with the ref you know he's going too far. As it was the 10m England were marched back brought the penalty into Libbock's range and arguably cost England the match. It will also have made the ref less likely to listen to any complaints from him during the rest of the match - it was noticeable that the 50/50 calls that were going England's way at the start of the match started going SA's way later on. The contrast between the way Sia Kolisi spoke to the ref and how Farrell spoke to the ref was quite marked

[mboy]

I always thought that my Kiwi mate was biased in his dislike of Farrell, even though I agree with him generally. But when a couple of English mates confirmed some of what he said I figured he really is as bad as he looks.

WTF don't the team/managers pull him up on his behaviour??

Farrell is a Grade A c***... I'm a proud England fan, but can't stand the bloke! He's been ruining the English game for years. He had a rare good game last night by his standards, but usually he's sub par both as a player and as a professional sportsman. I don't know what the establishment see in him, George Ford was always the much better Fly Half, and Marcus Smith is a much more creative player at Fly Half too. England usually perform better without Farrell, the fact he has broken Jonny Wilkinsons points record serves only to highlight just how fragile Jonny Wilkinson was (he spent almost half of his professional career sidelined with injury!) and how poor Englands management has been for the last decade...

His back chat in last nights game was dispicable... BUT...

Farrell goes against what I see is the spirit of rugby. He has a history of dissent, high tackles, and generaly poor sportsmanship. He is a good player, a superb kicker, but IMO should have been told to mend his ways or be cast out long ago. He is not the only one.

I'll disagree about being a good player... He's not even 3rd best English Fly Half at the moment, but that's besides the point... He's a decent kicker on his day (last night he definitely had his kicking boots on to be fair, but I've seen him miss absolute sitters in an England shirt all too many times)...

He's definitely not the only one though... Jonny Sexton and Dan Biggar equally as bad, and have been for some time. Those two have just retired though thankfully. I wish Farrell would hurry up and f*** off!!!

[Noggin]

To add a foreigners comment (I'm sharing some of the comments with my Kiwi!!) - I commented that Farrell much have something over the powers that be to still be there!!

Farrell has clearly got his gameplay from his old man who was just as bad !
Doubt he has anything over them, they just think because he can kick he’s the best person for the job, it’s a typical English blinkered vision, one man a team doesn’t make, but they ignore that rule and always have done since Wilkinson won with a drop goal, they’re still wanking themselves off over that.

Doesn't hold back, but it's cool (through this thread) for me to know that it isn't just foreigners that feel this way!!

He's definitely not the only one though... Jonny Sexton and Dan Biggar equally as bad, and have been for some time. Those two have just retired though thankfully. I wish Farrell would hurry up and f*** off!!!

I should have paid more attention to those two!! I never saw quite the same behaviour in them, but can see that they were stroppy for sure!!

I think a lot of people wish Farrell would retire, I mean f*** off!!!!

[Ditchfinder]

I think if the Borthwick experiment goes south then England will have their eyes on farrel senior as a possible candidate hence not upsetting wee Owen.

In sad news Courtney Lawes has retired from international rugby. That man has been a colossus for England in every game he has played, didn't realise he was 34 but 4 world cups should have been a clue.

I can imagine we'll be seeing the last of Marler and Dan Cole too so we need to find 3 new props ('cos Sinckler was destroyed in the Semi-final), will Manu look at the next World Cup and think he's not likely to be in the England squad but could have one more dig in a Samoa shirt? (If he doesn't play for England for a specified time he should be able to play for Samoa again).

And surely we can find a better 8 than Big old Billy

[Demannu]

SA are saying it was 'wit kant', which is afrikaans for a lost ruck (white side)
Plausible.........but unlikely

[the_priest]

SA are saying it was 'wit kant', which is afrikaans for a lost ruck (white side)
Plausible.........but unlikely

That is entirely plausible. Vat Kant Wit Man Biltong Nartjie Boerewors Bier. My Afrikaans is rather rusty now.

[G.P]

I've been falling out of love with Rugby for the last decade.
The Pantomime that is the scrum, the decline in the level of sportsmanship, the car crash that is the Premiership in England, half a dozen medics / drink delivery guys on the pitch at every break in play, etc etc

[Druid]

I've been falling out of love with Rugby for the last decade.
The Pantomime that is the scrum, the decline in the level of sportsmanship, the car crash that is the Premiership in England, half a dozen medics / drink delivery guys on the pitch at every break in play, etc etc

Swap Premiership for URC and I'm with you. Add to that the poor quality of refs, ARs and TMOs

[MrLongbeard]

Meh, pretty even, 2 sides playing heavy slowish rugby.

[petrolpete]

Yes not the best of games. But at least Farrell seemed to have wound his head in a bit on this one.
I think tomorrows game is going to be a good one. Well it has potential on paper so let's hope it is a good game with lots of trys.