- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Messages
- 9,351
- Post Likes
- 1,455
(Admittedly, it's Scottish Rugby's greatest hits, but I think my points stand)
I've enjoyed watching the matches. And I think I know why.
One game was Ed Morrison doing Scotland/Wales, 1999; the other was david Bishop doing the 1990 Grand Slam.
And boy, are they quick on the whistle. They make instant decisions: the ball's coming back, so we'll let it breathe, or realizing that it's trapped and giving the scrum.
This leads me to a couple of thoughts:
1. Why do the modern Elite seem to have moved away from that. The amount of time allowed by referees, and taken by teams, at the breakdown is killing the game. Everyone realigns and it becomes attritional rugby. The idea of fast moving rucks to create quick ball is prevalent in these older games. Not so much now.
2. And has this phenomenon helped create the injury issues that we see now? Instead of a dynamic phase of play, we now have players in a static position having to withstand impact from an opposition player.
And as a side note, the prevalence of injury stops in the older games is much reduced. I've actually sat and thought: have we lost our way as an Elite sport?
What was so wrong that this endless tinkering has created the quagmire that we so often see?
I've enjoyed watching the matches. And I think I know why.
One game was Ed Morrison doing Scotland/Wales, 1999; the other was david Bishop doing the 1990 Grand Slam.
And boy, are they quick on the whistle. They make instant decisions: the ball's coming back, so we'll let it breathe, or realizing that it's trapped and giving the scrum.
This leads me to a couple of thoughts:
1. Why do the modern Elite seem to have moved away from that. The amount of time allowed by referees, and taken by teams, at the breakdown is killing the game. Everyone realigns and it becomes attritional rugby. The idea of fast moving rucks to create quick ball is prevalent in these older games. Not so much now.
2. And has this phenomenon helped create the injury issues that we see now? Instead of a dynamic phase of play, we now have players in a static position having to withstand impact from an opposition player.
And as a side note, the prevalence of injury stops in the older games is much reduced. I've actually sat and thought: have we lost our way as an Elite sport?
What was so wrong that this endless tinkering has created the quagmire that we so often see?