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The Word 9
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The Word 9 (Disk 2 of 2).adf
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10-Rugby.txt
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10-Rugby.txt
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1996-01-17
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6KB
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128 lines
|2-Rugby
After many years of illicit payments that came under the catch-all
banner of expenses, Rugby Union, finally, has done the decent thing and
gone professional. But what are the consequences of this momentous
change in the rules of the Union game? And what will its effect be on
Rugby League?
The change from an ostensibly amateur game to an openly professional one
was sudden but not entirely unexpected. The International Board was
left with no option after Kerry Packer had attempted to hijack the best
players from around the world (there are rumours that his agents are
still in action).
No more will players find brown envelopes stuffed with banknotes tucked
into their boots before a match. They will not be forced into the
ludicrous situation of paying tax on their earnings from the game whilst
they, their clubs and the unions deny that they were being paid at all.
Professional in name only at the moment.
Only southern hemisphere sides(and Newcastle) can afford hefty wages.
Game must be improved.
European involvement must be encouraged.
Arguments about money have already started with the RFU wanting to sell
the 5 nations tournament to SKY and take the lions share of the cash.
Gangway from union to league has been opened with JD looking to be the
first big name transfer.
Again RFU are trying to block the move with regards to the english game.
Scotland wants to stage a second match with england every year possibly
the central figure is now Rupert Murdoch. It is known that he is
looking for a global sport to entice people to buy into his satellite
broadcasts. His belief is that soccer has had its day and that rugby is
set for explosive growth if the package is right. To get the package
right will mean that the division between Union and League will
disappear leaving the sport of Rugby which will combine the best of both
codes. Already people in the Union code believe that the position of
flanker is under threat as the modern day athleticism of these players
serves to reduce the size of pitches and stifle creative play.
Much of the difference between Union and League lies in what happens
when a player is tackled to the floor, in Union he must instantly
release the ball, in League he is allowed to hold on and regain his
feet.
There is no greater spectacle than Rugby Union played at its best. at
its best it is a sport of power and sublety, speed of thought and of
foot are invaluable commodities.
Much has been made of the impact of Jonah Lomu on world sport but the
majority of the reports about him neglect the fact that for him to
operate requires that the other members of the team create the space and
time for him to exploit. for example take the two final games New
Zealand played in the world cup in south africa. in the game against
england Lomu ran riot and cut the english threequarters to ribbons.
after 20 minutes the game was over as a contest and the english defence,
which is one of the best in the world, was in dissarray with Lomu
seemingly able to run tries in at will. The reason for this dramatic
start were that the NZ'ers were playing the game at speed. The ball was
being constantly recycled and moved wide to runners who were moving at
full pace. This type of rugby inevitably creates overlaps and Lomu in a
one-on-one situation is absolutely deadly with his combination of power,
pace and trickery. The final was completely different. South Africa
concentrated on making sure that NZ were unable to play the free running
style that had proved so devastating to other sides and they cut the
supply of quality ball to lomu. The only times Lomu got the ball
numerous tacklers were close at hand and the gain line was rarely
breached.
Whilst Lomu is a one off the style NZ play is the blueprint for the
future of rugby Union. Forget the power game of huge forwards and a
kicking fly half adopted by most European teams, this type of game is
limited in its appeal to the general public and in its success on the
pitch. people want see the ball being carried from one end of the pitch
to the other not kicked backwards and forwards endlessly.
|1-England
Dominated by the power game and Rob Andrew's boot in recent years which
has made them succesful in Europe and the occasional game against the
southern hemisphere sides. have been unable or unwilling to develop
their game further by exploiting a pacy backline stuffed with class
performers. Their greatest asset is also their achilles heel, the sheer
size of their pack, in particular the back row, means they are unsuited
to playing an expansive game. Players such as Dean Richards and Rob
Andrew whose natural instincts are to keep it tight also dictate that
when games are close england will revert to the 10-man game of
kick-lineout-kick-lineout.
|1-France
Currently in a state of turmoil (no change there). Can be brilliant but
are more often erratic. Seem unable to work out what style of rugby
they want to play and veer from one extreme to another. At their best
they are a team of sublime skills with the ability to score tries from
anywhere on the pitch. Have the best record of any European nation when
playing NZ (who are traditionally the strongest team in the world) and
this
The rolling maul is one of the worst examples of modern rugby. It can take
up to a minute for it to travel 15 metres and it invariably collapses at
the end resulting in either a penalty or a scrum. As a spectacle it is a
non-starter because the ball is buried in a heaving mass of bodies and it
is often a flashpoint as both sets of forwards are in a battle for the
ball.
|1-Rich And Kev / Mon PD
End