England prefer a cuddle now

Many remarks made by Graham Henry following finish the world cup and start up a web site on England and the tackle and ruck situation.

But contrast I see on ESPN yesterday famous 1995 world cup matchs with England growing up to be such a good team. Even though they were lost very pretty that day to Lomu, you can watching the young side remind me of situation for England now a bit. But my contrast is how there approach the tackle situation. Just being on the comment about England so slow and keeping at the ball, watch again this 1995 and you will see much more aggreesive through the tackle. Player for England then running right past the ball and doing real quality cleaning out the area. And make a space for 9 and 10 to work with.

I know you might point at the law book and tell me is all different. But my mind is different. Then England 1995 is so much like now south pacific teams and the big three all face the challenge of win back the ball and make space. It's same rushing past the ball and make momentums.

Maybe Robshaw and company need to get an ESPN subscribing and remind themselves.

I have complained for years about Englands players lack of pace running in to collisions when they have the ball...

Players like Sheridan and Banahan who seemed to actually slow down before contact...or actually start falling to the ground before they had been tackled....serious frustration.

These guys should be crashing at top speed....

Fortunately the newer players like Morgan, Parling, Robshaw etc ARE doing that now.

its called white line fever, the SH players seem born with it particularly the Pacific Islanders.

I've been fustrated for years seeing England players play safe rather than attacking rugby. Lols could've been immense had he worked on the contact, drive and offload, players like Bannahan, Sheridan, Tindall never seemed to relish breaking OUT a tackle and while its good to take as many players down with you as you can, its no good if you can't offload quick ball.

Yes Graham Henry has said on record that the game is all about dominating the space on the other side of the ball completely backing this up. Clear well past the ball and make space for the 9 to operate without interference. It all flows from there. Obviously there is an increased risk of turnover because an opposing poacher can come legally into this space through the gate and get their greasey mitts on the ball.

In my opinion England have worried too much about this risk and have wrongly, foolishly, negligently contrived to protect ball at all costs resulting in slow ball.

Slow ball of this kind is worse than no ball at all since your 10 is forced to operate behind the gain line and you are predictable therefore being vulnerable to charge downs, interceptions, dropped ball under pressure, self induced hospital passes and generally getting smashed behind the gainline and going nowhere fast.

One question arises.......how far past the ball are you legally allowed to clear? If as a clearer you have your man can you drive him back say 5, 10,15 metres past the ball before dumping him on his azzzzzzz? How does that work in law?

There seems to be a lot of NFL style blocking going on two, people blocking opposition players no where near the ruck.

How many 'dummy' runners are legally allowed ?

I've noticed that the first man to the breakdown now usually goes straight over the ruck and takes out players a metre or beyond it. It's quite a recent rule if I'm not mistaken (?), but where the limits are as to how far this type of play can go, I'm not too sure....

bluestonevedder wrote:I've noticed that the first man to the breakdown now usually goes straight over the ruck and takes out players a metre or beyond it. It's quite a recent rule if I'm not mistaken (?), but where the limits are as to how far this type of play can go, I'm not too sure....

It probably depends upon who is playing.

One of the Franks brothers got away with murder vs Wallabies not so long ago. He shouldve been wearing gold so often was he on their side of the ruck and tackle.

White shirts on the other hand tend to stand out. In some cases they enrage refs too unfortunately.

God reading the OP's posts makes me go cross-eyed!

yes i worry that the strain of supporting his multiple alter egos have taken a dire toll on the grey ghost........

bluestonevedder wrote:I've noticed that the first man to the breakdown now usually goes straight over the ruck and takes out players a metre or beyond it. It's quite a recent rule if I'm not mistaken (?), but where the limits are as to how far this type of play can go, I'm not too sure....

Was some time ago IRB ruling on this matter. Decision as state was that area of so big was ok but so bigtger not ok and is for referee to make the ruling consistent.

So a lot same same to every thing else rugby at the time now.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:I've noticed that the first man to the breakdown now usually goes straight over the ruck and takes out players a metre or beyond it. It's quite a recent rule if I'm not mistaken (?), but where the limits are as to how far this type of play can go, I'm not too sure....

Was some time ago IRB ruling on this matter. Decision as state was that area of so big was ok but so bigtger not ok and is for referee to make the ruling consistent.

So a lot same same to every thing else rugby at the time now.

???? I've seen Wenglish spoke clearer than that!

close the door from the other side