Sports Rugby World Cup 2023

[jonesy101]

My rugby theory

Hypothesis – unless rugby heads down a different path, rugby players will keep getting worse head injuries, and rugby, as a sport, will peter out

Fact 1 – Rugby players are getting bigger. More muscular. Fast twitch = faster. Weightlifters. Less aerobic. No more Michael Joneses / Terry Wrights / Josh Kronfelds. More Papalii’s, Canes, etc.

Fact 2 – Rugby has a problem with head injuries and is trying to clean it up via cards

Fact 3 – Rugby is a collision sport, and head injuries are more a function of steep changes in acceleration at collisions, than infrequent head highs, i.e. making a countless tackles and hitting rucks at full pace are worse, over a career, than getting hit high on occasion (this was told to me by another parent (a doctor), whose mentor is a US neurosurgeon, researching brain trauma in the NFL)

Reasoning –
1. Dangerous play will keep getting pinged, slowing the game down
2. A game with more stoppages increases the value of bigger players that don’t need to be as aerobic as they did when the game flowed more
3. Bigger players = bigger, faster collisions = more head injuries
4. So perversely, the focus on pinging head highs is actually making the head injuries worse

It was often thought league used to be bigger players vs rugby. The sports have swapped places as league has been sped up and rugby slowed down (and body shapes have correspondingly swapped places). It only takes 5 mins of watching the RWC to see the stark difference from the NRL, in terms of body type and stoppages in play

Conclusion - rule changes that make the game more aerobic will reduce body size, which would be a more effective solution to brain trauma than pinging dangerous play

When watching the game against Ireland I couldn't believe the size of some of the South African players. Even their halfback de Klerk is built like a little tank.

 

[Beastmode]

 

[Beastmode]

 

[sup42]

what happened to the Wallabys to generate these jokes? still havent watched a game here saving it for a All Black finals game.

 

[davidmckay1974]

what happened to the Wallabys to generate these jokes? still havent watched a game here saving it for a All Black finals game.

They've been woeful for the last 20 plus years, minus 1 or 2 wins over the All Blacks every 2 or 3 years. They haven't won the famous Bledisloe Cup in over 20 plus years either.

They thought that Eddie Jones was the saviour when they tossed the former coaches. But he went young inexperience and made things more worse.

 

[sup42]

They've been woeful for the last 20 plus years, minus 1 or 2 wins over the All Blacks every 2 or 3 years. They haven't won the famous Bledisloe Cup in over 20 plus years either.

They thought that Eddie Jones was the saviour when they tossed the former coaches. But he went young inexperience and made things more worse.

Did they lose a WC game just now?

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Did they lose a WC game just now?

they won't make it to the quarter final stage, they are basically on the level of an Italy or Japan now, they sacked good 'ol kiwi Dave Rennie to bring back Mad Eddie Jones who was sacked by england for running that team into the ground.

Which is kind of funny, but not funny if you're an All Blacks supporter as we play them all the time, and beating them is beating up on a cripple, all the money in union is in europe and the ABs cant really access it, so we have this mickey mouse comp with australia, who stink.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

My rugby theory

Hypothesis – unless rugby heads down a different path, rugby players will keep getting worse head injuries, and rugby, as a sport, will peter out

Fact 1 – Rugby players are getting bigger. More muscular. Fast twitch = faster. Weightlifters. Less aerobic. No more Michael Joneses / Terry Wrights / Josh Kronfelds. More Papalii’s, Canes, etc.

Fact 2 – Rugby has a problem with head injuries and is trying to clean it up via cards

Fact 3 – Rugby is a collision sport, and head injuries are more a function of steep changes in acceleration at collisions, than infrequent head highs, i.e. making a countless tackles and hitting rucks at full pace are worse, over a career, than getting hit high on occasion (this was told to me by another parent (a doctor), whose mentor is a US neurosurgeon, researching brain trauma in the NFL)

Reasoning –
1. Dangerous play will keep getting pinged, slowing the game down
2. A game with more stoppages increases the value of bigger players that don’t need to be as aerobic as they did when the game flowed more
3. Bigger players = bigger, faster collisions = more head injuries
4. So perversely, the focus on pinging head highs is actually making the head injuries worse

It was often thought league used to be bigger players vs rugby. The sports have swapped places as league has been sped up and rugby slowed down (and body shapes have correspondingly swapped places). It only takes 5 mins of watching the RWC to see the stark difference from the NRL, in terms of body type and stoppages in play

Conclusion - rule changes that make the game more aerobic will reduce body size, which would be a more effective solution to brain trauma than pinging dangerous play

bang on, union is getting disgusting to watch, you basically have to forget about enjoying ball in hand play and learn to like (or at least be interested in) scrums, mauls, the kicking game and defensive techniques, how to manage the referee - cos you wont get a lot of anything else.

there's some serious sport science going on as well, the players are getting ridiculously large, and are actively time wasting of their own accord, the ref isnt making them trot slowly to every line out

 

[Matiunz]

what happened to the Wallabys to generate these jokes? still havent watched a game here saving it for a All Black finals game.

First time in their history they’ve not progressed past the pool stages of the RWC, record loss to Wales this morning and a loss to Fiji for the first time in 55years.
They have a loud mouth Coach goading the media( as it turns out was meeting with Japan to break contract and coach them whilst in camp with the Wallabies) and it’s just blown up in his face.
Since taking over this year he has had 1 win(over Georgia) and 8 losses.
It’s a strange feeling to feel sorry for them

 

[tyrael]

Conclusion - rule changes that make the game more aerobic will reduce body size, which would be a more effective solution to brain trauma than pinging dangerous play

That was a good read.

But reducing body size will never happen unless you put a weight limit on positions.

110kg prop not going to win you any scrums this era

 

[Playdaball]

Eddie Jones’ dream was to coach Souths - I wonder if he’ll get there ????

 

[Shogun]

Wales 40 - 6 Wobblebies

Up the Wahs.

 

[pbrown011235]

State of Australian rugby union brutally exposed by Wallabies’ World Cup debacle | John Davidson

With the grassroots game struggling, participation in decline and Super Rugby on the wane, the writing has been on the wall for years

www.theguardian.com

Some of the BTL comments are priceless

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Fact 3 – Rugby is a collision sport, and head injuries are more a function of steep changes in acceleration at collisions, than infrequent head highs, i.e. making a countless tackles and hitting rucks at full pace are worse, over a career, than getting hit high on occasion

This is as I understand it as well. Quantity of small impacts is worse than quality of a few head highs.

I think there is no really good long term solution and the head high rules are lip service.

Agree the best way forward is leagues lowering of mass in impacts (although mass x speed = force and we’re increasing speed)

 

[Beastmode]

 

[Matiunz]

This is as I understand it as well. Quantity of small impacts is worse than quality of a few head highs.

I think there is no really good long term solution and the head high rules are lip service.

Agree the best way forward is leagues lowering of mass in impacts (although mass x speed = force and we’re increasing speed)

High tackles get majority of the attention but from personal experience it’s the ruck collisions that do more damage.
Last 2 concussions I got were;
1 going for a jackal at the breakdown (think wide stance bent over picking up the ball infront of u) and a player trying to clear me out hit the top of my head with his shoulder.
2 Latching onto my own player going into contact (latching and driving onto my own player with shoulder/arm just before he makes contact with the defender to help drive through) and my bind wasn’t strong enough and I slipped off into the knees of the defender.
Both and similar instances happen multiple times a game but will never get looked at.

 

[defensivebomb]

Eddie Jones’ dream was to coach Souths - I wonder if he’ll get there ????

He's like the Matt Lodge of coaching

He must have some seriously good salaries hitting his account each month, all from various past employers. Australia, Japan, South Africa, England, and soon Australia...

 

[Hardyman's Yugo]

I was hoping it would nearly be over by the time I got back from my holidays. Unfortunately not

Too much aimless kicking for me. Some of the games you could just as easily watch from outside the ground

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Well done All Blacks.

Ireland are a powerhouse and our nemesis the last few years

 

[enterthewarrior]

I tipped ABs to win this one. Ireland were no chance in this game. ABs always step up in big games.