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Rugby 2012

Discussion in 'Sports Board' started by Bundy Bear, Feb 11, 2012.

  1. lhprop1

    lhprop1
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    Like Bundy Bear said, he plays 7's, which is vastly different in both physical demands and strategy from the original game of 15s. First of all, you've got the fitness factor. It's much easier for a sprinter who's used to running for 10 seconds to transition into a game where they play two 7 minute halves (7's). Traditional 15's rugby is 40 min halves.

    Secondly, in 7s you don't have the physical demands that you have in 15s. Due to there being twice as many men on the same sized field, 15's is a lot more beating and banging. You have a lot more rucks and tackles to make and you have to do it for 80 minutes. Sprinters are notorious for being very undurable. A back row player who can't ruck in the late stages of a match is worthless.

    Strategy wise, there are a lot of things that he could pick up fairly easily, but the kicking game is something that takes years for a skilled backline player to develop. Learning how to accurately kick is hard enough. Learning when and where to use position kicks, pressure kicks, territory kicks, counter kicks, etc takes a special mind for the game.

    On top of it all, Isles wants to be an Olympian. He won't make it to Rio playing 15s.
     
  2. T0m88

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    If he plays 15s and he tries any of that bullshit (never mind the fact that acres of space that big almost NEVER open up unless there's an outrageous interception or handling error in the backs), at some stage in the game the flanker and some other evil bastard (probably the 8) are going to hit him high-low and snap him like a breadstick. Fuck that.
     
  3. lhprop1

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    That's probably the biggest difference between 7s and 15s is the available space. Personally, I think he would learn to read gaps better and appreciate space more if he was to spend a year or two playing the traditional code just as a 15s player can learn better defense and how to create space by playing 7s.

    Regardless, he's only been playing for one year. To make that kind of impact at the international level with almost zero experience says a lot about his potential.
     
  4. caseykasem

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    This is slowly starting to be the case. I worked at a training center throughout college where USA Rugby trains and players regularly spoke of this being one of their big goals. However, it's hard to draw kids away from american football who would be good at rugby because there is virtually no rugby exposure in the United States. However, youth rugby participation in the United States has increased dramatically in the past 10 years and I would expect this to continue to be the case, especially in California, Colorado, Utah, and Texas.
     
  5. RCGT

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  6. Bundy Bear

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  7. RCGT

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    I actually fucked up the reply there, meant to link this:
    <a class="postlink" href="http://www.vipbox.tv" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.vipbox.tv</a>

    I use this for basically all sporting events.
     
  8. RCGT

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    I officially love Super Rugby. I think it's leapfrogged soccer and baseball to become my second favorite sport.

    I'm bandwagoning the Cheetahs. Is this a good move?
     
  9. Bundy Bear

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    Not the worst one, they've always been a handful to play and seem to have found the recipe for that next step this year. If they win this weekend I'd officially say they're title contenders this year. I'm a long suffering Chiefs fan so last year was amazing.
     
  10. Vorticon

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    Interesting to see the British and Irish Lions squad, hopefully the tests will be worth watching. Is NZ really that far ahead of the northern hemisphere that Sean Maitland is good enough to be among the best wingers in the four countries? I don't follow six nations so I'm not really sure.
     
  11. Bundy Bear

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    Maitland is a pretty decent winger, fringe All Black if a few injuries popped up maybe so that means he isn't too bad. Ricky Flutey got picked for England and he couldn't even get a Super Rugby contract when he left. You know NZ have some good wingers if guys like Hosea Gear can't get a permanent spot.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how the Lions go this time, would love them to beat Aus as this country needs a massive shake up as far as their grass roots and national comp goes. After premier club rugby in Sydney and Brisbane there is nothing until Super Rugby.
     
  12. Vorticon

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    Flutey had some personal issues that he turned around on going to the UK, and was playing much better rugby in the lead up to his England debut than he did for Wellington. Maitland has pretty much stepped from Canterbury to the Lions within a few months, and he was 5th or 6th in NZ when he left (Gear, Jane, Savea, Guildford at least). Maitland is a good player, it's just interesting how quickly a guy who's only a first class player in NZ can make a 'super' team like the Lions and I was wondering how much competition for places there was.
     
  13. Bundy Bear

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    Remember some of the guys he did have in front of him like Jane and Kahui although converts are exceptional players who would walk into any team in the world but are forced to play out of position to fit them into the ABs, Giildford has always been a bit of a pet favourite even with his troubles and I don't think should have played as many as he did when some of his skills were found lacking.

    At the moment in NZ the competition for places is possibly the highest it has been for years. At first-five you have guys like Barrett and Cruden banging on Carters door, halfback has a ridiculous amount of young guys coming through, so much so that Jimmy Cowan left NZ. It's the same for nearly every position at the moment.