ruserious wrote:I have not posted for many months and this topic has once again reminded me why !!!
Totally empathise with that, but i'll bite anyway!
The pundits, officials and players all considered the tackle legitimate. Therefore I can only conclude that those on this forum who claim the tackle was dangerous/illegal are out of touch with the game and it's laws.
BTW congrats to Owens for another truly outstanding game, no doubt there are those that will think otherwise.
Iain - no I am not new to rugby, having coached Junior rugby for 6 seasons at your local club in Market Harborough and taken more coaching qualifications than many on here.
Wirral Exile
Same birthplace as Oz, but not quite as lippy!
WirralExile wrote:Iain - no I am not new to rugby, having coached Junior rugby for 6 seasons at your local club in Market Harborough and taken more coaching qualifications than many on here.
I'm fairly sure that Kibworth junior coaches don't teach their bigger players to be especially gentle with the smaller ones.
I am neither clever enough to understand nor stupid enough to play this game
This & other comments like it make my blood boil. 9 pages of serious debate about something which has the potential to leave a player paralysed for life. I wonder how many pages there were discussing Matt Hampsons injury?
Still thats ok RagingBull et al don't worry just dismiss it as 'job done' that is until Lawes (or possibly some one else) finally cripples someone else for life. Then no doubt you will shower the rest of is with 9 pages of sanctimonious claptrap!
For me the answer is simple, regardless of whether he was commited or not, he has hit a player without the ball penalty, if deemed by the referee to be late yellow card, if deemed to be late and dangerous red card. As pointed out by others at the moment this is all open to interpretation by the referee and to date he has got away with it. But different day different ref neither you nor he should be suprised by a different interpretation. Who knows perhaps a crucial RWC game?
You could look at it another way and say the same tackle could be a try saving one in the last seconds of the World Cup Final which means England win or not.
Crumblies wrote:
For me the answer is simple, regardless of whether he was commited or not, he has hit a player without the ball penalty, if deemed by the referee to be late yellow card, if deemed to be late and dangerous red card. As pointed out by others at the moment this is all open to interpretation by the referee and to date he has got away with it. But different day different ref neither you nor he should be suprised by a different interpretation. Who knows perhaps a crucial RWC game?
This would mean players would never tackle low. To do so would mean getting your head low and losing sight of when a player passes the ball. You would need to perform a standing tackle like in rugby league where head to head impact is more likely. Failing that players will need to be able to stop or change direction mid air to avoid giving away penalties. I'm guessing coaches will exploit this by getting players to draw the tackle but pass at the last second thereby winning the penalty and earning a potential shot at goal. Maybe we should forget the tackle and players should just be able to shout "tackle" when they are close to you at which point you have to fall to the floor, carefully and in a controlled manner of course, and play continues (at walking pace only). I joke, and player injury is certainly not something I take lightly, but how many players have been hurt by tackles like this recently? I can't think of a serious case More injuries are probably sustained by players tackling in what appears to be the preferred method in going low around the legs. Leigh Halfpenny had to go off in the Wales game for going low and getting a knee to the head and the experts (well, Jonathan Davis) are saying he can't keep doing this as he has had several concussions from tackling around the legs and unless he changes his tackling technique he may be forced into early retirement. Unfortunately there is probably no perfect solution.
Any suggestions
More injuries are probably sustained by players tackling in what appears to be the preferred method in going low around the legs. Leigh Halfpenny had to go off in the Wales game for going low and getting a knee to the head and the experts (well, Jonathan Davis) are saying he can't keep doing this as he has had several concussions from tackling around the legs and unless he changes his tackling technique he may be forced into early retirement. Unfortunately there is probably no perfect solution.