Could someone tell me why ITV is screening a game of rugby between France and Argentina? I mean, what's the point of watching a game when you want both sides to lose? :)************************************************************************************
Predicted comments: "You're a xenophobe", "the nasty party rears its head again" etc etc etc...
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I've never really understood Rugby. I mean, if you really want to spend 80 minutes with your head between a man's legs, or your hand up his crotch, why not just... [that's enough - Ed]
40 comments:
Iain, you don't put your head between anyone's legs. Is that something you've imagined?
Surely someone with your breadth of view on life, should appreciate the skill of the French backs. Makes most soccer seem a trifle dull IMO.
I can understand a West Ham supporter being wary of Argentinians. Its not a bad match to watch- as yet there's still 15 mins to go withg only one score between the two teams.
Me I take the a fairly neutral view on this one but when England play, then I'll be suppporting South Africa,USA, Samoa or Tonga
Maybe ITV are screening it because it is a damn good match? Bloody football supporters...anything more than the offside rule and your brains fall out of your ears.
Good sport is good sport.
What a philistine you are !
And what is wrong with the Argies ?
Some of them are Welsh for heaven's sake !
And don't give me all that tosh over the Malvinas - we were negotiating getting rid of them by giving a big bag of cash to the islanders when they were invaded rather inconveniently..
Actually a very good match...poor France *snigger*
Two good rugby teams, that. France, in particular, can play some breathtaking stuff, although apparently not in this match, which they just lost.
At least rugby players respect the authority of the ref, unlike the chavs habitally found on soccer pitches. Then they go and ionflict shocking voilence on one another. What else are us sticky malcoordinated fellers to do?
I hope the ref watched for the French forwards selling the Argentines more Exocets in the scrum.
And there's nothing homoerotic about rugby. That's for the bath afterwards.
'Rugby is such a simple game. You pick up the ball, go forward, and if you cross the line you put it down.'
(Tommy ‘He Velly Big Man’ David)
Rugby's a rubbish game, still at least it leaves one free to do some painting eh Iain.
Livingstone is a ****
Always find Rugby players try to hard to prove themselves as well. 6 weeks this goes on for doesn't it!!
I have been a practising homosexual for many years and have never felt drawn to rugger. Too big and hairy for my liking.
I have given up watching England play football, too boring for words. However surely even for a neutral tonights rugby match was exciting.
"when you want both sides to lose" - ah remembering the good old days of proper conflicts eh? They're what you true-blue Tories hanker after deep down inside really aren't they? The old enemies are the best; let's get after the French and/or the Argies again.
What this country needs is a good old-fashioned war isn't it? All this ruddy sixty years of peace nonsense that the EU and UN wets have brought us is no blessed good at all is it? A decent war'd knock that Cameron blighter's namby-pamby six weeks in the Girl Guides for ASBO kids scheme into the long grass, what?
Football is a good game , it has fluidity and elegant balance that justifiably earns it the title "The beautiful game", if I had to choose, however, its Rugby for me .
Firstly I have become ‘retrospectively’ rather a good at it, but its objective superiority springs from having less rules than football .Yes , I am aware there are actually more rules, and they are always bewilderingly in flux, but this is because the concept is far more expansive and like a basic beloved old car , it needs constant tinkering. Football is an artificial game ,whereas forms of rugby spontaneously evolved in every country . The oval ball’s challenge is simply to get a ball over the oppositions line subject to offside strictures common to all games .Crucially football adds the limitation of hand ball . From this point it becomes and has developed into a gorgeous confection and away from tribal conflict
For all the Byzantine sophistication of its offside laws at the breakdown, women immediately understand the visceral drama unfolding , football must be explained. There is at bottom something in the puzzled reaction …well what a silly thing to want to do , she might add , ‘Why not just pick it up‘.
An eighteen stone man able to run 100m in 12 seconds and with a good sports brain and magnificent skills will never be able to play football because you cannot carry that sort of strength around .We know however , that in some incontrovertible way Jona Lomuh was a greater man than Maradonna. These are the distinctions and notice the difference in the interest of the world 10,000m--- A fastest man/ 100m - The fastest man ;Middle weight champion--a champion fighter/ heavy weight champion-- The worlds greatest fighting machine. A footballer can only be ‘a’ greatest.
Football lends it self to diva worship . Relatively few supporters play and the club is a theatre , not a real club for most. People are sometimes horrified at the corruption and cupidity of the premier League but is bound to be that way it is a show separated from its sporting heritage and each change of the rule emphasises the distance . It is the Busby Berkeley extravaganza watched by the huddled depression urchins .It is the business we call show . It has controversies courtiers and whispered intrigues , rugby has legends.
The rugby supporter is typically on the side of the pitch reminding the current incumbents of his team of their unworthiness wear the shirt . At international level this very groundedness tgathers and metamorphosizes into an expression of the very soul of a country. The wizardy of the Welsh , the beef and elegance of the English , the panache of the French and the sheer competitive joy of the Australians . An unpleasant tendency to cross the border is still prevalent in the Scottish back row play and the South Africans are still deserve to be punched every now and then.
Rugby is closer to players . It can be a gruelling trial of strength and tactics or a carnival of genii weaving their enchantments , either to those who appreciate the game are mesmerising .True to its roots it has evolved specialisms but the Dales of this world may be unaware there is nothing to stop you having two in the pack or two full backs and most experiments have been tried . It is miraculous that spontaneously specialist cooperation sprang into being and from this comes the fact that Rugby is really a team game in a deeper way than football can ever be. As specialism thrives in the wild so each player is better at his role than a footballer is at the homogeneity of Soccer. Rugby has faster players , it has stronger players , of course, it has better kickers ,it has more devious tacticians and it has mightier warriors .A footballer cannot be so honed to a purpose because the whole game is played by each player.
This last quality is what makes football a thrilling athletic ballet , and I do love it but in the end ballet is not for me . I want to see strength skill teamwork and spirit combined in the grand cathartic heroism that is the glorious game of Rugby football.
Come on England ! You just might surprise them all….
( Got a bit carried way there ...cough cough)
I admit that - rather like the Scots when the English are playing, and especially after seeing a nasty foul unpunished - this is the first thing I have supported Argentina for since 1983.
>And don't give me all that tosh over the Malvinas - we were negotiating getting rid of them by giving a big bag of cash to the islanders when they were invaded rather inconveniently.
An invasion is an invasion. Don't be so stupid.
I am so NOT interested in rugby.
Can't wait for the England game tomorrow. I hear Teddy Sheringham and Gary Lineker are playing! :)
Football is working class, rugby is middleclass. I prefer football, but I envy rugby its complete absence of crowd violence.
Take a Saturday in Twickenham, with sixty thousand English and Scottish fans drinking heavily before and after the game.
Violence? None. Its a class thing.
It's a game for men, Iain. I've been playing it for 45 years (some of that in my head, admittedly!) and is far more beautiful than the so-called "beautiful" game that you support.
There is a level of skill in every team sport that we can all admire. What I like most about rugby is that the players can knock the hell out of each other but still admire each other's efforts.
And they don't get paid ridiculous amounts of money for doing it.
If you (or your namby pamby commenters) are not convinced come and watch the Under 11 side I help coach on Sunday mornings and see how much they enjoy it. You'd be surprised!
Iain, why people bother with soccer is beyond me. It's great to watch - but only from the safety of a TV where you don't get spat at, abused or called names for wearing the oppo's shirt!
I was brought up to love soccer (Man U if you are interested - in the not so glorious days of the 70's), but fell out of love with it in the 80's. Money, greed and hostility!
Got switched on to rugby however, and have played for the past 20 plus years. And all I can say is the ethos is a much better one than soccer! I don;t need to rehearse why - others do it much better than I!
As for France v the Argies, what are you talking about? Rugby was taken to Argentina to by the Scottish missionaries of the last century, and the large numbers of welsh emigrants who settled in Patogonia (where Welsh is still the dominant language in large numbers of enclaves).
Personally, I was rooting for the Argentinains tonight, and will also be cheering for the Irish when France play the them in two weeks time. If they lose to the Irish - the exit the cup without even getting beyond the group stage.
I cannot think of one englishman who would feel sad at that propsect.
I am ardently ABF - anyone but France!
I don't know why - I actually like France and the French, but it's a bit of fun isn't it. Nice to see 'les Bleus' brought down to eart after they swell and truly stuffed us over the past two years!
And it's good to support the underdog!
Like England tomorrow at Lords!
PS - if you want to see for yourself, happy to take you to a game so you can see why rugby is, in every sense, a far superior game to soccer!!!!!
iain, you're a sad case here. Rugby is art, man. There's something extraordinarily different about having the sweat and blood of 10 men about your nostrils whilst said men's sweaty flanks suffocate you and crumple your ears.
This latter has the effect of heightening the senses of touch, smell and taste. It therefore has a bonding effect to go with the old school tie.
I find Argentinians take things too seriously for my tastes although I've only ever met a handful. Brazilians OTOH seem easygoing, and entertaining.
If you waste millions of euros paying for the broadcasting rights then you have to show every match you can to get the advertising revenue to cover the costs.
At least ITV is a commercial station unlike the BBC who wastes taxpayers money
It's so poltically correct for the middle classes to follow a soccer team these days, quite pathetic.
In UK soccer is 'Oik-Ball'. It is a game played by oiks, watched by oiks, and supported by oiks. But good luck to them, why not.
The game has done a lot to lower standrads of behaviour, generally, amongst the young today, especially oiks like Wayne Rooney who are hero-worshipped by impressionable oik-boys.
The reason why England will never win any international tournaments is because the oik team has no 'officer class' to lead them. Oiks need a bit of class to succeed.
Simple.
Rugby union used to be a beautiful game with such poetry of movement, the game was almost organic. (Barry John, Phil Benett etc). And at least the players were educated. Some of them even gad professional careers aoutside the game.
Today, Rugby Union has sadly become 'Rugby League Lite'. But it's still a game far superior to Oik-Ball.
In my experience I have never found soccer supporters to be cricket supporters (cricket being the uncomparable game and the king of all sports).
However, soccer supporters do get drunk at cricket games however, as there is usually a cheap bar there.
Iain
How can anyone who supports West Ham claim to know anything about sport?
MikeyP, good point :)
hughes views,
"ah remembering the good old days of proper conflicts eh? They're what you true-blue Tories hanker after deep down inside really aren't they?"
But only if it is a legal war, old chap. Good clean, fair fight. Not like this New Labour "let's mess up their entire country and then run to the airport". Where's the plunder in that to support the Empire?
Zulus. Zulus chucking bloody spears at you - and only a rifle to defend yourself! Now that was a fair fight!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLoExeByUiE
No need for violence in the stands, the players do it better!
I play both football and rugby at weekends, one example of the difference-last year I was playing down in south london and we got told how our manager has a ongoing 'rift' with the other teams manager -all down to a late tackle over 15 years ago!
The next weekend i was playing rugby and got punched by a flanker in the break down-didnt really know what had happened-the player came upto me at the bar after with pint in his hand for me and apologised-in his own words 'sorry bout that chap-thought you were someone else' 'no worries mate' we had a great night after that, from what i remember...
Iain should have a look at the Dieux du Stade calendars and he may change his mind :)
I can't STAND Rugby Union so i'll be giving the whole load of nonsence a miss. I much prefer Rugby League. Especially when the Leeds Rhinos are on and Kevin Sinfield is playing!
Chavball is soooooooooooooooooo...
New Labour
Each to his own. But why not watch a game or two Iain?
You'll see players in respect for the referee and rules. Players might lose their tempers on the field but they always respect the ref.
I think it's much more action packed, something is always happening, instead of the endless passing of the ball which gets circulated around the pitch all the time.
The Simpsons summed up soccer for me:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sybFfI5gWso
I didn't realise how much I liked the Argies until they beat the French in Paris. Maybe its even time to start buying Argentinian wine again rather than Chilian.
And if the Paddies do the same and France does not qualify, I might even forgive Ireland for siding with the Nazis in WWII.
I'll forgive the Irish anything if they beat the French!
"Football is a gentleman's game played by yobs, whereas Rugby is a yob's game played by gentleman."
A maxim of my dad's - seems accurate if you ask me. I know who's the better role model for kids out of Wayne Rooney and Johnny Wilkinson!
...and no, I'm not being snobbish!
You just stick to watching the overpriced, overpaid tarts who play footie and leave the real game of football alone...
Why show France vs Argentina? Because it was the opening match in the World Cup and it also happened to be brilliant. Like many other English supporters, no doubt, I was cheering on the Pumas and was thrilled to see them beat the French, who will now be very dangerous in the Ireland match because they're in danger of not making it out of the group stage. Needless to say I will be cheering on the Irish as well.
Yesterday's matches weren't terrific. It was good to see Italy cross the line a couple of times against New Zealand, and Japan were at least holding their own in the first half against Australia, but whitewashes aren't all that entertaining to watch.
The England match was downright depressing. Olly Barkley was very impressive and I think deserves the start ahead of Wilkinson, assuming Wilkinson is passed fit to play this week, and assuming Barkley hasn't been damaged by the Yank dropping him on his head in the closing minutes. However, South Africa must be looking forward to next Friday, with Samoa (who can be very dangerous at times) to come as well it might not be just the French who get dumped at the group stage.
Still, if Ireland end up carrying the torch for the Six Nation sides I will be supporting them all the way. And the Pumas will also get my support if they get through the group stages, which they have every chance of doing.
Coverage starts again at 12.30 today on ITV4. I won't be moving far from the TV for the rest of today.
I've just taken my 10 year old sone to watch England v USA.
I would not dream of taking my son to watch West Ham - Soccer is full of yobs and perverts !
I find 'rugger' to be a particularly tedious game - lacking the skills and beauty of both football and cricket. Its predominance in the media says more about the public school background of Fleet Street hacks than anything else.
I am getting rather tired of these silly, snobbish comments about football fans. They are coming straight out of 'tabloid hell.' Have these people genuinely been to a football match in recent years or are they getting all of their 'information'from the Daily Mail?
They put it on ITV so that we english can watch two of our greatest enemies beat the hell out of each nothing on the rugby pitch and still not have a chance at beating us in the tournament! lol
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