Comments on: Elissalde’s sour grapes ‘whine’.

By: Jobes

Jobes — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:06:29 +0000

I love watching French rugby and have been following the Top 14 there for a couple of seasons. It’s fast, loose, hot-headed, and cheaper than watching English club rugby on Sky.

I’m sure France have used the pick-and-go to run down the clock before - it’s not pretty but it works. Didn’t they do it against NZ at the World Cup? So it’s a bit rich for JBE to complain, frustrating as it must have been.

There’s a strong philosophy in France that how you win matters, and it’s a point of moral and/or aesthetic principle that the beautiful game (le rugby champagne, le french flair, whatever) should win over…well, they’d probably say over Anglo-Saxon pragmatism.

Having often been bored rigid watching England play, I tend to agree, although maybe that’s just the Welsh branch of the family tree twitching (I’ve heard French rugby pundits describe the Welsh as "the most Latin of the British teams"; meant as a compliment, in case you wondered).

It’s certainly the Toulouse mentality: "jeu de mains, jeu de toulousain". I remember reading an interview with a Toulouse player (I think Clement Poitrenaud) who said that the Toulouse fans would give the team a standing ovation when they lost 35-34 but would whistle them off the pitch when they won 9-8!

By: Total Flanker

Total Flanker — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:22:02 +0000

Absolutely nothing wrong with the tactic and changing the laws is certainly not the answer to any perceived problem - but the IRB got it right (for once) when they issued an edict last week to referees to ensure that players going to ground to "seal off" the ball at the ruck should be penalised in accordance with current laws. If breakdowns are refereed correctly then the continuous pick and go tactic becomes so much more difficult to execute.

By: Josh Houston

Josh Houston — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:00:54 +0000

You’re right, it is boring and I would be just as frustrated if I was playing in the match. But when watching the match and the score is that close, you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to see if the ball will be turned over or somethign else will happen. So for the spectator, I disagree that it’s boring.

I’m surprised you agree with him because think about what you and your team would have done if you were up 3 points.

Toulose just weren’t that good and like you said, McCaw would have torn that ball out of someone’s hands.

By: Vic

Vic — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:53:08 +0000

I think the frustration by the players is by product of the professional era. Winning and losing means so much more now than it did 20 years ago. Emotions are high, the stakes are large, and winning is everything (forget how the game is played). Elissalde is certainly showing bad sportsmanship (and setting a bad example for the youth) but I agree with him. Watching 15 minutes of pick-and-go is painful. Similar reasons prevent me from watching live, televised sports in America.

However, the correct response to the situation is to find and train players who are better are producing turn overs like Phil Waugh and Ritchie McCaw. Forget the ELVs, change the strategy and win the trophy next year.