04/18/24
February 07, 2015
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
I watched that game -- the first full rugby match I've seen. I didn't get far in my understanding of the rules, but it was intriguing. Wales disappeared in the second half.
A few observations and questions:
When a player reaches the end zone for a 5-point play, does he keep running towards the middle to determine the spot of the 2-point kick? What is a defender trying to do when he runs to him in the end zone?
Also, what's the penalty called when the runner is down and he's trying to put the ball back to a teammate on the ground? England got several of those, and I couldn't figure out why.
I liked how they put a camera on the main official. It would be cool to see the NFL do that for all officials, and have it turn towards whatever the official is looking at.
posted by rcade at 04:14 PM on February 07, 2015
You're right about the runner in the "end zone." Where you touch the ball down is where the kick has to be taken from, so if you score in the corner, then the kicker has to take the kick from way out on the sideline. The kicker can choose to move the ball back as far as he wants, to open the angle.
As a result, runners will get across the try line and then attempt to run under the posts before touching the ball down to make the conversion as easy as possible.
Unlike a touchdown a try actually has to be touched down, so if a defender can tackle you to the ground and keep you pinned and up so you can't down the ball then that isn't a score. It's quite rare and usually happens when an attacker is diving for the try line, rather than already over it, but the defenders will trot over anyway, just to keep you honest.
As for the penalty on the ground, (that mess of people is called a "Ruck"), there are several and can be called on both sides. Firstly, when you're tackled down you have to release the ball. When Wales screw up that throw in and the England forward intercepts he gets isolated and when tackled there's no one around to take the ball, so he holds it a fraction too long, hoping for his backs to catch up and gets penalised.
Later, one of the Welsh players gets called for reaching into a ruck and picking up the ball with a knee on the ground, because you aren't allowed to touch the ball unless you're supporting your own weight.
Rucks have a thousand rules around how you're allowed to join in, who's allowed to touch the ball and when and the offside rules in Rugby are labyrinthine to say the least.
I also really like how the officiating is done in Rugby Union. The Referee is in constant communication about what he's seeing and what he wants cleaned up. He clearly tells teams to keep their hands clear, or where they're not allowed to stand and he'll communicate infractions he has seen through a team's Captain... warning a Captain that he needs to have his player stop twisting the scrum or stop joining the ruck from the wrong angle, or stop this or that behaviour or it'll lead to a penalty.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:29 PM on February 07, 2015
I didn't get far in my understanding of the rules
You and most referees, as well.
But seriously, the ruck and maul rules are not just hard to interpret, they keep changing, too. It's one of the features of rugby (union) that limits the game as a spectacle. I played it at school (it was compulsory) so managed to pick up most of the principles, but the whole approach and game strategy of top level rugby is based on gaining advantages at the ruck, and exploiting the rules (read: cheating without getting caught).
posted by owlhouse at 01:34 AM on February 08, 2015
Some analysis of kicking and tackling versus ball in hand rugby.
posted by owlhouse at 08:36 PM on February 08, 2015
Full coverage of the opening Six Nations game between Wales and England is (currently) available on youtube, featuring an opening sequence by someone who's watched Game of Thrones.
[jokes about a red wedding goes here]
Anthems are at ~36 minutes, with the game starting at ~40 minutes.