Why do kickers get special treatment?

daveharnett

The international media like to make a fuss over the munster croud's respect (IE quiet) for goal kickers (Although this seems to be common to all Irish rugby crouds IMO). Does anyone know how this started?

It strikes me as ironic that the 'respectful' thomond park croud will shake the rafters when the opposition hooker is trying to hear a lineout call :cool:

bleg

because silence for a hooker wouldn't put him off.

phog

daveharnett wrote: »

The international media like to make a fuss over the munster croud's respect (IE quiet) for goal kickers (Although this seems to be common to all Irish rugby crouds IMO). Does anyone know how this started?

It strikes me as ironic that the 'respectful' thomond park croud will shake the rafters when the opposition hooker is trying to hear a lineout call :cool:

What do you do yourself?

NotWormBoy

Interesting question alright, though it could have been asked a little more ... neutrally. It does seem to happen in Thomond and the RDS/Donnybrook as well as Landsdowne and Croker - I can't comment on Ravenhill or the Sportsground, never having been there.

Its odd alright that it seems to be ok to try and put the lineout men off from hearing a call (the crowd doing their best to disrupt the opposition play) but not ok to put a kicker off by raising hell when he's trying to concentrate.

Could be as bleg says, the sheer silence involved might pressure the kicker into making a mistake. Though why do it for your own kicker if thats the case?

bleg

rog knows no different in TP

Silence puts off every single kicker except if they are Irish or English,welsh to certain degree.

Every other country boo opposition or make clapping noise for their own kicker and thats the way it should be imo.

bleg

with a home team kicker you can imagine the kicker thinking "they're all silent cause they want me to do well and kick this penalty/conversion"

you can imagine an opposition kicker thinking "****, they're all gone quiet cause they're watching me"

daveharnett

phog wrote: »

What do you do yourself?

Much the same as everyone else. Silence for the kicker was drilled into all of us at schoolboy level. I like it, it strikes me as a good sporting tradition - it's not our fault if kickers from elsewhere aren't used to it. I'm just curious to know if there's any folklore about it that I haven't heard.

I would say that the shouting at lineout time is mostly positive - the croud is encouraging Munster to compete well, rather than jeering the opposition. But there is also an obvious intention there to disrupt the opposition's communication too.

Sabre0001

daveharnett wrote: »

Much the same as everyone else. Silence for the kicker was drilled into all of us at schoolboy level. I like it, it strikes me as a good sporting tradition - it's not our fault if kickers from elsewhere aren't used to it. I'm just curious to know if there's any folklore about it that I haven't heard.

I would say that the shouting at lineout time is mostly positive - the croud is encouraging Munster to compete well, rather than jeering the opposition. But there is also an obvious intention there to disrupt the opposition's communication too.

Actually it seems to usually only kick in when the opposition is taking "a little too much time" rather than at every lineout...And it is often in the hope that Munster compete too.

Serenity Now!

I will never get my head around supporters applauding the opposition kicker slotting a 3 pointer or a conversion over their team.
Talk about dumb...

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Why not? I'll often applaud an opposition 10 for a tough conversion or gutsy drop goal. Admittedly, I'm more likely to do it if my team is comfortably ahead but great play is great play. I'm a rugby fan first and foremost, an Ireland fan second to that and a province fan as a distant third.

I'm not gonna clap to the rafters if Hernandez slots a drop goal from 40 yards out that knocks us out of a World Cup semi-final or anything, but sometimes players just do outstanding things that deserve a round of applause regardless of jersey.

louthandproud

Serenity Now! wrote: »

I will never get my head around supporters applauding the opposition kicker slotting a 3 pointer or a conversion over their team.
Talk about dumb...

Not dumb, just a sporting gesture. A foreign concept to some it seems.

Serenity Now!

louthandproud wrote: »

Not dumb, just a sporting gesture. A foreign concept to some it seems.

Why don't you clap the drop goals then? Or the tries?

NotWormBoy

Serenity Now! wrote: »

Why don't you clap the drop goals then? Or the tries?

I suspect he/she usually would. Most people I've seen at games would too.

louthandproud

NotWormBoy wrote: »

I suspect he/she usually would. Most people I've seen at games would too.

indeed, I would tend to clap equally for any piece of good rugby skill when it happens (if I can find it within myself). Doesn't need to be a kick, in fact it would more likely be a good try.

LightningBolt

Serenity Now! wrote: »

I will never get my head around supporters applauding the opposition kicker slotting a 3 pointer or a conversion over their team.
Talk about dumb...

Zendaya Plain Ledge wrote: »

Why not? I'll often applaud an opposition 10 for a tough conversion or gutsy drop goal. Admittedly, I'm more likely to do it if my team is comfortably ahead but great play is great play. I'm a rugby fan first and foremost, an Ireland fan second to that and a province fan as a distant third.

I'm not gonna clap to the rafters if Hernandez slots a drop goal from 40 yards out that knocks us out of a World Cup semi-final or anything, but sometimes players just do outstanding things that deserve a round of applause regardless of jersey.

The problem I have is when penalties and conversions are applauded by home opposition fans a la Top 14 although in fairness the racket the home support makes whilst attempting a kick at times warrants a brief applause in certain situations.