The "atmosphere" in the Aviva Stadium

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121909241#Comment_121909241

Plenty of people at Croke Park leave early to get the halftime pints in, and don't come back until well into the second half

Ted222

It’s a different experience to the old days but not necessarily worse.

Years ago you stood on wet uncovered terraces and there was a sense of collective suffering that perhaps created “atmosphere”.

It’s a much more comfortable experience these days and perhaps that’s the problem. There’s less likelihood of contributing to producing atmosphere when you’re comfortably seated with a beer in one hand and a burger in the other.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916470#Comment_121916470

Or the comfort brings a different kind of fan.

Saw a similar change when concerts went online and people didn't have to queue overnight in the pissin rain for tickets anymore.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916691#Comment_121916691

Tickets, be it for major sporting events or concerts, are now prohibitively expensive, and that definitely attracts more casual fans, rather than hard-core fans. If it was more of the latter, you'd get a better atmosphere, it's not rocket science.

flatty

The problem is the 6 nations. It might get better now England look good again. The Welsh are so poor at present that they brought on a player who had played 2 hours as a professional, and never started a game. Italy have been an anchor on excitement for over a decade. Hopefully that will change, but I won’t hold my breath, and Scotland are inconsistent with not much depth. It has been boring. I turn over most games after 15 minutes as the result is inevitable. The best games by far this year were France vs England and England vs Ireland. I never ever thought I’d say this, but I enjoyed the England game more than any of our wins in the 6 nations. If England remain strong, there will be a brilliant atmosphere in Dublin next year and in the Aviva. All of the other games were grim enough and predictable.

flatty

Two further observations

1. The scrum has become a blight on the game. As soon as a scrum is called, the clock should be stopped and only restarted once the ball is put in. It would stop loads of messing and time wasting and running down a sinbin.
2. The referee can and does have an inordinate effect on a game, calling penalties which could have gone the other way, or not at all, and it detracts from the contest.

Hotblack Desiato

Grim and predictable?

Italy 24-27 England (OK, Italy were never close enough in normal time to win that one, but still)

Wales 26 - 27 Scotland (Wales looked well beaten but almost came back to win)

Scotland 16 - 20 France (Scotland could and arguably should have won)

England 16 - 14 Wales (England needed late scores to win)

France 13 - 13 Italy (Italy should have won with last kick)

Italy 31 - 29 Scotland (Scotland almost coming back to win)

England 23 - 22 Ireland, one point win at the death.

France 33 - 31 England, two point win almost at the death.