General Rugby Discussion 3

Interesting-ish All Blacks squad for the November series. Cam Roigard comes back in at 9, and some guys like Perofeta and Ruben Love have kept their places. David Havili probably a more surprising selection for me.

The guys who have missed out are Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu (again) and someone like Harry Plummer and Noah Hotham who both made debuts relatively recently but miss out here.

They’ll both probably be in the All Black XV selection though.

What length of time would Healy have to spend without a Scotland cap to become Irish qualified again? I don't see him ever getting capped but could see him at Ulster or Connacht given their lack of 10s, if he can become Irish qualified relatively quickly.

I agree with this to an extent. Healy is a facilitator type 10 on the mould of Rose Byrne. I think the latter is quite a bit better though.

Jonathan Davies announces his retirement. Absolute class player…

My point is that if the argument is player safety, where are the stats to show that a 20 minute card has a negative effect on player welfare, or where are the stats to say that the red card laws around head contact from a few years back have had a positive effect on player welfare, or at least a reduction in HIA's? The statement from the FFR cites player welfare, but also says they can't back this up in any way. All I'm saying is that it shouldn't be that hard to prove, the stats must be out there.

I believe there is also evidence that lowering tackle height to hips and below resulted in more head impacts, as you end up having more contact between head and knee, head and hip etc.

In any case, I'm not arguing the fact that punishment can change behaviour. That's a given. All I'm asking for is stats to back up the argument for and against the 20 minute red card in relation to player welfare. The FFR cited lack of evidence, based on one Under 20 tournament, but surely the 20 minute red card has been used much more extensively than that over the last few years, and there should be some clear findings. If the 20 minute red card has been shown to have adverse impact on player welfare, then it makes you wonder why WR would try to push forward with it. On the flip side, if there is no evidence of it affecting player welfare, then why do people have an issue with it?

For me this really is pandering to the 'games gone soft' choir. It's interesting to watch SH analysis at half time and after a match from NZ, SA and Oz broadcasts and compare it to Ireland, Britain and France. SH always has least one voice mourning the impact of cards on the games and or arguing that such and such an offense is a rugby incident or isn't serious enough to card, its a physical game and players want to suck it up. In the north there are arguments about the same incidents but they aren't framed as a threat to some existential aspect of the game. WR has folded in the face of the argument that audiences need something that cards prevent them having. Zero to back it up, red cards in union aren't keeping audiences watching league in Oz.

Interesting that the statement says that there's no permanent red card for deliberate and intentional acts of foul play. Didn't know this was the case.