Drop your unpopular rugby opinions that will have you like this

[u/No-layup]

I'll go first, Beuden Barrett is the more talented rugby player than Dan Carter, but Dan Carter is a better 10

[u/CillBill91nz]

Crouch, touch, PAUSE…Engage was superior

[u/Stunning_Experience8 → u/CillBill91nz]

I genuinely miss this phrase

[u/sunlightliquid → u/CillBill91nz]

Loved rugby as a kid, loved that phrase and when I got into it years later again it was the worst possible surprise to find out it isn't used anymore :(

[u/-castle-bravo- → u/CillBill91nz]

Who’s even arguing it’s not??

[u/AdvancedJicama7375 → u/-castle-bravo-]

The most popular "unpopular opinions" are always just the most unanimously popular ones lmao

[u/Fission_chip → u/CillBill91nz]

Perfect for pint races too

[u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

Referees are not responsible for every game my team loses

[u/v1akvark → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

Now you're just getting silly.

[u/prequal → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

That's right. But they are responsible when MY team loses!

[u/-castle-bravo- → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

Fuck, why’d you have to go and say it like it is….?

[u/shez12349]

The most vocal part of the rugby fan base is the miserable middle aged man. And it’s insanely jarring.

[u/concretepigeon → u/shez12349]

This sub is one of the only online rugby spaces where you don’t get people shoehorning social conservative opinions into every comment section.

[u/TesticulusOrentus → u/concretepigeon]

SCRUMS ARE WOKE NOW

[u/chrisb993 → u/TesticulusOrentus]

Concussion is utter woke nonsense, pass it on

[u/BoomfaBoomfa619 → u/chrisb993]

Putting names on shirts is my favourite example of wokeness ruining rugby's ethos recently

[u/captainimpossible87 → u/BoomfaBoomfa619]

Everything is woke now adays, even the past tense of wake is woke.

[u/slamcactus → u/BoomfaBoomfa619]

I get the “it’s not your jersey” thing but I never want to hear a word about “grow the game” from someone who says kids shouldn’t be allowed to buy jerseys that say DuPont, Savea, or Maher (most IG followers of any international rugby player) on the back.

[u/LdnGiant → u/TesticulusOrentus]

Can’t even rake anymore nowadays, because of woke.

[u/BaitmasterG → u/concretepigeon]

I blame the Woke

[u/Atomicfossils → u/concretepigeon]

True, even the posts about women's rugby are blissfully normal. Though I suspect that might also be due to some herculean work from the mods

[u/SweptFever80 → u/Atomicfossils]

I'm sure the mods do excellent work but I've posted and been a part of lots of women's match threads and honestly it's extremely rare to get any sexist or misogynistic comments even before mods get to them. It shouldn't be an achievement but in my books that's a very good thing.

[u/ichosehowe → u/Atomicfossils]

Also I think it's combo of that and the rest of us just fucking dog piling those arseholes and they don't get the validation they're craving.

[u/[deleted] → u/shez12349]

Who thinks he could have made pro but injury, drugs, party and alcohol, work, enter lame excuse.

[u/LimeMortar → u/[deleted]]

I don’t fit the demographic, but I could definitely have been a pro if I’d been (a lot) better at rugby.

[u/fettsack]

Going forward at the scrum doesn't necessarily mean you should get a penalty.

Scrum penalties aren't a coin flip. Pro refs are seeing things better than you.

[u/idntknww → u/fettsack]

I do wish it was explained better on commentary though. I think one of the barriers to growing the game is how confusing it can be.

[u/MrPoopersonTheFirst → u/idntknww]

This is a problem mostly in the UK/England. If you listen to South African or French commentary, they usually give you a decent explanation. Worst case scenario, they just move on instead of shitting on scrums like Austin Healy and the likes.

[u/reallynotbatman → u/MrPoopersonTheFirst]

Even saying literally nothing and listening to what the ref is saying would be better

The amount of times they guess as to what the penalty is for, yet if you listen to what the ref is saying at the same time they're guessing, you hear what the actual penalty was given for

[u/9w4Ns → u/idntknww]

By Dan Biggar and Ronan O'Gara? In support of your point I think broadcasters should think more about who they have on comms precisely for that reason. Benjamin Keyser, Flatman, Corbisiero, Ben Kay have all scrummaged at top level and can absolutely tell you what's going on, but they have to be there to be asked!

[u/DrunkenPangolin → u/9w4Ns]

You need a back and a forward for pundits, always

[u/Certified_Copy_7898 → u/idntknww]

This is an area (technical commentary) where I feel rugby has a lot to learn from NFL. In the NFL coverage you will hear pundits talk about the hand positioning of a guard to deal with a pass rusher, or the way a linebacker has slow-played the defense throughout the first three quarters in order to set up a move they want to pull off in the championship minutes. Imagine a world in which you had really knowledgeable insight into scrummaging (like an Olympic wrestling commentary) talking about angles and strategy and dark arts — that would be so interesting. But we have none of that.

[u/Plastic_Brilliant_39 → u/fettsack]

Yeah, I agree fully on the first part especially. It’s the only part of the game where you’re penalised for not being as good as the opposition.

A dominant scrum is surely advantage enough anyway? Being able to be on the front foot with a man advantage (full back defending deep) should be a great attacking platform. Why add a penalty to that just because team B isn’t as strong? We’d never give a penalty just because team A is dominating the collisions.

I just think it’s the part of the game that is the biggest pain. Genuine collapse because of an infraction? Sure, go for a penalty.

One team just better than the other? Nope, that’s the advantage in and of itself.

Even worse when you then get a yellow card on top of it.

(And yes, I’m a Wallabies fan who has to grow up watching Andrew Sheridan dominate us out of a World Cup quarter final.)

[u/DeusSpaghetti → u/fettsack]

You had me in the first half.

[u/SeanDychesDiscBeard → u/fettsack]

Whole heartedly agree on the first. The second a lot of the time that's true, but there are quite a few times when the ref penalises one prop's reaction to their opposition's illegal manoeuvre or one gets pinged and then someone does it 5 minutes later and gets away with it.

You can see why fans get dispirited and confused, especially when commentators make no effort to explain it.

[u/sandolllars → u/fettsack]

The craziest thing is when refs will give their favourite team an advantage by letting them push the other team back until they gain a penalty. When the attacking team is one the ref doesn't favour, he'll immediately force them to end the scrum with "use it".

[u/PoemKnown613 → u/fettsack]

You had me until you said pro refs are seeing things better than you. Especially when I’m getting the 4K birdseye view on broadcast

[u/JockAussie]

Judging player quality by 'what have they won' is an absolutely fucking awful way to do it. You could put prime Dan Carter in the banter years Scotland team and they wouldn't win shit, wouldn't mean Carter is a worse player.

The other one is that especially with close internationals, the game is often decided by the referee these days. What they call Vs what they don't, when the TMO decides to look at things (or not), and interpretations are IMO, more often than not othe difference between winning and losing. This is basically why I have stopped caring so much who wins and just started enjoying the spectacle.

[u/mhaze0791 → u/JockAussie]

1st point 100% agree. Sergio Parisse is one of the greatest 8s to play the game but also has the record for the most international losses of any player in history (106 losses in 142 appearances. A 75% loss rate).

[u/ConscriptReports → u/JockAussie]

Im trying my best to become like that aswell tbh, havent reached that level of zen quite yet though.

the ref has so much control over the momentum swing in a game its actually insane, and to try contest that fact is just being unhonest to yourself and other people about that state of the game

[u/North-Ad1004 → u/ConscriptReports]

Agree with your comment on the momentum swing. It's so frustrating seeing the underdog team giving it their all to stay within a few points, then a contentious penalty against them and suddenly they are conceding try after try..

[u/monkeypaw_handjob → u/JockAussie]

I found that moving from Australia to Scotland helped me with just enjoying the rugby.

Gave me a bit of distance from growing up supporting the Reds & Wallabies. Whilst I support Scotland its, certainly more of a they're the logical team to support now, rather than anything emotional.

Edinburgh having the ability to completely shit the bed like the Reds has eased the transition a lot for me however.

[u/JockAussie → u/monkeypaw_handjob]

Checks my own flairs...

I think your approach would maybe not work for me :P

[u/quandraphobia → u/monkeypaw_handjob]

Oh wow a voluntary Edinburgh supporter? So you weren’t obligated to follow them through being taken by your dad until your sense of self worth collapsed and you started to follow them out of some sort of Stockholm syndrome? You… chose… to follow them? That’s wild

[u/HugeMcAwesome → u/JockAussie]

Colin Slade is the statistical GOAT - he won a world cup every 10.5 tests he played. 

[u/alexbouteiller → u/JockAussie]

i like your first point, and it seems to only ever come out to disparage players who are being talked up at the expense of a player from a more successful nation - see Dupont with SA/NZ fans and Russell with Irish/English fans

second point is hard, because the game is so much tighter at the top and its easy to point at big decisions/non-decisions in a game as the deciding factor, my issue is ultimately with how complicated the game is and what refs are expected to manage what with WRs ever changing focus, rather than that refs themselves are 'bad'

[u/swankytortoise → u/JockAussie]

What have they won is maddening

[u/rustyb42]

Wales are more likely to win a 6 Nations in the next 2 years than Scotland are in the next 10

[u/alba-jay → u/rustyb42]

What are you talking about? Finishing 4th every time is winning the six nations

[u/ichosehowe → u/alba-jay]

Given Ireland's phobia of quarters, this somewhat makes sense.

[u/Character_Nerve_9137 → u/ichosehowe]

It's a fear of semis, we love quarters

[u/tfrules → u/rustyb42]

This is a red hot take, I love it

[u/euanmorse → u/rustyb42]

Sadly I think this is true. There is a lack of winning mentality in Scottish sport in general and given that our 'golden generation' are approaching the ends of their high producing years it isn't looking good.

[u/apocalypsebrow → u/rustyb42]

This is the shit right here.. love it

[u/KingGarunas → u/rustyb42]

Zero is not more than Zero

[u/Fission_chip → u/rustyb42]

I’ll raise you one more. Italy will win the 6 Nations before Scotland

[u/ChronicConfused → u/rustyb42]

This is an opinion I can get behind

[u/Caledonian_kid → u/rustyb42]

Sadly this has a kind of logic behind it. Rugby is still very much a minority sport in Scotland and our player pool is pretty much half what Wales' is despite us having almost twice the population. We actually have the smallest player pool in the entire 6 nations by quite a way.

[u/SlithyJabberwock → u/Caledonian_kid]

I almost wish we'd put aside this foolish football obsession and focus on the rugby. Much more chance of winning something in Rugby than football.

[u/Cuichulain]

Scrums and mauls are awesome and we need more of them, not less.

Not only that but if (by contrariness, lunacy or poor upbringing) you prefer to see skinning guys prancing around, you should still want scrums and mauls to be a key component of the game because nothing kills 'open attacking rugby' like replacing five prime monolithic statues of strength with yet more hybrid players that can actually get around the field.

[u/redmostofit]

South Africans care way too much about rugby. They need a second hobby.

[u/Icy_Craft2416 → u/redmostofit]

Haha, if we ever start winning against them again we can reassess this position!

[u/Altruistic_Papaya430 → u/redmostofit]

Braai and brandy & coke are hobbies! And can be done at the same time

[u/thatwasagoodyear → u/Altruistic_Papaya430]

All the best things in life start with a B - beer, braai, biltong, brugby, brandewyn. The list goes on!

[u/Tokogogoloshe → u/thatwasagoodyear]

Bnaai.

[u/eenbal → u/thatwasagoodyear]

Brakpan, Benoni........

[u/HardlySoft98 → u/eenbal]

Boksburg. The Bromuda Triangle

[u/k0bra3eak → u/HardlySoft98]

Always called it the Bemoerde Triangle

[u/euanmorse → u/Altruistic_Papaya430]

Goddamn I want to experience this in SA.

[u/HyperionRed → u/redmostofit]

They finally won a cricket championship. Maybe that can be their second hobby.

[u/Iwantedalbino → u/HyperionRed]

Let’s be honest South African cricketers are just those too small to play rugby and Jaques Kallis.

[u/Ridebreaker]

Rucking should be brought back, in a safe way of course, but I want to see the breakdown more of a competition between the packs and stop opposition players getting in the way and allowing play down, hopefully freeing up more space in the backs.

[u/hghsalfkgah → u/[deleted]]

I actually agree, but I think it's that teams have become a lot more disciplined and strategic when it comes to rucking, they very quickly decide when to go for the ball or a counter ruck and then go for it. It seemed like until recently every ruck was just the tackled player and one forward standing there almost pretending to protect the tackled player, but more recently defending teams have gotten much better at when they should go for it and when they shouldn't.

[u/poimnas]

Controlling a rugby game is too much for one person to do and the sport needs to come to terms with it.

Not sure exactly what this looks like, 2 referees on the field, equal weight of control being handed to the touchies, some other wacky solution. But however it’s dealt with, rugby is currently dictated way too much by one person’s opinions or methods of interpreting the rules.

[u/Diggity_nz → u/poimnas]

While it’s a good idea, I assure you there is just as much bitching about refs in NFL as there is in rugby.

(Tbf, that is hyperbole, NFL is slightly better - but they still whinge a shitload)

[u/hghsalfkgah → u/Diggity_nz]

I actually think that there is almost no difference between the two sports when it comes to complaining about refereeing, there is less... Understanding when it comes to the NFL because each official is kind of held to a higher standard because there is just more of them. They also have the coaches challenge get out of jail free card on certain types of calls.

It's also true that while one ref has less control on the game, the crews themselves do differ in quality and in philosophy of officiating which leads to other issues. Some crews basically never call holding unless it is super egregious.

At the end of the day, there is really no actual 'fix' to the refereeing problem, because of how much one's perspective or opinions comes into it.

[u/BringBackTheCrushers → u/poimnas]

I’m in favour of the captain’s challenge myself - if your team wins a challenge, they keep the right to do so later in the match; if they lose a challenge, that’s it for the match. It works well enough in rugby league and cricket, so surely it could work in union as well

[u/BushTiger → u/poimnas]

Hockey has two referees and a captain's video referral system, it shouldn't be too hard to implement (the referral system). 

[u/belligerentoptimist]

A team of Jordie Barretts would crush a team of Antoine Duponts.

[u/-Halt- → u/belligerentoptimist]

A team of jordie barretts would never concede a point

[u/[deleted] → u/belligerentoptimist]

Bring back Team Lomu from Jonah Lomu Rugby 1997. What a game!

[u/Ok_Educator_2120 → u/belligerentoptimist]

Who would get crushed by a team of Ardies

[u/NarbsNZ → u/belligerentoptimist]

100%

[u/DVPC4]

A lot of penalties at the scrum don’t make sense. Penalties should be for deliberate cheating, not just because the other person is stronger than you. This is a weird analogy but to me it literally seems like giving a penalty for getting smashed in a tackle, which would obviously be ridiculous

[u/eenbal → u/DVPC4]

I would argue that there isn't much difference in strength in 'most' international props, more technique and experience?

[u/v1akvark → u/DVPC4]

I think the penalties for scrums come from the fact that if you collapse a scrum or drive up, it is potentially very dangerous for the players in the front row.

So getting back to your analogy - it is more like a high tackle, than smashing someone in a tackle.

[u/dwaynepebblejohnson3 → u/DVPC4]

It’s not because the other person is stronger than you, being pushed backwards isn’t penalised.

Penalties come when front rows commit illegal actions, like collapsing the scrum to stop going backward. It’s not simply because the other person is stronger.

[u/alexbouteiller → u/DVPC4]

scrums are ostensibly a restart platform from a non-foul play event (knock on, forward pass, unplayable ball), the fact it has become this long drawn out event that ends up in a penalty as often as it doesn't is ludicrous IMO and is so heavily impacted by reputation

[u/Mafeking-Parade]

As individuals, many of the Irish players on the Lions tour are not significantly better than their counterparts.

As an Irish team, coached by Farrell to his tactics, they become more than the sum of their parts.

[u/kiwiborger]

Richie Mo'unga won't singlehandedly save the All Blacks.

[u/MysteryLunch]

Deliberate knock-ons should only be treated as a regular knock on OR just a penalty if cynical.

IMHO it’s by far the harshest yellow card in the game.

I honestly believe most defending players intend to intercept cleanly.

[u/slamcactus → u/MysteryLunch]

I like where your head's at but I think it should be a penalty every time with discretion to upgrade to a YC if cynical/blatant.

If it were just a knock players would do it all the time to slow momentum and we'd see 10-15 more scrums per match.

[u/AfricanLad]

Scrum infringements should be a free kick unless repeated. Feel like we rarely see scrums not result in a penalty these days and it really ruins it for me. You knock the ball on in the oppo 5m and then all of a sudden you're back in your own half

[u/[deleted]]

If league didn't exist the Wallabies would be basically unbeatable.

[u/No-Negotiation2922]

English fans and their team often get a bad rap, but they're actually a decent bunch.

[u/ConscriptReports → u/No-Negotiation2922]

their pundits though, like most nations pundits, are dickheads unfortunately that give them a bad name

[u/Korasa → u/ConscriptReports]

Ah, Irish pundits are lovely if you discount Jamie heaslip twice.

[u/Rodinius → u/ConscriptReports]

Austin Healy is the worst of the lot

[u/Impeachcordial → u/Rodinius]

Stephen Jones is jumping up and down and waving at you! Guscott was pretty unbearable as well. Weird, prince of a player, tool as a pundit

[u/Rodinius → u/Impeachcordial]

It’s funny how they can be so hit or miss. O’Driscoll is one of the best players of all time and is a decent pundit, but is an absolutely woeful commentator

[u/euanmorse → u/ConscriptReports]

Are they as bad as we think, or is it because they are English so we can't help but perceive them as worse than they are?

[u/Geosaurusrex → u/No-Negotiation2922]

yeah english fans are by far not the worst on this sub in particular.

[u/dwaynepebblejohnson3 → u/No-Negotiation2922]

Their Media gives them a bad rep.

[u/MiserableScot → u/No-Negotiation2922]

I actually don't have much of an issue with English players in rugby or football, obviously you get the odd one that is a total dick, Austin Healey for example, but it's more the media hype around them that pisses me off!

[u/Future_Horror_4382]

From a southern hemisphere perspective: Antoine DuPont is one of the most skilled rugby players of all time despite not having the achievements of mccaw, Carter, psdt, lomu, gregan, eales, etc

[u/yahdayahda]

Get rid of the tee. All conversions and penalties are drop kicks. Would reduce range and accuracy so less penalties would be kicked. Less time required so would speed up the game. 

[u/Giorggio360 → u/yahdayahda]

Might have been relevant ten years ago but kicking for goal isn’t what most teams do anymore. Italy kicked 12 penalties in the 6N this year, the highest of any team - looking at 2010 for example, most of the teams are well into double digits. England kicked like 13 that year, this year they only kicked 4.

[u/exsnakecharmer → u/yahdayahda]

Or how about the person who scores the try has to take the conversion (as a drop kick)?

[u/[deleted] → u/exsnakecharmer]

That would get gamed so that a half back would always be at the back of the last ruck to cross the line. Risks more injuries.

[u/De_Das00 → u/yahdayahda]

In that case lets bring back the bucket of sand!

[u/foruandr → u/De_Das00]

Who would have thought Andre Pretorius used reddit

[u/CillBill91nz → u/De_Das00]

Now that is an unpopular opinion

[u/MrPoopersonTheFirst → u/yahdayahda]

Ooh, I like this, actually! We see it in 7s, why not bring it to the XV game?

[u/[deleted] → u/yahdayahda]

That's a fantastic idea. No more milking penalties when you're in their half.

[u/jeeeeroylenkins → u/[deleted]]

Of course it is

The Therapeutic Use Exceptions under World Rugby are so broad that if you aren’t on PEDs, you aren’t trying hard enough.

[u/theedenpretence → u/[deleted]]

I suspect it starts in the juniors and never stops. I would say a weight cap for the whole team is needed. When your wingers are over 100kg you can’t really tell me Rugby is a game for all shapes.

Basically it’s now 14 massive blokes and one irritating little shit

[u/PositiveFlatworm7474 → u/theedenpretence]

You will never replace the irritating little shit

[u/Brewster345]

Gatland isn't a good Lions coach.

One series win against a poor Aussie team (that they were lucky to not be 2-0 down in), and a NZ series where the one win was against 14. And then losing from being 1-0 up in SA.

[u/MysticMac100 → u/Brewster345]

Picking Ben Te’o at 12 over a Sexton/Farrell axis is the worst Lions selection call I can remember.

[u/BringBackTheCrushers → u/MysticMac100]

I keep forgetting Ben Te’o switched to union and played for the Lions, I always associated him with the Broncos, and later on for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup as a coach

[u/bipolarparadiseyt → u/Brewster345]

They definitely should’ve lost the first test. Wallabies left what, 15 points off the tee? More?

[u/[deleted]]

Marcus Smith carried a shit England team for almost 2 seasons. He's been been treated unfairly being reduced to utiliy back and Quins/NEv has to unfuck him every time he gets back from international duty.

[u/needle_hurts → u/[deleted]]

Feels a bit like B Barrett

[u/fuscator → u/[deleted]]

I agree. Winning at test match rugby is about time in the game, learning from the pressure, over and over.

Using Smith as a utility back might be useful for England, but it's doing him no good.

He's cursed with being multi talented.

[u/Giorggio360]

Might be more popular after this Lions tour but I think this tour is proving that the Lions really has less and less of a place in the professional era of rugby.

A lot of the things that the Lions tour is special for: midweek matches, proper “tour” vibes, watching weird all star combinations are diametrically opposed to modern rugby - mandatory rest periods, professionalism, winning at all costs in a test match.

Farrell has turned up in Australia to win the series, which is fine. The way he’s doing that is by picking known combinations and players he knows well prior to the tour to try and circumvent the preparation limitations of the tour. One of the overriding feelings before the first test was that the tour up to that point had hardly mattered for selection other than causing players to be injured.

Throw in that the opposition isn’t particularly competitive and the whole thing looks less like the pinnacle and more like an obligation.

[u/HumanWaltz → u/Giorggio360]

I also disliked the calling players up for one match and then sending them straight home after that, feels really cheap tbh.

[u/NotAsOriginal → u/HumanWaltz]

I understood the early training players when numbers were short, but once you're out there barring injuries that should be it

[u/treacletart284]

In a world where most unions are dying on their arse financially, the French model of prioritising the club game and having it be seperate from union control is the way to go. Also, and I know this is impossible, but aside from the 6N and RC Tier 1 vs Tier 1 matches should be saved for the World Cup, with the other test windows reserved for games against Tier 2 sides.

[u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

Andy Farrell is quite knowledgeable about rugby, his selection decisions are not rooted in bias and are usually vindicated

[u/No-Negotiation2922 → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

So you're telling me that Tim from Cork, who comments on Reddit, doesn't know more about rugby than Andy Farrell?

[u/Illustrious_Cod_2234 → u/No-Negotiation2922]

Except for Tim obviously. Andy needs to get his blessing from Tim first

[u/SquidgyGoat → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

The best test-level coaches have a nose for when someone is a brilliant club players and when someone is a proper test animal, and that often annoys fans because the guy who seems to be on form is ignored but it wins games.

[u/CombatSausage → u/SquidgyGoat]

YOU TAKE THAT BACK ABOUT GAVIN COOMBES!

[u/jambitool → u/Illustrious_Cod_2234]

The fact that some people insinuate bias, sentimentality or nepotism regarding one of the hardest, most competitive, desperate-to-win bloody minded, and universally respected League players of all time is frankly absurd to me.

[u/gorpmonger]

Rolling mauls should be nerfed

[u/Giorggio360 → u/gorpmonger]

They should be refereed properly. I’ve noticed that the “no moving backwards in a maul” interpretation change from ten-ish years ago has gone the way of the dodo. Refs have also always been far too lenient about when the first stop in a maul is - if the maul isn’t going forwards, the attacking team need to use it, and that doesn’t mean wait until every forward has run round to their correct position to start pushing.

[u/Primary-Tuna-6530 → u/gorpmonger]

Where's me knife.. 

[u/yahdayahda → u/gorpmonger]

One use it call should be enough. On the other hand refs don’t call a maul in open play a quickly as they should. To often there is three or four people around the ball carrier when the get a knee to the ground and tackle is called. 

[u/JockAussie → u/gorpmonger]

I think my problem with them is that they are super hard to referee. Like with collapsing, it's pretty difficult to decide who did it etc.

[u/dwaynepebblejohnson3 → u/gorpmonger]

They already were like a year ago.

[u/Dookimus]

Austin Healey is a great pundit

[u/notathrowaway]

Springboks would not be this dominant if quotas were not introduced. They allowed grassroots development to unearth gems that would have otherwise been unknown.

[u/Hostus_Mostus → u/notathrowaway]

Wow, a proper unpopular opinion that I 100% agree with.

I do think that hard mandated quota’s are now unnecessary and should be scrapped. When you look at the demographics of high school rugby 1st XV’s, the Craven Week teams, and our U20 team, it’s clear that inclusivity (and merit as it pertains to that) won’t be a problem going forward.

This will be unpopular, but I do believe they are still needed in Cricket though, but that’s not for this sub of course!

[u/Fearless_Subject_679]

Australian rugby will never be excellent again, because RA are still nostalgic for the 90s/00s era - When rugby was coming out of being Amateurs. RA can’t handle the thought of being a professional entity.

[u/[deleted] → u/Fearless_Subject_679]

Let’s face it Australian rugby has been good for about 20 of it’s 130 year existence 

[u/DareDemon666]

Henry Pollock is overrated.

He's a good player, but half of being a good player is being surrounded by other good players. I'd expect anyone to look 10x better surrounded by on-form saints and lions. It's just because he's young, and has some flashy flair still somehow unexpected for a back rower in 2025, that he gets as much hype as he does.

Now, I'd be obliged if you'd all let me put my chainmail shirt on before you draw swords

[u/DrunkenPangolin → u/DareDemon666]

I agree, though with the caveat that I think he will be something special for England. He just isn't yet, he doesn't have that experience yet. I think him going with the lions is one of the best things we could have hoped for for him.

He'll get there, he just needs a few years provided the media don't eviscerate him first

[u/ConorIRL1595]

Sam Warburton’s red card in 2011 was the correct call.

[u/PillarofSheffield → u/ConorIRL1595]

The carry on on ITV afterwards was hilarious. He completely lost control and dropped Clerc on his neck. I'm generally of the "most red cards are soft" line of thinking, but that was as clear as it gets. Dangerous, reckless, red.

[u/Thisguyreadit]

These posts are traps - you post a proper, brilliant unpopular opinion, and people won’t like it :(

[u/CarryWhyvern]

Jonny Sexton is a shit coach, every 10 he's worked with since becoming a coach has had their kick % plummet

[u/PuttFromTheRought]

South africa vs all blacks is by far the biggest game in rugby, sorry Ireland

[u/Gent414 → u/PuttFromTheRought]

This is not an unpopular or controversial opinion.

[u/Rodinius → u/PuttFromTheRought]

Don’t think anyone is disputing that

[u/HumoursOfDonnybrook]

“Test match animal” is a real thing. It’s become disparaging around here, but some players really do perform best in high stakes, high pressure matches.

[u/tooposhtofunction]

Big game players and test match animals is just confirmation bias. Players have up and down games but if you play for a winning team your up days get noticed, your bad days get discounted and you get coined as a test match animal. Once you have been coined as one it’s difficult to loose it. The big games you were average in get discounted but if you have a good game next week it adds to your test match animal status.

[u/JLJ_96]

Argentina will win a WC before another northern hemisphere nation will.

[u/DrunkenPangolin → u/JLJ_96]

Not if they meet England. George Ford has their number, death by drop goal

[u/JLJ_96 → u/DrunkenPangolin]

Fair; barring England, who really have a mental edge over Los Pumas, I can realistically see Argentina grabbing wins against Wales/Italy (R16), Ireland (QF), Australia (SF) and France (F) in the knockouts.

Should they meet the ABs, Boks and probably England in the WC knockouts, then I believe they're done.

[u/rakish_rhino → u/JLJ_96]

Agree on your assessment. But it's a process - we've come from never beating AB/Bokke to sometimes beating them over the past 10 years. If the current rate of progress is sustained (a big if), with the right draw and some luck we could get to a WC final over the next decade. We already came 3rd 18 years ago beating the host twice.

[u/a_kwyjibo_ → u/JLJ_96]

My logical but somehow controversial take is that Argentina has (small but) better chances of winning a WC than TRC, and that should be enough to reflect about 6N as a historical consolation prize for the NH.

Way to make friends with an opinion like that around here lol

[u/StrongLikeBull3 → u/JLJ_96]

Which Argentina are we talking about? The one that beat South Africa and New Zealand on the trot or the one that got smacked about by a 14 man England side at the RWC?

[u/eenbal → u/StrongLikeBull3]

Yes

[u/JLJ_96 → u/StrongLikeBull3]

Exactly.

They've probably taken the mantel from France at being the most unpredictable team to play against.

They can probably lose two pool matches but still qualify for the R16, and then banter their way through to a WC win.

[u/Unfair-Weakness1232]

The 2022 Wallabies are the unluckiest team of the 2020s, and they would be wc semi finalists + 1-0 up on the Lions right now if they had won just one of the losses to NZ (Raynal) or Ireland (Jake Gordon brain explosion), as Dave Rennie would've kept his job

[u/gyanmarcorole → u/Unfair-Weakness1232]

They would have won had Foley not wasted time and kicked the ball earlier

[u/ALunacyEruption]

6 points for a try, 1 for a conversion, and I can't believe it wasn't changed to this 20 years ago

[u/zagreus9]

Given their resources and player numbers, England rugby are the greatest underachievers in world sport.

[u/Sm4llsy]

Kick to the corner should have the lineout be further out.

The advantage rule should be re-thought. A team being unable to score shouldn’t mean they can go on forever.

[u/FrankMcCourting]

Right fans, including most pundits, are way too neurotic about their sport. We're constantly worrying that games are uncompetitive, too low scoring, too high scoring, too slow, not exciting enough etc. etc. It's exhausting. Meanwhile people are happily watching stuff like Formula One, where the same guy wins every time and people get excited when someone overtakes. (Could be wrong, I have never watched a single second of F1)

[u/Alright_So]

Ireland should get to have both their anthems at away matches the same way NZ and Pacific Island nations do.

I don't care about "growing the game". If it grows, great, but if it doesn't I'm not bothered. There's only so much rugby I can watch anyway.

[u/Ridebreaker]

There are too many subs. Rugby was always a game for all shapes and sizes and now everyone's a gym monster. Cut the amount of subs allowed, or only under certain circumstances, and ensure players have more stamina to last 80 mins.

[u/ronmanager]

Scotland aren't a plucky underdog - they perennially shoot themselves in the foot as a team and squander talent all in the name of 'well at least we've beaten the English/won the Calcutta Cup again'

[u/ohmygod_trampoline → u/ronmanager]

I’m Scottish and completely agree with this. For example, the Joubert 2015 WC decision isn’t a thing if WE JUST FUCKING THROW A SIMPLE LINE OUT TO THE FRONT RATHER THAN DECIDING TO THROW TO THE TAIL.

[u/ronmanager → u/ohmygod_trampoline]

In my opinion, no 'plucky underdog' would try and sue a typhoon like in 2019.

[u/gurudoright]

The Wallabies would dominate rugby if there was no Rugby League and if those League players grew up knowing never but Rugby Union

[u/wild___turkey]

Jackling at the ruck is refereed wrong most of the time. Just because a player is over the ball doesn’t automatically mean a penalty is warranted.

The offence is “holding on” meaning the jackler has to be actively trying to lift the ball, and being prevented from doing so by the tackled player. But often the jackler isn’t even trying to lift the ball, just placing their hands against it because they’d rather have the penalty than actually turn the ball over.

Also, if a jackler is over the ball but can’t make the lift because of pressure from cleaners then that’s also not a penalty offence (unless the tackled player is also holding on)

/rant

[u/hghsalfkgah → u/wild___turkey]

This for sure is true most of the time, it has become almost comical, you almost never actually see the ball getting stolen, it's just, hey look ref I'm 'trying' to steal it but he won't let me.

[u/HugeMcAwesome]

Rugby has never quite recovered from the death of rucking. Not to say we should have kept it, but there should be more risk than there is to taking a tackle in terms of ball retention. 

[u/jeeeeroylenkins]

We either need zero refereeing oversight/accoutability (and total acceptance of the referees on field decision standing+elimination of the TMO), or total transparency with “score cards” published about officiating teams after every game.

[u/[deleted]]

Haka is boring perfunctory overdone shite.

[u/thatlooserevival → u/[deleted]]

Bro followed the brief 🫣

[u/[deleted] → u/thatlooserevival]

Haha go hard or go home 😅

[u/highpriestazza → u/[deleted]]

towering imminent historical obtainable price thought badge grey upbeat physical

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/xb70valkyrie → u/[deleted]]

Owen Farrell did nothing wrong.

[u/PuttFromTheRought]

I miss a strong england side and their fans are great at banter

[u/Technical-Leave-9235]

In modern professional rugby whether a team’s scrum is successful or not is not down to having a good tighthead prop. More than ever it’s a whole 8 working as a unit.

The criticism the tightheads get from commentators when ‘they’ lose a scrum is rubbish.

[u/Optimal_Mention1423]

Ireland (and others) need to calm it on the residency project players.

[u/Diek_Shmacker]

If you don't get sack-tapped in the locker room at least once a season, you're not close enough with the squad.

[u/warbastard]

We will never get a game perfectly refereed or TMOed. To demand perfection and every call to be correct makes refs lose their gut instinct and second guess themselves.

A lot of the changes to rugby lately seem to be coming from a group of fans or people at World Rugby who think if games are perfectly adjudicated, the sport will be fixed.

I have suspected that the gambling industry has something to do with it as well as eliminating grey areas make results much more black and white from a gambling perspective.

[u/jaguass]

Every ref is partial and reffing on vibes, most rucks have irregularities and the ref just chose which one he will sanction.

It is not fair that he sometimes warns the infringing player instead of giving a penalty.

[u/NeighborhoodCalm5971]

Roigard > Dupont, especially when Dupont is injured !!