I have to admit I still carry a bit of my old dislike of this game especially like yesterday I came in after a few beers and in our dining room and old guy called me over to tell me about the game and gave him all the usual stuff about the great split and the stuff that came from it etc ,but as usual he didnt understand.He just wanted to tell me how impressed he was.I will have talk to him today and say I'm glad you enjoyed it.However have just seen a photo of te two most smackable faces in sport messr's Inverdale and Gusscott I still hate those two along with Iiiiaiin Robertson

Ray French was a dual forward international.
There were many more in that "amateur"era, usually going from RU to RL.
Now it's the other way round.
Of the recent "defectors" post Jason Robinson, the most successful, arguably, is Brad Thorn.

I watch both codes on tv but would only pay to watch RL live.
There have been some outstanding rugby athletes on display in the 6 nations - most of them flankers/loose forwards - Tipuric & Warburton from Wales, Picamoles from France, O'Brien from Ireland but my personal favourite this year has been the Italian skipper Parisse.
What a player he is.
Finally it would have been brilliant to see Brian O'Driscoll playing RL but it was never meant to be.

I never understand what so great about 'contested' scrums in union but to me they're a bigger joke than the non contested scrums in RL. The refs don't know what's going on, the players don't and I dear say even the spectators don't. Brian Moore was even baffled by the scrumaging laws yesterday, and he played in the front row at the highest level.

i must admit that i am jealous of the crowds and the media coverage that union gets over league but having just looked at the stats for England's 5 games and to not score a try in 3 matches to me cry's of boredom but the main stat i did notice was that England averaged 41 errors a game while the opposition averaged 39 errors,so 80 errors in a 80 minute game and i would guess that at least 15 - 20 minutes the ball is not even in play ! and yes i do not understand union but thank god i love rugby league

It was like watching the St Helens play in October.....

Did anyone challenge for the Leon's "Hide and Seek World Championship Belt" yesterday then?

Why do people not have an ounce of sense for criticising union? How bloody ridiculous.

It's like American football and baseball supporters saying the majority of the world are daft for not liking their sports.

I recognise union is a different game to league. I also recognise super 15 and Southern Hemisphere union can show some great skills. But Northern hemisphere union is absolute dros to watch. Boring as hell with limited skill. Even my eleven year old turned round last night when I had it on and asked me to turn it over because it was boring. He said all they do is kick a ball in the air, and that did not come from me.

People are entitled to opinions of there own.

Super 15 is brilliant. Joy to watch at times

One scrum yesterday took nearly 5 mins - and the clock was still running - if you count the breaks for scrums, line outs and kicks how long is the ball actually in play.

If you could comprehend what you read rather than jerking your knee you might understand that that isn't what was said.

The refereeing if scrum needs a major overhaul, it is comical at the moment and I completely agree 5 minutes is rediculous. I could go into detail with what I think is wrong, but will settle for just saying that scrums used to be a way of restarting the game, now it's an attempt to win a penalty.

My original post was laughing at the almighty choke that England RU
had yesterday, no critisim of the game



Also The Sunday Times sport section today is a joy to read. Stephen Jones has a field day

When I played RU in the Army the scrums were the main areas for any effort.............and that was it !

The rest of the time we rarely touched the ball, and the match consisted of the 'kicking duels' that we got rid of in the days of Jim Sullivan in the 20's/early 30's.

Lineouts are/were farcical.

The spectators that go to these matches go because they feel they have to, and mainly comprise of 2 sections of British society.

In Wales it's traditionally the working class. So it's a voice of welsh tribalism

In England it's the upper and middle classes, [ithe rah rahs[/i (similarly in Scotland).

While class has broken down mostly in the UK, it is alive and well in RU.

I just cannot do with watching nor playing RU.

The analogy is like the old BETAMAX versus VHS video tapes/recorders. VHS won due to more money being thrown at that format, even though BETAMAX was the better product.

RL is a far better product, but more money is being thrown at RU.

It wasn't a choke. Had it been they would not have still been in the game until 60 minutes. The best team won on the day because of better more experienced and more physical players who stepped up on the day helped by a huge supportive crowd. The young England team were outplayed but not disgraced and their heads never went down. They just ran out of gas after such a huge defensive effort given the possession, field and key penalty advantage that Wales had earned.

Stephen Jones maybe a joy for you to read but he is an anti-league, anti-English loudmouth who is more wrong than right in his comments IMO.

Cannot stand the game think it is so boring. However what i do understand and what worries me is that England best players are ex League players Ashton and Farrell and are they likely to come looking for more. I aware Sam **** is away from Wigan soon, could he be going there, could they come trying to pinch Hall or Watkins. We need to be aware of the risk

Class seems to be alive and well in your part of the world too from your comments.

You are wrong about the kicking duals. I watched many in RL alive and well in the 60's with Lewis Jones and they were both skillful and entertaining.

You are also out of date with regard to the Rugby Union of today. No team game has changed or evolved more over the last 20 years or so. Since the top teams turned pro the fitness and skills are a match for RL at the top level. Like you I prefer RL for many reasons, but you have to except that the world public disagrees with you and supports RU in a big way in most parts of the world. Even Italy RU now gets bigger crowds (70K+) to see them than Roma or Lazio in the same stadium.

We have to except that RU is the true global version of rugby and one that is very popular with people who do understand the veru different tactics. It is as different as one day cricket and a test cricket.