Champions league Semi-Finals

[Billys Boots]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats!

Ah Billy rugby is about pushing the referee's interpretation of the law but the class shown by Toulouse in defeat where they praised the ref and Leinster is above and beyond anything you will find in professional soccer.

I apologise unreservedly Dinny, let me have another go please.

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

[thebigfella]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats!

Ah Billy rugby is about pushing the referee's interpretation of the law but the class shown by Toulouse in defeat where they praised the ref and Leinster is above and beyond anything you will find in professional soccer.

I apologise unreservedly Dinny, let me have another go please.

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers.

Yep that about sums it up 

[magpie seanie]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats!

Ah Billy rugby is about pushing the referee's interpretation of the law but the class shown by Toulouse in defeat where they praised the ref and Leinster is above and beyond anything you will find in professional soccer.

I remember when Gaelic Football used to be like that but then they introduced intesive training and elite referees and the consistency throughout a game went.

[Dinny Breen]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

There are no rules in rugby just laws. Don't mistaken gamesmanship for cheating, I have no time for any sporting comparison in this context but if one compared  the antics in the UCL semi-finals to the HEC semis there is really only one winner. Amazing, been a gracious loser is now something to be mocked 

[Blowitupref]

Rumour has it United will start with a rookie keeper, Evans,Gibson, half fit fletcher & a crocked Michael Owen. I know they were poor last week but surely Schalke a team that scored 5 goals in Milan have a chance to turn the tables tonight?

[Norf Tyrone]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

There are no rules in rugby just laws. Don't mistaken gamesmanship for cheating, I have no time for any sporting comparison in this context but if one compared  the antics in the UCL semi-finals to the HEC semis there is really only one winner. Amazing, been a gracious loser is now something to be mocked 

It was probably the most depressing pair of games I remember, and my 'beloved' José played his part in doing so. He has done his image damage through this I'd suggest. He'd have a bit of a point re UEFA, Barca and questionable decisions, but it's all lost among the antics!

[new devil]

After seeing the united team Schalke at 20/1 to qualify for the final isn't a bad bet

[gallsman]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

There are no rules in rugby just laws. Don't mistaken gamesmanship for cheating, I have no time for any sporting comparison in this context but if one compared  the antics in the UCL semi-finals to the HEC semis there is really only one winner. Amazing, been a gracious loser is now something to be mocked 

It was probably the most depressing pair of games I remember, and my 'beloved' José played his part in doing so. He has done his image damage through this I'd suggest. He'd have a bit of a point re UEFA, Barca and questionable decisions, but it's all lost among the antics!

Mourinho hasn't done his image "damage", he's destroyed it altogether. Bringing Unicef into it??

[johnneycool]

After seeing the united team Schalke at 20/1 to qualify for the final isn't a bad bet

how did such a shit team like Schalke get to the semi finals?

God awful stuff

[Billys Boots]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

There are no rules in rugby just laws. Don't mistaken gamesmanship for cheating, I have no time for any sporting comparison in this context but if one compared  the antics in the UCL semi-finals to the HEC semis there is really only one winner. Amazing, been a gracious loser is now something to be mocked 

Alright, I'll play along.

Why are laws different to rules, in this context?

Why is gamesmanship better than cheating, ever?

Why is this pretend graciousness different to GAA managers insisting that they're the underdogs?

[AZOffaly]

And don't get me started about gentlemanly Rugby - a game where the victors are the best cheats, the referees don't understand the rules and there appears to be a secondary competition to be the most gracious losers. 

There are no rules in rugby just laws. Don't mistaken gamesmanship for cheating, I have no time for any sporting comparison in this context but if one compared  the antics in the UCL semi-finals to the HEC semis there is really only one winner. Amazing, been a gracious loser is now something to be mocked 

Alright, I'll play along.

Why are laws different to rules, in this context?

Why is gamesmanship better than cheating, ever?

Why is this pretend graciousness different to GAA managers insisting that they're the underdogs?

Dinny can field the others, but the main difference is the GAA managers insist they are underdogs *before* the game, while Toulouse were gracious losers *after* the game.

One is a (silly) ploy to try and take pressure off his team, the other is a genuine compliment to the winners when there's nothing to be gained from it.

[Dinny Breen]

Laws in rugby provide a framework for the game, rules imho tend to be more black and white and not open to interpretation. To say a referee does not know the laws (rules) is wrong, you will find he has his own interpration of many laws and like in any sport on the field of play he is right even when wrong. Take for example, a ruck, in a ruck you can only enter the ruck through 'A Gate', now this gate doesn't exist physically, as a rule of thumb it's considered the width of the tackled persons body position but only the referee can for definite say what this is - some referees allow a wide gate some a narrow. It's up to the players to figure out if the referee is allowing a wider gate (hence screams he's in from the side as the referee waves play on) or a narrow gate (hence screams he came from behind ref, he was on-side as the referee indicates a penalty). 

Gamesmanship is pushing the law/rule to the limit to gain advantage (example holding on the tackled player as long as possible before releasing him) - cheating is deliberatly breaking the laws to gain advantage (best example Harlequins cutting a player to manufacture a blood injury).

Rugby is no bastion of virtue (and I know certain newspapers like to hold it up as an example) but in modern professional sports it still has an ethos of fair play and when the game finishes that is generally the end of it. Somehow this sense of fair play seems to offend you and if you believe it is no different to the higher levels of soccer well then that is your opinion but not one I could agree with.

[Blowitupref]

How did a Champions league Semi-Finals thread turn into a Rugby debate?

[magpie seanie]

How did a Champions league Semi-Finals thread turn into a Rugby debate?

Because the semi finals were THAT good!