Comments on: How the mighty have fallen http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:48:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: David http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290331 David Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:10:32 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290331 I've pulled this comment off of the BBC website. I think it's something that we need to take cognizance of, as well. At times our players have also given the impression of "just going to work". The expression "we just had a bad day at the office" that we now hear from our cricket and rugby players is the first sign of it. "Perhaps the problem with English Rugby is simply one of transition. I am of the 'amateur' game generation that remembers the passion and spirit of players and teams who seemed to play essentially for the love of the game and pride at playing for their country. Today we are watching highly paid professionals simply going to work. I take the same pleasure at watching someone good at the job of rugby as I might someone doing the job of bricklaying or carpentry. What I miss in English Rugby is the sheer joy of playing. Having said this I feel that we are now in a new era and the RFU is full of people who share at some level this romantic nostalgia that I feel. All of these must make way for new unromantic realists. To be good at the new game, and professional rugby is a new game, we need managers who can motivate their players and staff by using all of the tools of modern management and making sure that the people doing the jop are fit for it and earning their money. Stop appealing to a non-existant passion, pride in selection for the country and other outdated concepts and start treating them like any other highly paid worker and demand results. So come on RFU start by selecting the required level of cynical, results-driven, incentive-payment management to run the game and forget any thoughts about pride, passion and love of the game. You have created this passionless money machine the least you can do is make sure the management get value for money from its workers. Posted with regret." I’ve pulled this comment off of the BBC website. I think it’s something that we need to take cognizance of, as well. At times our players have also given the impression of “just going to work”.
The expression “we just had a bad day at the office” that we now hear from our cricket and rugby players is the first sign of it.

“Perhaps the problem with English Rugby is simply one of transition. I am of the ‘amateur’ game generation that remembers the passion and spirit of players and teams who seemed to play essentially for the love of the game and pride at playing for their country.

Today we are watching highly paid professionals simply going to work. I take the same pleasure at watching someone good at the job of rugby as I might someone doing the job of bricklaying or carpentry. What I miss in English Rugby is the sheer joy of playing.

Having said this I feel that we are now in a new era and the RFU is full of people who share at some level this romantic nostalgia that I feel. All of these must make way for new unromantic realists.

To be good at the new game, and professional rugby is a new game, we need managers who can motivate their players and staff by using all of the tools of modern management and making sure that the people doing the jop are fit for it and earning their money.

Stop appealing to a non-existant passion, pride in selection for the country and other outdated concepts and start treating them like any other highly paid worker and demand results.

So come on RFU start by selecting the required level of cynical, results-driven, incentive-payment management to run the game and forget any thoughts about pride, passion and love of the game. You have created this passionless money machine the least you can do is make sure the management get value for money from its workers.
Posted with regret.”

]]> By: Donner http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290319 Donner Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:48:58 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290319 It was a worthwhile read and I can almost feel sorry for them. Comment by DavidS — September 17, 2007 @ 9:39 am I don't feel sorry for the players at all. They dropped their previous coach and now Ashton was thrown in at the deep end and is expectd to perform. I only have sympathy for Ashton, not for the players. OK maybe Robinson. Atleast he tried. It was a worthwhile read and I can almost feel sorry for them.

Comment by DavidS — September 17, 2007 @ 9:39 am

I don’t feel sorry for the players at all. They dropped their previous coach and now Ashton was thrown in at the deep end and is expectd to perform.

I only have sympathy for Ashton, not for the players.

OK maybe Robinson. Atleast he tried.

]]> By: DavidS http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290311 DavidS Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:39:49 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290311 It was a worthwhile read and I can almost feel sorry for them. Also, the shambles in professional rugby mentioned and the sheer brute force of personality displayed by SCW has vaguely scary reverberations for me. If England are looking for a coach to take them to 2011, there's going to be a fantastic and successful one available right after the world cup who's going to be discarded because of politics in another country. They can not really do any better than the man who's beaten the All Blacks the most in the past three years... It was a worthwhile read and I can almost feel sorry for them.

Also, the shambles in professional rugby mentioned and the sheer brute force of personality displayed by SCW has vaguely scary reverberations for me.

If England are looking for a coach to take them to 2011, there’s going to be a fantastic and successful one available right after the world cup who’s going to be discarded because of politics in another country.

They can not really do any better than the man who’s beaten the All Blacks the most in the past three years…

]]> By: manvanstaal http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290142 manvanstaal Sun, 16 Sep 2007 11:02:04 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290142 Ek voel n veer vir die f0kkers. Hulle is swak verloorders en erger nog swak wenners. Arrogante klomp... Ek voel n veer vir die f0kkers. Hulle is swak verloorders en erger nog swak wenners. Arrogante klomp…

]]> By: Spirits http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290141 Spirits Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:22:26 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290141 I feel the pain but not for the Poms. This article has a lot of similarities with our club's current situation. Two years ago our first team had a record of played 49 winning 45 draw 1 lost 3. Most of the players had played 40+ games for the club. Some 75+ , one guy even 100+ in an amateur set up where they did not received any payment. Last night we played in a semi final and got beaten 34-10. We were in the game at 10-17 but in the last ten minutes our inexpierenced cost us - most of the players playing last night has played less then 15 games for the club. Fortunately they are still young and we can only build from here. I do not blame the ref but he sin binned our nr 8 and 10 in the last ten minutes and aginst the best attacking team in the country you can not play with 13 players. Now is the time to make very important decisions regarding our club. The same as the Poms. Lets see who will make the correct decisions. I feel the pain but not for the Poms. This article has a lot of similarities with our club’s current situation.
Two years ago our first team had a record of played 49 winning 45 draw 1 lost 3. Most of the players had played 40+ games for the club. Some 75+ , one guy even 100+ in an amateur set up where they did not received any payment. Last night we played in a semi final and got beaten 34-10. We were in the game at 10-17 but in the last ten minutes our inexpierenced cost us – most of the players playing last night has played less then 15 games for the club. Fortunately they are still young and we can only build from here. I do not blame the ref but he sin binned our nr 8 and 10 in the last ten minutes and aginst the best attacking team in the country you can not play with 13 players.
Now is the time to make very important decisions regarding our club. The same as the Poms. Lets see who will make the correct decisions.

]]> By: bok_in_oz http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290138 bok_in_oz Sun, 16 Sep 2007 09:43:47 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290138 Almost indeed... Almost indeed…

]]> By: PissAnt http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/comment-page-1/#comment-290136 PissAnt Sun, 16 Sep 2007 09:20:47 +0000 http://www.ruggaworld.com/2007/09/16/how-the-mighty-have-fallen/#comment-290136 Quite a long read but worth it - yes I know, its Jones, but believe it or not a good read. You almost feel their pain, almost... Quite a long read but worth it – yes I know, its Jones, but believe it or not a good read.

You almost feel their pain, almost…

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