telespallabob

@Saputello, you could see our drama during the disengagement phases. We never managed to kick the ball out for lineouts (where we did well at times) in the first half. We were blindly trying to clear. Predictably, you had Kircher or Du Preez who, with the wind at their backs, were launching cannon shots that came back to zero. In fact, it happened that when we were kicking the ball back and forth, sooner or later they would find one of our open angles and end up in touch on our 22. Then the penalties were a nightmare. We don't have a proper fly-half; I'm not saying a new Dominguez (if only!), but someone acceptable. I didn't mind Marcato in that role last year. I'll give Gowyer credit for the fantastic crossover with Garcia that brought us a try, and we were heading toward another one with another superb play by Captain Parisse (the strongest number 8 in the world!). Mallet's work is evident, and I'm convinced he should be kept because up to the 9 we are competitive with everyone, but we need to learn to play with the ball in hand, to build a game with the backs, and this can only be taught to us by coaches from the Southern Hemisphere.

"Then it’s obvious that in any team sport, without certain mechanisms, you won't get anywhere, but in football (to take football as an example, but there are also other sports), if you have a phenomenon or thanks to an "improvised" play, you can win the tournament or even the weaker team can win a match. In rugby, this can't happen. The world champion England won because they were the strongest team, not because Wilkinson was on the pitch, despite him being a great player, even an exceptional one, but the specific weight of a phenomenon in the economy of the game and the final outcome is undeniably lower. Rugby is organization, coordination, and strength, perfect overall mechanisms. The individual technical baggage is inferior to what’s necessary in other disciplines, and I don't say this with disdain. No rugby player could ever win a match alone; in football, such a statement is much truer, though also in basketball and volleyball. The basic individual technical gestures of rugby, even if they reach excellence, are not sufficient to guarantee victory; you need the WHOLE team to cross that damn line." All this is beautiful, if you think about it. Not only from a sporting point of view but also from a human one; it’s an incredible metaphor for life. Since you talk about the selfish disposition of Italians (and I agree, but that’s not very relevant in the sports context), rugby can be a great incentive for change. "And if we analyze them one by one, there's running, backward passing, kicking, all blended with great physical strength... in short, these aren’t gestures that require much time or innate talent to perform." Here we get into a technical viewpoint, and I repeat the question: how many matches have you seen? How many players do you know? Since when have you dedicated yourself to learning about this sport? The elements you mentioned, besides being wrong because they are oversimplified, aren’t even what’s needed. It’s a more complicated sport than it seems; you have to know the rules. "And anyway, today South Africa (the real world champions?) – no one cared about Italy. But it’s known, poor champions don’t have the Haka, right? Who the hell cares about them. It wasn’t played in glamorous Milan, who gives a damn. And naturally, we sucked." Well, South Africa is the world champion, and many did care about the match (considering that the "Friuli" stadium had a beautiful audience, not sold out but many were present. If it were the other way around, in my opinion, you would have seen 60,000 spectators at Meazza watching the Springboks, and that’s not a small number. Furthermore, we didn’t suck, as you might think. There was a slight regression, determined by bad play in the disengagement phase with kicks (and we made mistakes in penalties as well). We committed fewer fouls, behaved well in scrums, confirming the data from last Saturday, and played better in hand (with a nice try from Gonzalo Garcia). The score was heavier because we paid for the handicap of the 12-0 conceded in the minutes following Favaro’s naive yellow card. This was in the very early phases of the game. Now we will play against Samoa in Ascoli, and there we can make an important assessment since we are only one position behind them in the international ranking. "Because it's a niche sport and unfortunately it will remain that way, because in Italy few play it, because a rugby field in the peninsula is still a rarity, and even more so to see children playing on it, and because Italians (who have a sports culture practically close to zero) will never get excited for these courageous cabinets." It is a niche sport in some areas of the country, but in others, you will find a rugby field almost everywhere (and I can prove it to you whenever you want). Italians need to grow in sports culture, and learning from the world of oval ball could be a great lesson. "We will always have a reservoir of players that is barely more than laughable." Nonsense! It’s bullshit. W

So, let's start with the group. They are undoubtedly good and can appeal to a wider audience. However, it does require a bit of work; they're not exactly immediate. THIS album, though, doesn't deserve top marks, at least in my opinion. The review? Decent, but it slows down; it's clear that you have passion and a lot of material to review, but do it bit by bit. This way, you can also refine your writing.

It seems? It's interesting. Discovered recently and appreciated right away.

Wow! I'm adding this to my favorites. Double congratulations since it's the first time. Welcome to DeBaser!

It's not a dispute, especially since I'm not interested. It's just a request for respect towards something that I don’t think you have shown to understand or respect. Anyway, Algol, at least for me you are forgiven. Sensitive? I don't believe I'm that sensitive.

"Rugby is a huge pain in the ass. There's no spectacle in scoring a try (it's a guy running past a line... wow, exciting!!!)" This is your text verbatim. If this isn't an insult, then tell me what is! It doesn't seem like you argued your point; yours is sarcasm. The questions are: how many matches have you seen? How long have you been interested in Rugby?

So, I see a double problem. It's true that the main goal was to sensationalize a sporting event, but inappropriate phrases were also used. "I understand rugby, and that's why I don't like it," "rugby is a huge pain in the ass." Where's the problem? These are words spoken by the same person: the author of the review. "You are all getting worked up as if someone told you that rugby is crap," I don't like to get worked up, but it was said, and he’s not the only one who used such language. You should have expected Gasta's reaction because I knew it would come. I can't condemn his response; I can't. Furthermore, he apologized upfront for his outburst, while others continued with insults. Creating a spectacle hurts those who are truly passionate, but those who use the spectacle to hurt the passionate are even worse. "For me, then, a loyal subscriber to the champions of Italy, it is a desecration of the temple. Let them play and watch rugby at Giuriati, Calvisano, or Rovigo." Is it a joke? Are you sure? One thing that makes me angry is that gratuitous insults are used, and then there’s a defense afterward saying it was a joke. Your "joke" was backed up by other comments; it took an unorthodox yet justifiable outburst to make you admit it was a joke. Respect is a twofold concept, and it’s better to remember that.

There's the Giurati, true, but you can't have Italy-New Zealand played at the Giurati. It’s a potato field because the grass isn't well maintained (not that the Pepìn Meazza has great genes for caring for the grass), nothing more. Moreover, the Milanese Rugby has been wanting to play at the Arena for years (and fortunately the Municipality has now agreed!). There's not a venue "suitable enough" to host these matches; Flaminio is not, and it should be torn down and rebuilt to have a proper stadium! So it’s not a crime to ask to be hosted in larger places. It would be nice to play at the "Battaglini" (the stadium in Rovigo), a bit like the San Siro of rugby (at least at the Italian level) but we’re talking about utopia considering the national teams play in much larger venues. @Larock, no one has to understand or follow all sports, let’s be clear. This is an invitation from me; you don't have to take it up. Didn’t your friends know about it? Not a big deal, maybe they liked it and will happily watch the match against South Africa in Udine, another tough commitment.

In my opinion, there has been a misguided comparison between Rugby and Football that makes no sense. Some things need to be clear. @Algol, you are a novice when it comes to the oval ball. It's not just a matter of trends or sports in general. We're talking about a discipline with its own timing and rules. We can appreciate it as much as we want (or disdain it), but the "sacred" can only be claimed by those who practice it, and you don't do that. @Larock, how many people have you met who have been to San Siro? I know a couple, and they play it at a youth level. Should I then think that everyone knows about it? No. It’s an event that has caught the attention of many enthusiasts but has also sparked curiosity in those who don’t know Rugby. Since you’re from Milan, I invite you to watch a few matches of Amatori Milano, perhaps with someone who practices. Nobody will bite you, rest assured. Rugby is not this elitist world; one needs to have respect for all things. Go to a match and if you like it enough that you want to try it? Trust me, they'll welcome you with open arms; go learn and discover what it is. It's not superiority: it's love for something that captivates their minds. The key question in the end is a single one: have you ever seen it? Have you played it? When did you become interested in this sport? This is the problem: that we all always feel entitled to talk about something, otherwise we are deemed censors. I don’t want you to be silent; I would like the words to be more thoughtful. I would never dare to speak about handball, even though I have had the opportunity and pleasure to admire it a couple of times, because I don’t know it. I leave the floor to those who do know. "Get your fights off the (already battered) field of Pepín Meazza." The pitch at Meazza belongs to the Municipality of Milan, which grants it to whoever they deem appropriate. Those who stepped onto the field on Saturday did so with respect, as it's usually occupied by champions of another sport. Listen to the words of the players regarding this. And they are not fights: they are called ruck, tackles, scrums, mauls, and they are much more organized than one might think.