Rugby: Six Nations Cup

[Insidious Von]

England 40 Italy 9

So much for the NFL making inroads into Italy, 90,000 fans packed the Rome Olimpico for this match. The Italians stood up to the English physically but the quality wasn't there to break the English defensive line. England scored 17 points in the last 20 minutes of the match. Oh well, I can live with this, the English are not beating the Italians at soccer anytime soon. But again, the Italians have embraced rugby, but I'm not sure if their diet is conducive to producing enough draught horses to play rugby well.

The England club has the Red Rose as their emblem, why not the Cross of St George?

 

[SkyRider]

Based on my almost nil knowledge of rugby, I think the fact that players don't wear helmets and paddings actually mean less injuries than American football. (Did I ever show you the video of two Italian teams playing rugby naked? The only way to distinguish the two teams is one team wore socks and the other did not.)

Re: Soccer
I saw Sanjay Gupta do a program on soccer and concussions yesterday on CNN. Hitting a soccer ball with your head is not a good idea.

 

[Insidious Von]

I'm sure there are risks associated with heading the ball.

Stefano Borgonuovo and Horst Hrubesch were both specialized in scoring goals with their heads. The Italian died from ALS in 2013 but the German appears not to have sustained any ill effects.

Injuries in rugby can be just as gruesome. I am shocked to learn that perhaps the greatest rugby player of them all, Jonah Lomu passed away last November. He was 40. He was the Earl Campbell of his sport and like Campbell had his career cut short by accumulated injuries. I still can't believe he's gone!

 

[Insidious Von]

Such a magnificent athlete - brings a tear to my eye.

 

[scouser1]

6 nations? more like 5 nations and Italy just hanging about being horrible year after year, yeah I get it they lost by 2 to France but the latter was very undewhelming.

 

[SkyRider]

6 nations?

At first I thought Canada's own First Nations people were holding a rugby tournament.

"it is the only reserve in North America that has all six Iroquois nations living together. These nations are the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora."

 

[basketcase]

...
Injuries in rugby can be just as gruesome. I am shocked to learn that perhaps the greatest rugby player of them all, Jonah Lomu passed away last November. He was 40. He was the Earl Campbell of his sport and like Campbell had his career cut short by accumulated injuries. I still can't believe he's gone!...

Actually kidney disease.

I've played football and rugby and there is a huge difference in the methods of contact. Football teaches you to hit and take advantage of your equipment to protect you (and hurt the opponent). Tackling in rugby is far more technical as you have to protect yourself when you do it. That said, with the size and speed of the elite players, injuries are going to happen. Rugby has more blood but I'd be willing to lay odds on less problems with chronic concussions.

Glad to see Italy competing at the world level. Parity makes everyone better.

 

[SkyRider]

Actually kidney disease.

Damaged while playing rugby? People can live for a long time on dialysis and now kidney transplants have been virtually perfected.

I've played football and rugby

You must be one tough hombre. Yeah, when I watched the rugby videos, it seems they bring the man (or woman) down using fitnesse instead of brute force.

 

[Insidious Von]

An historic event, Italy doesn't get to make marinara sauce for the other teams - no wooden spoon.