I watched the England v Wales Union match on Friday night, and it reminded me just why I love League and can't stand Union! Yes, there was a great atmosphere and tension, but that was all created by the crowds, who seem more than happy to put up with sub-standard passing, poorly thought-out plays, long periods of nothing and endless kicking.

The best thing about Union is, you can go make a cuppa, come back and still have missed nothing!

Roll on Superleague - can't wait!

I agree. Although Union has improved over the last few years (due to them introducing some rugby league rules), it's still a boring game. The scrums are pathetic...it can take 5 minutes or so before the ref is satisfied that it's OK to put the ball in. On saying this, they've got something right in that their international games are well attended, well publicised and have a great atmosphere. I fear that we'll never match them in that respect unless the RFL has a complete change of strategy.

Why kick the ball away all the time? It drives me insane. How can you score without the ball?
And the passing and handling is dire. I counted numerous knock ons that went unseen or ignored by the referee.

Its a different game - end of. Comparisons are pointless. Knock on rules aren't the same as league and scrums are actually competitive not just a different type of restart.

Wish we would just concentrate on fixing the deficiencies in our own setup rather than bitching about union. If you don't like it, don't watch it!

The most infuriating thing about Friday's game was that whenever England got anywhere close to the Welsh line, they simply gave up trying to do anything with the ball except pick it up and drive, usually making about half a yard before they were brought down and the next fat tw@ picked it up and had another go.
Why not throw it out wide, have some dummy runners coming in on the angle, throw a half decent cut out ball and you'd stroll in. Hell, even a kick through the defence would almost always result in a try due to the enormous in goal area. But no, their short-sightedness takes over and all they do is try and fall over the line until the inevitable penalty/scrum/error.
Completely and utterly irritating, terrible sport.

I wanted Wales to win

I thought the Scotland vs France game was quite entertaining for union.

Union is crap

Part of Toby Floods highlights for man of the match was a kick to touch

union is utter shi*e

The 40/20 rule in our own game, and the benefits it brings to a team appears to have passed you by.....

And if Bulls have the same strike rate as what England had from the "fat s" then I will be more than happy this year!! Think there was only 2 times in the game where England didn't convert pressure on the opponents line into points!

I don't like Union, so I don't watch Union.

I struggle to understand why people do watch it when they don't like it. Same as last night's Superbowl. Plenty of people on Twitter slagging it off for being crap, but they were sat watching it. WHY?

I watched it because it replaced the normal Friday night schedules and two former league players (Hape & Ashton) were playing and I wanted to see how they got on. There seems to have been a lot of hype about how Union has improved, and I wanted to check it out for myself.

Didn't like it and shan't bother again, but, if you don't try it, you'll never know, will you?

No, I think that's entirely fair. I was referring more to those who KNOW they don't like it, and yet watch it anyway. I don't get that. If you're not sure though or are interested to see something, I think that's perfectly good reasoning.

I can just about tolerate rugby union if there's nothing else on.

The BBC coverage makes me squirm though with the very self-satisfied John Inverdale and Jeremy Guscott. If they were chocolate they'd eat themselves.

Makes me laugh when they cream over a bit of good handling like it's never been seen before on a rugby pitch.

go on then, how does a straight punt compare to a kick taken from behind one line and bounce before another line before going into touch compare?

how ever you try and justify this for the sake of scoring points on this board - it is not entertaining.....a bit like your trolling

Ahh but some of us might actually enjoy watching the odd union game I certainly enjoy watching the internationals. Or I would enjoy it more if it was free flowing. The contested scrum is now a joke whereby everybody forms a scrum which collapses and ends up as a penalty to whichever side, no-one knows the rules anymore not even the ref.

However you do have the sides that try and run with the ball like England, France Wales and Ireland, but Italy vs Scotland can be a painfull dire affair with kicks back and forth.

Don't get me wrong I watch Union internationals, was brought up playing union as there was no league in NE Scotland. So yes I watch Scotland play all the time. It was more people who seem to only watch it to come on here and complain afterwards and act like the RFL wouldn't give their collective left testicles to have an event like the Six Nations.

Agree scrums are a joke but I'm hoping for better rugby from Scotland these days.

I have watched yawnion on & off for 40 years. I have NEVER seen an England side run with the ball (unless it is against plucky Moldovia & they are 100 points up (all from kicks) with 5 minutes left).

I bet you typed that with pursed lips and a sense of outrage!



Let me see if we can point you in the right direction.

This is your original post


Congrats BTW, on looking up the 40/20 rule! Now if you understand the benefits it brings to a RL team, then I reckon, sooner our later the penny will drop regarding a similar tactical kick in Union......



Anymore of this "good works malarky" and I'm going to register as a charity!

I am not saying it had no value but just questioned its place in a highlight reel and if it featured in such, its not very eventful match is it? The kick in question was a penalty kick to touch too (perhaps that detail was lacking)

There was no outrage but I did think what a t1t as you're line of questioning was just to disrupt and cause upset.

the 40/20 is a great rule it rewards a great kick....Lee briers is one of the finest at it he did one at Wembley against you men. It was probably just his fourth or fifth ALL season...

No matter how good an advantage it is, or how good your kicker is we (RL) still play the running game.

And I’m no expert on union and I may be wrong so correct me if I am (I played it 4 times!). You can kick the ball from anywhere on the field and still make a gain as long as it bounces into touch ? Admittedly the other side throw the lineout ball but if your team is particularly strong at line outs you’d kick all day surely? Even if it goes out on the full the line out is from where you kicked the ball…!

On the face of it a greater advantage is to be gained from kicking in Rugby League (as long as its 40/20) because you get the ball at the scrum and almost guaranteed possession back, Kicking in union sometimes gets you up field but the opposition will always have possession of the ball at the throw in .

wonder why Rugby League is sill the running game then and Union is all Kick and clap...

You've beaten me, only managed 3 games of Yawnion, bored me to tears