Shame on the visitors – don't they realize they may have ruined the Americans' self esteem ;?
Posted on 11/05/2014 11:19:37 AM PST by the scotsman
'They came from nearby North Lawndale and as far away as Oceania to witness a landmark rugby game Saturday at Soldier Field..
Both curious and committed fans crowded into the lakefront arena as New Zealand's All Blacks — the world's top team — opened a 43-6 first-half lead and beat the USA Eagles 74-6 on a crisp, sunny afternoon.
The All Blacks never trailed, but results were almost beside the point.
Saturday's game celebrated both community and an emerging sport that returns to the Olympics in 2016 after a more than 90-year absence.
The sellout crowd of 61,500 was the largest to witness rugby in the United States, far eclipsing a 20,181 crowd at a 2013 U.S. game against Ireland in Houston.'
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Fantastic attendance, and great for the wonderful sport of rugby (union) in the US and North America.
We were beaten worse than the Democratic Senate.
The Brit expression is that "football" (i.e., soccer) is a gentleman's game played by bastards, whereas rugby is a bastard's game played by gentlemen.
Beaten like a rented mule...
How did we manage to get 6?
I’ve decided Rugby is so much more entertaining than football. The action is continuous, and it doesn’t take 4 hours to complete a game. If it ever achieves the commercialism of American Football, the owners and league will probably also corrupt it to maximize revenue, but until then, its far better.
You actually played well, and played your hearts out. You were never come close to winning (a bit like NZ playing the US at baseball or basketball), so you should be proud at the American players efforts.
Shame on the visitors – don't they realize they may have ruined the Americans' self esteem ;?
Two penalty kicks were our only scores.
That pic is Ireland vs. Australia.
Yes, I’ve posted it before RE Rugby.
Years ago when I used to listen to short wave radio, I would tune in to rugby broadcasts from Australia.
The commentary would go just fine for a while, and then the match would begin. The instant they started playing, the announcer would call the match by screaming incoherently, supposedly in English, until there was a break, when he would return to a normal voice.
This went on until the match ended. Only then would I know the score and which team had won.
Good fun.
What a crocka’ haka.
Oi, don’t slag the haka.
When we stayed at various b and bs, the proprietors would greet us and ask us what we thought of the matches. We didn't actually have time to watch any, but it was interesting to see people other than Americans get caught up in cheering for a sport.
The Six Nations is the annual (Jan to March) tournament between England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland (an all-Ireland team btw), Italy. It used to be just the four nations of the British and Irish isles, then France, then Italy.
Every two years, the best British and Irish players get picked for the huge honour of playing for the ‘British and Irish Lions’, where they play either NZ, SA or Australia over three test matches in whichever of the three countries is their turn to play in (its NZ next). Getting to be a Lion is like getting picked for a US all star game like the Pro Bowl, only to the power of ten. It means you truly are the best of the best in Britain and Ireland.
You were playing the best in the world (though it pains me as an Australian to admit it) and though the scoreline is unimpressive, having watched the match there were a lot of bright spots in the American performance - they just couldn't get all the way to the line. But the American players had nothing to be ashamed of at all. They've now reached the stage that the best teams in the world know they have to treat the Americans with respect, because if you give an inch, they are capable of taking a mile. In ten years time, I can see the USA as a contender for the top five nations in world rugby - ten years ago, I never would have thought that possible within fifty years.
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