I love rugby because it's a physical game that has many options to overcome oppostion.

I don't follow rugby because Saffas are cloned to do that and not because it was the Blue Chip sport at School. I far preferred the "boring" game of cricket. Which is even more clever than rugby, anybody whose  built like Bakkies, Eben and Os can automatically play it...it actually needs so little skill and the skill it needs you can put in a match box.

Yet we love it. Sport is simple...it's about physical with a bit of knowledge. That's why cricket edges rugby in intelligence. Grid Iron in USA does not require intellect or intelligence, just blundering muscle, a comparison between Sonny Liston (Grid Iron) and rugby Union (Cassius Clay, aka Mohammed Ali).

Aussie Rules is an abortion, my son in Adelaide likes it. Hurling in Ireland also similar but my ancestors loved it. Does not do anything for me. But it's a lot better than what they do in Bogan land.

Funny enough I've gone off cricket, they don't have the edge what they used to be.

But rugby is a different game today, still enjoyable but nothing of the greats of old.

https://youtu.be/zqVDvLDLsjI

No problem, that's your view and opinion...mine is different and I'm not concerned of others, it's just we as individuals have different tastes. I don't like your choice of music either, so what, it's your choice.

Does not mean that it's better, choices are individual. One thing that's clear today men were much tougher in the old days. Youth today would have folded in WW2, let alone WW1 .

They are spoon-fed with programs, that's all they do. Sportsmen in the past had to keep their jobs.

Some even forfeited their jobs to play for their countries. Tough men with characters that were not "plastic" gym built muscle men. The old men were a different league under different circumstances.

No problem, that's your view and opinion...mine is different and I'm not concerned of others, it's just we as individuals have different tastes. I don't like your choice of music either, so what, it's your choice.

Does not mean that it's better, choices are individual. One thing that's clear today men were much tougher in the old days. Youth today would have folded in WW2, let alone WW1.

They are spoon-fed with programs, that's all they do. Sportsmen in the past had to keep their jobs.

Some even forfeited their jobs to play for their countries. Tough men with characters that were not "plastic" gym built muscle men. The old men were a different league under different circumstances.

Yeah right, guys like Gareth Edwards, Danie Gerber, JJ Williams, JPR Williams,Hennie Muller, Os Du Randt,Ulie Schmidt and so were crap...Bahahahahahaha.

Incidentally Frik Du Preez a few inches shorter than Eben or Tomas Lavanini was one of the best line out jumpers ever, he had springs under his feet and there was no lifting allowed then and he was hard and tough and his all round game was excellent. He had massive hands as well and could grasp and catch those heavier and bigger leather balls with one hand. He played both lock and flank.

Rugby posters here, it seems have moments of grand delusion.

If you have read Robert Grave's collected short stories you will remember how the main character in in one of the tales,a schoolboy at an illustrious British public school, was sitting on the playing fields one day when all of sudden it came to him that he knew all there was to know in the world.

He handled the revelation quite calmly, as if it was perfectly natural that in schoolboys' progression through the halls of learning, at some time or another, all would be revealed- and this just happened to be his moment.

Rugby men and posters it seems, like schoolboys, are not spared these moments of grand delusion; the only difference between us and Robert Graves's character is that we suffer more of them and they seem to be a lot more permanent than they were for that young Eton schoolboy.

No I know you never said they were crap, I was just being ridiculously sarcastic obviously.

But you still believe they were inferior than what is today.

The game has changed, more people play and more often but talent there was in those circumstances of old irrespective. You say they would eat them for breakfast...you know that's not true. You would have said the same about the Springboks in their opening game against Japan in 2015, in fact you would not have been the only one.

You have a thing about size, an obsession in fact. Sure if you a giant it gives you an advantage if all abilities are equal, but often they are not..There are always several that "box well below their weight or size."

Many indeed, Japan does it, ex Irish hooker Keith Wood did, the list is endless.

If Danie Gerber was 20-30 years younger don't you think he would have been class.

Is the game better, yes in some ways and no in others.

Compare apples with apples, not pink leopards with oranges...

Seb surprisingly ou Saffex is correct. Those olden days players would be smashed. 

Go and watch the old women tennis players and compare it to today's players. Huge improvement. 

Beeno, you know a lot about tennis, are you saying Stephi Graaf or Martina Navratilova would not feature today?

Or boxers like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto "Stonehands" Duran would not feature today.

Would, Graeme Pollock. Barry Richards, Don Bradman etc be nobodies, even Jackie McGlew and further back , Len Hutton.

Does you view only point to rugby and tennis...it's a strange comparison/ assumption.

I do think both you and Saffex do have a point in a certain context but overall I'm not convinced at the extremities you are biased in. Great sportsman will always perform with conditions that are equal.

Our present cricketers are nowhere in the league of Jonty Rhodes, Hansie Cronje, Mark Boucher and that team that should have won the Cricket World Cup.

Francois's team that one our first WC in 1995, including Ruben Kruger, Andre Venter, Mark Andrews, James Small and Joost not as good...that AB team under Fitzy which included Jonah Lomu probably their best ever. (I find it very strange that 4 of our players, Joost, Ruben,Chester and James Small have passed away and Andre Venter is a cripple in a wheelchair) and dear old Jonah too. There's something wrong there, steriods, overplayed, injuries etc that are part and parcel of the game today...seems like a very high price to pay. All for us the spectators. I think our demands are killing our boys all over the world. I don't really favour super rugby and other clubs in UK and europe and don't believe in extremes. Players are human, not supermen and it's a balance of playing less games at this level and more games as internationals.

I don't buy it...but you are respected both for your opinion.