I'd have never believed that 20 years ago. . . .

by red_stag Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:01 pm

Simple enough really. What have been the biggest changes in rugby over the last 20 years. If you were told something about the modern game 20 years ago what would amaze you most. It could be that a Munster v Leinster fixture is capable of drawing in 80,000 fans. That after their World Cup win in 1987 the All Blacks still haven't manage to win another RWC trophy. Or even the amount of internationals who are born overseas.

Who knows. Its up to you. If you were told something about todays sport in 1991 what would have shocked you most?

by Shifty Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:09 pm

It's professional now, in 1991 to say it would get you hanged and banned from the sport!

by Guest Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:14 pm

That Welsh Rugby would go regional.

by MBTGOG Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:15 pm

League players going to Union?

by Cari Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:16 pm

That players would get so big!

by Shifty Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:22 pm

Cari wrote:That players would get so big!

That Alfie Thomas got caught in bed with Arwel Thomas on a tour to the USA in the 90's.

That Lee Bryne would be caught Dogging with another man!

Scandals! Whistle

by mrsuperclear Sun 26 Jun 2011, 8:26 pm

Introducing the TMO? Leinster and Munster drawing in 80,000 was a good call. Maybe saying in the 2000's that Ireland would win a grand slam, come second 5 times and have a lowest finish of 4th in the decade, then add Ulster, Munster and Leinster's success in a European club competition. I'd say most of that would be laughed at twenty years ago.

by InjuredYetAgain Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:00 pm

An international 7's circuit with so many "small" nations like Portugal, Russia as well as the obvious one of Kenya, doing pretty well considering their lack of tradition in the game

by Rava Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:04 pm

Yes ... That Munster would win anything at Rugby.

by MBTGOG Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:22 pm

That Ulster would be the third team in Ireland...... A distant third.

by WillyGilly Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:35 pm

That John Hayes would defer his state pension in favour of a contract extension.

by Rava Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:43 pm

MBTGOG wrote:That Ulster would be the third team in Ireland...... A distant third.

I'm saving these words. You will be made to eat them next season.

by mrsuperclear Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:52 pm

Rava wrote: I'm saving these words. You will be made to eat them next season.

Optimistic with the HC group Ulster were drawn Rava. I'd wait another two years before making MBTGOG eat his words Wink

by welshy824 Sun 26 Jun 2011, 9:57 pm

welsh forwards are playing better than their backs

welsh backs playing boring rugby

by manofgwent Sun 26 Jun 2011, 10:15 pm

Wales winning 2 grand slams. There grand slam in 78 came 2 months before I was born. I wasn't sure inwould ever see Wales win 1 grand slam, let alone 2. There were times in the 90's when I wondered if I'd see us beat England again. Also seeing the likes of Gary teichmsnn and Percy Montgomery play in black and Amber. Surreal!

by Gibson Sun 26 Jun 2011, 11:10 pm

Ireland winning a SLAM - in my lifetime. And Leinster, winning 2 x HC's in 3 years. Unreal. Dreamland.

All by The Grace Of BOD.

by **Notch** Sun 26 Jun 2011, 11:14 pm

MBTGOG wrote:That Ulster would be the third team in Ireland...... A distant third.

I think you're a few years too late with that! We've made up a lot of ground on the top two and will continue to do so over the next few years.

by Taylorman Sun 26 Jun 2011, 11:26 pm

Its true about the world cup Red.

After we won there was common thinking that these are easy- (as it turned out 1987 is still by far the easiest WC won) all we thought was we can win this every 4 years as well.

At the time there was really no one qualified to argue with it- they had all lost by significant margins anyway.

My other is Blues only winning one super tournament in the 00's- I wouldnt have thought that would happen either.

by Portnoy Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:32 am

I love the journey the Irish have been on.

Share a cattle wagon for the Scots. Please.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:07 am

Portnoy wrote:I love the journey the Irish have been on.

Share a cattle wagon for the Scots. Please.

Portnoy, very generous, but honestly we need no help from our cousins - the Scottish rugby journey has always been cyclical - moments of greatness in a sea of mediocrity on the whole! It just so happens that this particular trough has been a long one (a decade long!).

Anyway back to the original question -

... that Exeter Chiefs would finish their first season in the Premiership in a comfortable 8th thumbsup

by **rodders** Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:15 am

That Ireland would win a GS and 3 triple crowns, regularly beat England and beat SA, France and Australia. Never thought any of it would happen in my lifetime.

Obviously the HEC wasn't around in those days but the idea that Ireland would have had 3 teams who have been champions of Europe, 2 of them twice would have seemed ludicrous 20 years ago.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:24 am

That Scotland would be coached by an Englishman!

by Thomond Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:26 am

That Ireland would win a GS. That Munster would be the top team in Ireland for a period of 4 or 5 years.

by greybeard Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:35 am

We still haven't seen a NZ v Oz world cup final

by mckay1402 Mon 27 Jun 2011, 9:44 am

Where to start...

That scrummaging would be referreed in a way that makes it more dangerous and less effective.
That players are so huge
That British rugby can attract so many overseas players
That wales can keep scores almost respectable against top 5 opposition
That Welsh players would be such a disgrace off the pitch (they were enough of a disgrace on it 20 years ago)
That lifting would be allowed in lineouts.

by nottins Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:25 am

roddersm wrote:That Ireland would win a GS and 3 triple crowns, regularly beat England and beat SA, France and Australia.

A couple of myths there. Ireland have only beaten Australia twice since 1990 and France 4 times in the same time frame, not exactly sure that that's "regularly beating them".

by MBTGOG Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:26 am

by mckay1402 Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:28 am

nottins

it says regularly beat england and beat the others...

by nottins Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:38 am

mckay1402 wrote:nottins

it says regularly beat england and beat the others...

Oops, I misread it.

by bedfordwelsh Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:50 am

I think the transition to proffesionalism has been the biggest considering the BBC on one occasion had to interview Jiffy from outside Cardiff Arms Park as the WRU wouldn't let him inside cos he had gone to League.

On a domestic front in Wales then I suppose Regionalism has been the biggest thing.

by Thomond Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:54 am

Croke Park would be used for rugby and soccer.

by Mickado Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:58 am

Thomond wrote:Croke Park would be used for rugby and soccer.

That's a massive one.

by Luckless Pedestrian Mon 27 Jun 2011, 10:58 am

That Italy, rather than Romania, would have been added to the then Five Nations.

by Portnoy Mon 27 Jun 2011, 2:34 pm

That the 5Ns would have spurned Argentina.

A globally potential disruption to RU growth. If you want to see whipping boys - go to Buenos Aires for the next decade or two.

The Argies (based in Spain) would have contributed way more than Italy.

by glamorganalun Mon 27 Jun 2011, 2:41 pm

[quote]That Welsh Rugby would go regional.

In name only, it may be more accurate to say Wales only has 4 club teams

by Cymroglan Mon 27 Jun 2011, 2:46 pm

Mickey Rourke would transform into Alfie

by glamorganalun Mon 27 Jun 2011, 2:50 pm

Alyn:
You should put "alleged" before making statements like that, you never know the head man at the WRU Roger Lewis may read your post with interest.

by **rodders** Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:26 pm

nottins wrote:
mckay1402 wrote:nottins

it says regularly beat england and beat the others...

Oops, I misread it.

Yeah that what I meant. Sorry for the confusion.

by thebandwagonsociety Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:40 pm

I would never have believed 20 years ago that Ireland wouldn't be fighting it out for the wooden spoon!

by **rodders** Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:43 pm

thebandwagonsociety wrote:I would never have believed 20 years ago that Ireland wouldn't be fighting it out for the wooden spoon!

Now you've gone and jinxed us.

by Portnoy Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:50 pm

p.s. I doubt that even Staggy would have been able to form a sentient thought about rugby union twenty years ago.

Is the lad metamorphosing way too early into a young fart?

by red_stag Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:51 pm

Portnoy wrote:p.s. I doubt that even Staggy would have been able to form a sentient thought about rugby union twenty years ago.

Is the lad metamorphosing way too early into a young fart?

Its research Portnoy. I'm interested in the wisdom of others Smile

Asking is the only way I'll learn.

by Submachine Mon 27 Jun 2011, 3:55 pm

I started playing 20 years ago. I wouldn't have believed....

That I would grow to love it more than football (which I can barely tolerate now)
That a player as good as BOD could ever exist
That there were so many, many ways to get injured
That modern centres would be as big as old time props
That I would make more comebacks than Frank Sinatra
That non doctors/solicitors would be in the majority on a national team

by TheGreyGhost Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:01 pm

I wouldn't have believed ...

The so many of England's starting line up would be born in X.

Where the domain of X is countries.

by nottins Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:17 pm

I wouldn't have believed ...

That so many of New Zealand's starting lineup would be born in X.

Where the domain of X is countries.

by tecphobe Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:19 pm

Loads already covered here. For me and i thinks its huge for irish rugby its the amount of muster ireland and leinster jersey seenin previous gaa strongholds. Id say the the ulster board needs to up its game in that direction. If the gaa are prepared to run hurling coaching course in shankill then the ulster board should be getting coaches into gaa areas.

by Thomond Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:21 pm

Portnoy, I think you are supposed to think about what rugby as like back then it doesn't matter if you weren't actually around back then.

by BATH_BTGOG Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:23 pm

That Ireland would beat the All Blacks both home and away!

by tecphobe Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:26 pm

BATH_BTGOG wrote:That Ireland would beat the All Blacks both home and away!

Did i go to the bar and miss the best bit again?

by **rodders** Mon 27 Jun 2011, 4:42 pm

I'd never have believed that there'd be internet forums where you could discuss things like this.

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