By Olyy
#36280
ageinghoody wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 2:42 pm
Surbiton_Shark wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 12:40 pm
...
Is that still valid this season? - reason I'm asking is one of the games on BT this weekend - the waterboy offered the ref one of the water bottles (who politely declined)
England Rugby's updated guidance (Aug 2021) says "Use own water bottle and do not share it with others".
Page 6
https://www.englandrugby.com/dxdam/5b/5 ... e%20v2.pdf

Perhaps the ref knew that even if the offerer didn't. :shrug:
I imagine each waterboy has one or two fresh/non-named ones in their carrier as well
By DaveAitch
#36281
Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink,
Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink,
If it's not your bottle.
wrinklieshark liked this
By Elgar
#36287
DavenportSharky wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 9:17 pm
Everyone knows that it is a farce at present and anything that keeps our sport respected should be encouraged. Erasmus was really the last straw (not drinking straw) for me.
One doesn't quite need a sip of water if one is expected to just get back on it after getting folded by, for example, Salvi, Mostart, Underhill . ..

Have a heart.
By DavenportSharky
#36294
Still not sure we need 4 or 5 water boys on at the first stoppage in the first few minutes of each half.
By DaveAitch
#36295
DavenportSharky wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:21 am
Still not sure we need 4 or 5 water boys on at the first stoppage in the first few minutes of each half.
It's the classic case of 'because you can do it, you do do it' and then it becomes an expectation and then a necessity. However rigourous the exercise anyone can go forty minutes without have to rehydrate. Even if it can be shown there is a drop off on performance, does it matter, it's the same for everyone. I doubt Hillary and Tenzing stopped every few minutes to rehydrate, nor Mungo Park either. Obviously more is needed if it's a hot sunny day than if it's cold and wet. Marathon runners need about a pint an hour + or - depending on conditions.
DavenportSharky, WillC liked this
User avatar
By Yareet
#36301
DaveAitch wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:43 am
DavenportSharky wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:21 am
Still not sure we need 4 or 5 water boys on at the first stoppage in the first few minutes of each half.
It's the classic case of 'because you can do it, you do do it' and then it becomes an expectation and then a necessity. However rigourous the exercise anyone can go forty minutes without have to rehydrate. Even if it can be shown there is a drop off on performance, does it matter, it's the same for everyone. I doubt Hillary and Tenzing stopped every few minutes to rehydrate, nor Mungo Park either. Obviously more is needed if it's a hot sunny day than if it's cold and wet. Marathon runners need about a pint an hour + or - depending on conditions.
Marathon runners won’t take on a pint in one go. Neither do rugby players. A couple of sips every 5 minutes could easily be a pint an hour.

Except it’s not every 5 minutes. Not every member of the team will take on fluids at every opportunity. Water boys coming on the pitch need to get liquids to several players who may or may out accept.

Marathon runners aren’t being explosive. Sprinters often take on fluids after the 100m. Boxers after a 3-minute round.

On balance then, shall we say somewhere between a pint every hour and a few sips every 10s?
By Elgar
#36303
5 minutes into the game / the first stoppage is still well over an hour into how long the players have been exerting (pre-match warm-ups etc). Also, they need to drink to avoid becoming de-hydrated; not wait until they're already dehydrated and then try and re-hydrate whilst the game goes by.

I should qualify - I'm not sure that Rassie Erasmus should be allowed to be a waterboy. But I'm very sure that the answer isn't less water going onto the pitch.
By DaveAitch
#36305
So, should we have a waterboy for each player running up and down (even across) the pitch just in case a player feels the need to have a sip of the magic juice? It is one of the total nonsense things that has crept into rugby. That is even ignoring the fact that the main function of the waterboy is to pass I formation from the bench. On the latter point, I don't know why the players aren't just given earphones so they can be told what that should be doing every moment of the game.
By ale shark
#36325
I’ve never understood the hate for poor old Rassie. Neil Jenkins has gurning on rugby pitches around the world for the last 10 years, including at least 2 Lions tours with headset and microphone.
User avatar
By poyntonshark
#36326
I have a theory re:Rassie. Up until his antics on the last Lions tour he seemed a pretty reasonable level headed guy. I reckon he too may be fed up with the farce that is 7 or 8 coaches per side running onto the pitch at every break in play. Perhaps he was trying to highlight the issue.

What that video nonsense was all about though, I have no idea
By SimonG
#36364
I think "barking mad" is a better description!
By DaveAitch
#36424
On Rassie Erasmus: in medical terms it is what is known as a counter-irritant. It fools the brain (rugby powers-that-be) into thinking it, the counter-irritant (Erasmus), is the source of the problem so that the real source (his players) are ignored, and get away with 'murder'.
By WillC
#36430
DaveAitch wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 11:53 am
So, should we have a waterboy for each player running up and down (even across) the pitch just in case a player feels the need to have a sip of the magic juice? It is one of the total nonsense things that has crept into rugby. That is even ignoring the fact that the main function of the waterboy is to pass I formation from the bench. On the latter point, I don't know why the players aren't just given earphones so they can be told what that should be doing every moment of the game.
agree totally.

On the player radio, I have a vague memory of South Africa (I think) trying that 20+ years ago but I may be wrong.
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