humiliation and sporting heros
Discussion
No, this isnt about cricket, headingly and the ashes, it is about something far more serious.
Dean Richards you complete and utter b
d.
Now I understand how Afrikaners felt about Cronje.
As readers of our rugby and cricket threads will probably have realised by now, Im not one of lifes flashest buggers. My love of the games is in the grit and the dirt, hard nosed ugly bds who dont flinch, dont take backward steps, care little about the intracies of sport and play to an accepted code that says the spirit of the game is more important than the actual laws.
Deano to me was almost the embodiment of that. I dont regard it as The Ghey or whatever daft phrase ppl use round here, but i loved that man. When I played rugby I played as Deano. I learnt to support Leicester as a youngster because of him. My initial faith in Johnno came from him being one of Deanos boys.
Today I didnt just lose a sporting hero, he was ripped to shreads. You broke Rule No 1 of The Code Deano...you were dishonest.
I can accept cheating on the field of play as it gives scope and opportunity for both sides to indulge, it is a level playing field in that respect. What you did was underhand, dishonest and gave no thought of respect to your opposition that would allow them to match you.
As a bloke who loved the way you played the game, who modelled his view of the game on your own, I regard your humiliation as my own. You bd. I rather suspect there are a few more blokes in their 30s who are members of the Pack Union who are feeling the same atm. I hope they ban you from the game, I never want to see your face at a ground again.
Dean Richards you complete and utter b
d.Now I understand how Afrikaners felt about Cronje.
As readers of our rugby and cricket threads will probably have realised by now, Im not one of lifes flashest buggers. My love of the games is in the grit and the dirt, hard nosed ugly b
ds who dont flinch, dont take backward steps, care little about the intracies of sport and play to an accepted code that says the spirit of the game is more important than the actual laws.Deano to me was almost the embodiment of that. I dont regard it as The Ghey or whatever daft phrase ppl use round here, but i loved that man. When I played rugby I played as Deano. I learnt to support Leicester as a youngster because of him. My initial faith in Johnno came from him being one of Deanos boys.
Today I didnt just lose a sporting hero, he was ripped to shreads. You broke Rule No 1 of The Code Deano...you were dishonest.
I can accept cheating on the field of play as it gives scope and opportunity for both sides to indulge, it is a level playing field in that respect. What you did was underhand, dishonest and gave no thought of respect to your opposition that would allow them to match you.
As a bloke who loved the way you played the game, who modelled his view of the game on your own, I regard your humiliation as my own. You b
d. I rather suspect there are a few more blokes in their 30s who are members of the Pack Union who are feeling the same atm. I hope they ban you from the game, I never want to see your face at a ground again.Was it *proved* he knew then?
I don't know the intricasies of what happened - did Richards orchestrate it or was it the players? And he has carried the can?
Was the guy who did it *voted* in to do it - suggested it? What?
Cos if he did, maybe he should have a longer ban - like life.
Not a fan of rugby at all really - well a bit of League - the better of the two codes ...
I don't know the intricasies of what happened - did Richards orchestrate it or was it the players? And he has carried the can?
Was the guy who did it *voted* in to do it - suggested it? What?
Cos if he did, maybe he should have a longer ban - like life.
Not a fan of rugby at all really - well a bit of League - the better of the two codes ...
He resigned from Quins at the weekend. There was no mention of thanking him by the club. There will shortly be the mother of all rugby enquiries about the affair, including the appeal from the player against his own ban in which he will provide evidence against the management. At the moment there is only SKY video evidence of the player showing complicit actions, his wink to the bench when he came off though indicates the bench knew and were complicit, but no concrete evidence can be provided from the SKY footage alone of what the management said/requested. That will come from the appeal inquiry. The club have been hit with a £200k fine to show that the initial inquiry board thought they were guilty as hell, but couldnt proove it because they only had footage to provide evidence against the individual player.
Tom Williams was landed with a 12month ban. He has the full support of the players union who regard it as disgraceful that he has effectively been made the scapegoat for following club instructions. The 12months is regarded as esp. ludicrous given the nature of the bans for eye gouging and the like. They fully intend to stand behind him and support his appeal. That means all the management dirty linen will come out. It will be a bloodbath.
Tom Williams was landed with a 12month ban. He has the full support of the players union who regard it as disgraceful that he has effectively been made the scapegoat for following club instructions. The 12months is regarded as esp. ludicrous given the nature of the bans for eye gouging and the like. They fully intend to stand behind him and support his appeal. That means all the management dirty linen will come out. It will be a bloodbath.
DJC said:
No, this isnt about cricket, headingly and the ashes, it is about something far more serious.
Dean Richards you complete and utter bd.
Now I understand how Afrikaners felt about Cronje.
As readers of our rugby and cricket threads will probably have realised by now, Im not one of lifes flashest buggers. My love of the games is in the grit and the dirt, hard nosed ugly bds who dont flinch, dont take backward steps, care little about the intracies of sport and play to an accepted code that says the spirit of the game is more important than the actual laws.
Deano to me was almost the embodiment of that. I dont regard it as The Ghey or whatever daft phrase ppl use round here, but i loved that man. When I played rugby I played as Deano. I learnt to support Leicester as a youngster because of him. My initial faith in Johnno came from him being one of Deanos boys.
Today I didnt just lose a sporting hero, he was ripped to shreads. You broke Rule No 1 of The Code Deano...you were dishonest.
I can accept cheating on the field of play as it gives scope and opportunity for both sides to indulge, it is a level playing field in that respect. What you did was underhand, dishonest and gave no thought of respect to your opposition that would allow them to match you.
As a bloke who loved the way you played the game, who modelled his view of the game on your own, I regard your humiliation as my own. You bd. I rather suspect there are a few more blokes in their 30s who are members of the Pack Union who are feeling the same atm. I hope they ban you from the game, I never want to see your face at a ground again.
There is still not enough info out in the public domain to know exactley what happened, just like we will never know what really happened at the Bath end of seasson party.Dean Richards you complete and utter b
d.Now I understand how Afrikaners felt about Cronje.
As readers of our rugby and cricket threads will probably have realised by now, Im not one of lifes flashest buggers. My love of the games is in the grit and the dirt, hard nosed ugly b
ds who dont flinch, dont take backward steps, care little about the intracies of sport and play to an accepted code that says the spirit of the game is more important than the actual laws.Deano to me was almost the embodiment of that. I dont regard it as The Ghey or whatever daft phrase ppl use round here, but i loved that man. When I played rugby I played as Deano. I learnt to support Leicester as a youngster because of him. My initial faith in Johnno came from him being one of Deanos boys.
Today I didnt just lose a sporting hero, he was ripped to shreads. You broke Rule No 1 of The Code Deano...you were dishonest.
I can accept cheating on the field of play as it gives scope and opportunity for both sides to indulge, it is a level playing field in that respect. What you did was underhand, dishonest and gave no thought of respect to your opposition that would allow them to match you.
As a bloke who loved the way you played the game, who modelled his view of the game on your own, I regard your humiliation as my own. You b
d. I rather suspect there are a few more blokes in their 30s who are members of the Pack Union who are feeling the same atm. I hope they ban you from the game, I never want to see your face at a ground again.DJC I do know what you mean, but is Deano as bad Cronje or Ben Johnson, or even Schumi when he took out Damon Hill, I would say no as Quins still lost the game, and so therefore no personal gain.
andrew_huxtable said:
Can someone quickly explain what happened?
No not quickly but you could read this http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_clu...
HTH
I also subscribe to the feelings eloquently put above.
For all sorts of reasons, Dean Richards is and was a HUGE figure in modern rugby, both as a player and team manager/coach.
I cannot fathom what came into his mind if this was genuinely a pre meditated ploy that was discussed and arragend before the game. If so, there should be more than his head on the block in my opinion. Who gave the player the blood capsule for instance? I dont believe the player had it in his pocket etc.
A shocking episode in modern rugby! More so than the Bath after show party in my opinion....
For all sorts of reasons, Dean Richards is and was a HUGE figure in modern rugby, both as a player and team manager/coach.
I cannot fathom what came into his mind if this was genuinely a pre meditated ploy that was discussed and arragend before the game. If so, there should be more than his head on the block in my opinion. Who gave the player the blood capsule for instance? I dont believe the player had it in his pocket etc.
A shocking episode in modern rugby! More so than the Bath after show party in my opinion....
Slaav said:
A shocking episode in modern rugby! More so than the Bath after show party in my opinion....
Now correct me if I'm wrong but being caught with cocaine is a criminal offence, cheating at a game of rugby is not!I know that I would rather have to deal with my children cheating at a sport than taking illegal drugs!
Slaav said:
I also subscribe to the feelings eloquently put above.
For all sorts of reasons, Dean Richards is and was a HUGE figure in modern rugby, both as a player and team manager/coach.
I cannot fathom what came into his mind if this was genuinely a pre meditated ploy that was discussed and arragend before the game. If so, there should be more than his head on the block in my opinion. Who gave the player the blood capsule for instance? I dont believe the player had it in his pocket etc.
This article might help to answer why he did it.For all sorts of reasons, Dean Richards is and was a HUGE figure in modern rugby, both as a player and team manager/coach.
I cannot fathom what came into his mind if this was genuinely a pre meditated ploy that was discussed and arragend before the game. If so, there should be more than his head on the block in my opinion. Who gave the player the blood capsule for instance? I dont believe the player had it in his pocket etc.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/5...
3 year ban for Richards. A sad state of affairs, the guy was a legend. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_clu...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_clu...
unrepentant said:
3 year ban for Richards. A sad state of affairs, the guy was a legend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_clu...
At least the truth is now coming out, with Matt Dawson admitting that he had played in a game when the manegement did a similar thing so that they could get a player back on the field.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_clu...
What I would like to know is what the other 4 instances that Richards had done?
Yeah I agree, he was such a hero of mine when he played for England, socks at half mast, but a genius on the field, he used to have so much respect, I just can't believe he's that stupid
Maybe it just goes to show that no-one is infallible from the pressures of a job. He was a competitive sod at the best of times and it's obviously just gone over the top now.
As OP said, it really feels like something has been taken away from fans
Dan 1981 - it was actually the plauyer, not Deano that got the cut to be done after the event, as it was obvious that he had cocked up the fake blood and was bricking it.
If anyone is interested the full transcript of the new evidence it here, interesting reading and much clearer to understand than the extracts the papers have put together (in the wrong order for added effect unsurprisingly)
http://www.ercrugby.com/images/content/cupstandard...
Maybe it just goes to show that no-one is infallible from the pressures of a job. He was a competitive sod at the best of times and it's obviously just gone over the top now.
As OP said, it really feels like something has been taken away from fans
Dan 1981 - it was actually the plauyer, not Deano that got the cut to be done after the event, as it was obvious that he had cocked up the fake blood and was bricking it.
If anyone is interested the full transcript of the new evidence it here, interesting reading and much clearer to understand than the extracts the papers have put together (in the wrong order for added effect unsurprisingly)
http://www.ercrugby.com/images/content/cupstandard...
I think this is a sad by-product of the professionalisation of the game.
I'm off to our local club in a couple of hours for a beer or two whilst we discuss what we're going to be teaching our under 6 groups this year, and I know how to palm a blood capsule won't be part of it, but then we don't have potentially millions of pounds riding on whether or not our kids can put over a drop goal by the end of the match. Whilst Deano and others at Quins are carrying the can on this, I don't believe for one second that they are doing anything that other top level clubs and countries don't do on a regular basis, albeit with less ineptitude.
DJC, you say that no prop you know would feign an injury to ensure uncontested scrums, but do you actually know props playing at the top level of the game? The IRB sanctioned a trial process in France to reduce uncontested scrums. Teams in the top 3 divisions were allowed an additional front row specialist on the bench, plus any team which still had to go to uncontested scrums would not be allowed to replace the last player off, thus leaving them with 14. The result was to reduce the number of French league games ending in uncontested scrums from 145 out of 997 played in 06/07 to just 2 in 07/08. That is HUGE! There were plenty of teams making convenient use of the uncontested scrums when their forwards had been destroyed. Not that any nations playing in yellow would ever stoop to such tactics of course!
Unfortunately, I think any sport where there is so much money on the table is liable to fall victim to this sort of thing. All the governing body can do is make such an example of Deano (as they have done) that anyone else thinks twice.
I'm off to our local club in a couple of hours for a beer or two whilst we discuss what we're going to be teaching our under 6 groups this year, and I know how to palm a blood capsule won't be part of it, but then we don't have potentially millions of pounds riding on whether or not our kids can put over a drop goal by the end of the match. Whilst Deano and others at Quins are carrying the can on this, I don't believe for one second that they are doing anything that other top level clubs and countries don't do on a regular basis, albeit with less ineptitude.
DJC, you say that no prop you know would feign an injury to ensure uncontested scrums, but do you actually know props playing at the top level of the game? The IRB sanctioned a trial process in France to reduce uncontested scrums. Teams in the top 3 divisions were allowed an additional front row specialist on the bench, plus any team which still had to go to uncontested scrums would not be allowed to replace the last player off, thus leaving them with 14. The result was to reduce the number of French league games ending in uncontested scrums from 145 out of 997 played in 06/07 to just 2 in 07/08. That is HUGE! There were plenty of teams making convenient use of the uncontested scrums when their forwards had been destroyed. Not that any nations playing in yellow would ever stoop to such tactics of course!
Unfortunately, I think any sport where there is so much money on the table is liable to fall victim to this sort of thing. All the governing body can do is make such an example of Deano (as they have done) that anyone else thinks twice.
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