1974 2nd Test South Africa v British and Irish Lions 0001

I know this might be contentious, but were these guys 'legends' or was rugby just rubbish back in the day?

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Tags:

• 1974
• 2nd
• Test
• South
• Africa
• v
• British
• and
• Irish
• Lions
• 0001

[galya]

that lions team was the greatest 15 players ever assembled.

[benrfc]

Fucking rubbish now compared to then! Silly twat

[ohtheidol]

The '74 pack and the '71 backs together would be unbeatable. Rugby today seems to me like a lot of big blokes bumping into each other; no style, no finesse. THREE weeks this world cup's been going and i've yet to see a decent match.

[cycheckmate]

the trouble with highlights from games of this period is that you see a great try and think the whole game was played like that. You don't realise that the rest of the match was a largely boring spectacle of constant kicking into touch and interminable line outs, scrums, and rucks. I have the full video of the 1973 Barbarians vs NZ game, and apart from THAT try, nothing else happens apart from the aforementioned kicks into touch, lineouts, and scrums....

[hunk4hire]

Lineouts were a contest back then. Forwards played it tight and didn't cruise around out on the wing. Scrummaging mattered.

Today's rugby is just rugby league with a ball release instead of a play the ball.

[ymalex]

Beach Rugby! I have never seen a match played on before, or since.

[jcrawley1]

Was only an amateur game then remember.

[wrexhamjack123]

looked like it came off his leg to me....so a perfectly legitimate try

[lickstickly]

tamaolemaa, ive met a few bitter rugby supporters in my time but you really take the cake are you from the SH by chance?

[Bucketheadhead]

Scottish second row I think, in the Hall of Fame, great player. Would be much better at running the country too.

[Bucketheadhead]

lol

[tamaolemaa]

It is weird isn't it? Good rugby doesn't sugarcoat forward passes and knock-ons by describing it as "a bit of luck". Furthermore, I would say the "greatest try ever scored" (Barbarians v NZ 1971) was similarly full of crap tackles and forward passes.