riporto un articolo da un giornale inglese che, sostanzialmente, dice che se le decisioni di un arbitro di rugby le criticano due amiconi al bar bevendosi una birra è un conto, ma se le critica così apertamente e pesantemente l\'allenatore della nazionale è un altro conto. E\' il (brutto) segno che, nel processo storico della professionalizzazione del rugby, non si vuole imparare dalla storia di momenti simili capitati in altri sport.
<BR>E chi non studia la storia è destinato (purtroppo) a ripeterne gli errori.
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<BR>Opinion
<BR>Rugby\'s Old Farts Could Teach Football Manners
<BR>Friday March 04 2005
<BR>By Philip Cornwall
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<BR>Otherwise occupied with the Carling Cup final, I didn\'t see any of England\'s rugby union defeat in Ireland last Sunday and still have not seen the disputed, disallowed tries that England claim should have given them victory.
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<BR>But I did see some of the press conferences in the aftermath, and read about Andy Robinson, the England coach, being highly critical of the referee.
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<BR>So when I got the chance to chat to a rugby journalist this week, I pumped him for his views of the incidents - and of Robinson\'s reaction.
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<BR>Of the referee and the incidents, he felt that even without the tries, Jonathan Kaplan had been substandard; that he had been badly exposed by Mark Cueto\'s perfectly timed break and assumed that he had to be offside, without having seen that he was; and that with Josh Lewsey\'s late effort, he should certainly have referred it to the video official even if, as reported, the try would still have been disallowed as replays were inconclusive.
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<BR>But my friend was keen, too, to talk of disquiet in some rugby circles at coach Robinson\'s outburst. It was okay for fans and journalists to question decisions, but coaches, like this - no.
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<BR>Rugby prides itself on its values of sportsmanship. The game is going through a difficult transition from amateur to professional, with referees\' decisions suddenly so much more important, with people\'s jobs on the line.
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<BR>But, still, part of the appeal of rugby is as “not football”. Part of “not football” means accepting decisions, right or wrong. Arguing perhaps about principles - the differences in interpretation of the laws in the northern and southern hemispheres, say - rather than specific indidents. Behaving less like children and more like adults.
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<BR>Research into rugby supporters\' views shows this, my friend told me. Which was why the intervention of the Rugby Football Union, rebuking Robinson for being so outspoken, was no surprise to him.
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<BR>And, 57 old farts they might be, as Will Carling dubbed them. But the RFU\'s attitude is surely more laudable, more mature, than that of football.
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<BR>Too many toys have been thrown out of too many prams lately when referees have been transparently right, because of the conditions created by red-faced fury when decisions have been wrong but honest, or simply debatable and bound to anger one side or the other.
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<BR>scusate la mancata traduzione, ma è un po\' troppo lunga... chi non riesce a capire un po\' l\'Inglese si accontenti della sintesi iniziale... a meno che non ci sia qualche buon cuore con un po\' di tempo a dispozizione...
![:-]](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif "Mr. Green")
e ogni tanto un neozelandese?