intimidating grounds...
Evan Cooch
either spur SA on, orcause them to wilt and fold. Others have noted the
temperature, altitude, and firmness of the ground. A few have mentioned the
crowd.
The next WC will be in Wales. Different pitch, different crowd.
Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
1. best pitch
2. most emotional support for home team
3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
4. best place to be a spectator
_///_ +--------------------------------------+
-. .- | Evan G. Cooch |
( L ) \//// | Department of Biological Sciences |
--(\=/)-- ( ) | Simon Fraser University |
/ \ / / | Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 |
I V / | co...@fraser.sfu.ca 604-291-5611 |
I / +--------------------------------------+
I / http://mendel.mbb.sfu.ca/wildberg/cooch.html
Ben Clegg
Cooch) wrote:
> Several posters have noted that playing under the eyes of their nation will
> either spur SA on, orcause them to wilt and fold. Others have noted the
> temperature, altitude, and firmness of the ground. A few have mentioned the
> crowd.
>
> The next WC will be in Wales. Different pitch, different crowd.
>
> Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
> the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
>
> 1. best pitch
You often only hear about an international pitch when people don't like
it. Also, often it is the non-rugby uses that make the worst mess of a
pitch, like big concerts.
> 2. most emotional support for home team
When I first visited Cardiff a few years back I was impressed by the level
of support from the crowd, but the last time I went back (even though
Wales still beat England) the atmosphere had changed (they even were
handing out song sheets to try to get people to sing).
On the other hand Twickenham has improved enormously atmosphere-wise. At
least partly though because the fans dare to believe that England will win
now. It is now a great stadium for holding in the noise, and has a large
capacity, although I never have enjoyed the singing - especially Swing
Low.
> 3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
The few international players I've ever talked to about this all mentioned
Paris, but also added that the crowd there can get on the backs of the
home side as well. But in terms of the volume of noise that hits you as
you come out on to the field, they say Paris is the place. (Also the
"welcome" you get from the French pack, and the pace of the game against
France, add to the experience I would guess).
> 4. best place to be a spectator
By common consent Dublin is *THE* place to go, I haven't been there on an
international weekend (yet), but it's a great place even without a major
rugby international. Can't imagine a better town to be in, win or lose.
Cheers,
Ben
=====================================================================
Ben Clegg |"Psychologist! Does that mean...
e-mail: be...@oregon.uoregon.edu |you can bend spoons?"
Department of Psychology, |
University of Oregon. |
|
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~benc |
=====================================================================
Tim Harrison
>> 1. best pitch
>You often only hear about an international pitch when people don't like
>it. Also, often it is the non-rugby uses that make the worst mess of a
>pitch, like big concerts.
The test pitches in Oztralia get used all the time for club/rep rugby, but
seem to hold up pretty well. Particularly Ballymore... Sydney's pitch is still
struggling, but gets better each year with the accompanying player salary
rises...grin...
>> 2. most emotional support for home team
Kiwi support in Eden Park can get fairly noisy, and if I'm not mistaken, kinda
drunken, too?!?
>> 3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
I believe the South Africans were a little nervous during their tour to the
Isle of the Long White Cloud a few years back - two rings of cops standing
shoulder-to-shoulder around the park in Auckland, frisking spectators for
weapons...YIKES!!!
Michael O'Connor told me once that Cardiff was the scariest park he'd ever
played on - 'til he played for New South Wales in a State-of-Origin league
match at Lang Park in Brisbane!!!
>> 4. best place to be a spectator
>By common consent Dublin is *THE* place to go, I haven't been there on an
>international weekend (yet), but it's a great place even without a major
>rugby international. Can't imagine a better town to be in, win or lose.
Concord Oval in Sydney doesn't measure up to the Sydney Football Stadium,
which in turn doesn't measure up to the ol' Sydney Cricket Ground, long-since
abandoned. And none of 'em measure up to Ballymore, particularly if you can
score a box seat thru one of the beer sponsors =8*)
Cheers!
Richard Bridgman
[snip]
> Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
> the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
>
> 1. best pitch
>
> 2. most emotional support for home team
>
> 3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
>
> 4. best place to be a spectator
IMO, out of the 5N grounds, :
1) Best pitch : Don't know - never played on them
2) Most emotional home support : Cardiff Arms Park
3) Most terrifying for opposition : Parc des Prince
4) Best place to be a spectator : Twickenham (in the new stadium)
It will be interesting to see how the new Welsh stadium turns out.
--
Richard Bridgman
ric...@caladan.demon.co.uk
Alan Murray
: Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
: the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
: 1. best pitch
Lancaster Park
: 2. most emotional support for home team
Lancaster Park
: 3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
Lancaster Park
: 4. best place to be a spectator
Lancaster Park
What me biased :-).
Alan
Tracey Nelson
>Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
>the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
Well, in NZ.....
>1. best pitch
Eden Park followed closely by Lancaster Park
>2. most emotional support for home team
Carisbrook (home of Otago rugby)
>3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
Lancaster Park
>4. best place to be a spectator
Any ground in NZ except in the big stand at Athletic Park! :-)
Cheers,
Tracey.
daniel....@ox.ac.uk
Evan Cooch (co...@fraser.sfu.ca) wrote:
: Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
: the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
: 1. best pitch
Lancaster Park
What me biased :-).
Alan
Where is Lancaster Park? Is it one of those ugly New Zealand stadiums?
DMC :)
jom3
be...@oregon.uoregon.edu wrote
>> 2. most emotional support for home team
>
level
>of support from the crowd, but the last time I went back (even though
>Wales still beat England) the atmosphere had changed (they even were
>handing out song sheets to try to get people to sing).
The reason for this in my opinoin is the Arms Park is no longer full of
rugby fans, but company directors and the like. Also at home
internationals against England the Enlish supporters out number the
Welsh,
Just a thought
Jo Morgan
Alan Murray
: Alan
: Where is Lancaster Park? Is it one of those ugly New Zealand stadiums?
Until you've seen Lancaster Park you've never seen the true definition of
"ugly stadium"
Alan
Gerald Copp
Surely the Mecca for Max Boyce's '10,000 instant Christians', to mix
metaphors, was the North Enclosure. The singing not so much 'raised
the roof' as echoed off the floor of the upper stand and reverberated
around the ground. When they did away with the enclosure and sat everyone
down (in dearer seats) Cardiff lost something of its atmosphere.
I watched the English and Irish from the East Terrace this year. Full
of younger people (not me!) who can only afford for the cheaper
tickets, plenty of atmosphere in a standing-shoulder-to-shoulder crowd,
but it is dissipated at that end because it's so open and further
away.
Cheers
Gerald
Brett Step
-=> Quoting Co...@fraser.sfu.ca to All <=-
Co> 2. most emotional support for home team
Co> 3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
Co> 4. best place to be a spectator
Newlands in SA. ;) The crowd is very partisan (Prooooooovince). ;)
Cheers ... Brett
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
--
Internet: bre...@friendly.alt.za
Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
Friendly City BBS - Port Elizabeth - South Africa (27-41-51-1185).
isr...@albers.otago.ac.nz
>Several posters have noted that playing under the eyes of their nation will
>either spur SA on, orcause them to wilt and fold. Others have noted the
>temperature, altitude, and firmness of the ground. A few have mentioned the
>crowd.
>The next WC will be in Wales. Different pitch, different crowd.
>Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks) has
>the most profound outcome on the game itself? Just for grins
>1. best pitch
i've been very impressed with most of the south african fields i've
seen on tv. don't know much about the actual conditions
>2. most emotional support for home team
the 'brook otago. the scarfies are great. in the terraces across
from them, the most knowledgible fans in any sport anywhere.
>3. most emotional terror foisted on opposition
2 years ago i would have said parc de prince (sp?) but now i'd give
the nod again to the south africans. you get the feeling of arian
assention, like the crowd is about to goose step and invade poland.
>4. best place to be a spectator
i would love to see a game at twickers.
> _///_ +--------------------------------------+
> -. .- | Evan G. Cooch |
> ( L ) \//// | Department of Biological Sciences |
> --(\=/)-- ( ) | Simon Fraser University |
> / \ / / | Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 |
> I V / | co...@fraser.sfu.ca 604-291-5611 |
> I / +--------------------------------------+
> I / http://mendel.mbb.sfu.ca/wildberg/cooch.html
lecturer/department of surveying
po box 56
dunedin, new zealand
isr...@spheroid.otago.ac.nz
"standard disclaimer applies"
JC Morgenthal
says...
>
>co...@fraser.sfu.ca (Evan Cooch) wrote:
>
>>Several posters have noted that playing under the eyes of their nation
>>will either spur SA on
>>Just curious...which of the various national parks (or major club parks)
>>has the most profound outcome on the game itself?
Said Bob Dwyer, Aussie coach in a recent newspaper column:
"Anyone doubting the intensity of the atmosphere at Newlands last Thursday
need only look at the match tape to see how close the stands are to the
field of play. I rate it as the most intimidating rugby pitch of all: It
leaves Cardiff Arms Park and Twickenham for dead with triple-layered stands
coming right down to the touchline, packed with 54,000 partisan fans
prepared to cheer every Springbok gain to the echo."
_______________________________________________________________________
Johan C Morgenthal
University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
j...@maties.sun.ac.za
_______________________________________________________________________