@@ewaf88 Yeah, I have to agree. They spent much more time in training (even if some Bath players were effectively pros already, Wigan had been an entirely professional outfit since the late 80s IIRC) and the Union game was so much slower at the time.
@@pseudapollodorus Yes it was certainly slower and a 'few' pints in the bar was the order of the day instead of training. Gareth Chilcott was rather good at it.
Good point...I think they changed at half time. I think Redman and Pearce were too slow as well. All they needed was all their back row forwards and another few of their bigger backs.
@@elijahtchilembe-mpovie2715 9 months professional (half the bath side were still on part time wages) vs a team who have been professional for 100 years.....
Remember Jeremy Guscott opting out of this game saying there's no point to it. I think it was more like "I'm up against Gary Connolly and I don't want to get embarrassed and smashed in the tackle!"
I remember reading a valuation of the England rugby union team by a rugby league coach before professionalism. Jeremy Guscott was the one player the rugby league coach would have shelled out serious money for - the jewel in England's crown I think he described him as.
Yeah because he was a good rugby union player (see above).....still didn't have the stones to play rugby league....didn't even have the minerals to play a one off game the fanny.
They didn't call Guscott "Spice Boy" for nothing! Loved his own good looks, liked to keep it that way. A good player in Union, but really? He never delivered his full potential, you were always expecting that bit more from someone blessed with his pace..... suppose we got it a few years later from one Jason Robinson! One Union player who would have made it big in League was the Wallabies centre Tim Horan. Always a pleasure to watch him play, supreme rugby player! Guscott played in his shadow!
I always wished they played the cross code game in NZ . I think Nz union players would have a better chance (at least back then) NZ kids at school tend to play league at lunchtimes (when the teachers aren't trying to ban it)because it is easier to self referee and organise . English kids are probably playing soccer-football at lunchtimes
Over a hundred years ago the breakaway Northern Union (as was) had the vision to change the rules of the game to encourage running with the ball and scoring tries which made it more attractive to play and more attractive to watch. The Rugby Union lacked that vision but by increasing the value of a try to five points they implicitly accepted that The Rugby League had been right all along. If someone who knew nothing about rugby had watched both of these Clash of the Codes games I'm pretty certain they would have preferred League.
So much so that Rugby League (as is) is by far the more appealing game on a global level. You may prefer League, but you have to accept, most people don't
@@melbeeswax6087 As a League fan born in the heartlands, it took awhile for it to sink in that some people prefer union! But I think RL has changed so much in the last 10 years, that I too, find it a bit boring now as well.
@@rumourhats They can both produce terrible games, equally classics. Union is struggling with the fact that professional players are now stronger and heavier than ever and the nature of the impact injuries that causes. Competitive scrums are becoming a joke and every rule change seems to make it harder for the defending team to win the ball. Wind the clock on 25 years and it wouldn't surprise me if the difference between the codes in negligible, hey they may even amalgamate! How about that?
@@andrewwigglesworth3030 I'm not in favour of removing scrums from the game. Either speed them up or at least stop the clock would be enough for me. We are all different and like different things. For me league is a bit one dimensional, it's usually one pass, a tackle, repeat 4 more times then an up and under. I know lots love it, but it's not really my cup of tea.
I'm more of a league fan but tbh I see something like this going the other way if it happened today. Top union sides would hang in there fairly well under league rules, but a top league side would be completely fucked trying to scrum, ruck, maul and lineout with a union team.
It's hard to compare any rugby league side to the Wigan squad in this video. They really were a great side and maybe one of very few teams of all time that could do well in both codes. For a one off game they did a lot better in union than Bath did in league. I would fancy a couple of the Australian rugby league teams to do okay in union.
If you watch how Argentina and Japan played at the last RUWC they were virtually like RL teams, the Japanese get destroyed in the lineouts so avoid them and just keep the ball in play and the Argies just passed the ball beautifully. Adapting ones tactics to overcome your opponent by focusing on your strengths and avoiding situations that expose your weaknesses is what happens in sport. Not committing numbers to the ruck a la NZ and making single person tackles ensures you can't have a rolling maul. That's because a single tackler is allowed to bring the play/player with the ball down on their own, this happens in union quite a bit and union players/fans still can't even understand that simple rule. A much fitter RL team playing union can still overcome a union team if they out-think the opposition and likewise the other way, except in the league game the union side would have to change personnel because the really big guys wouldn't be able to hack it endurance wise.
Logically cross code should be easier for the Union side. It surprised me how well Wigan did at Twickenham. That said it was Pros v Amateurs back then, and years later the Middlesex 7s showed League had the superior athletes and player skills. Sadly League has declined in this country since and I dare say Union players are slightly more elite now.
@@PomBare You've seen some of the League players going about today? The likes of Jai Field, Alex Walmsley, Johnny Lomax and possibly the best player in RL right now, Tommy Makinson. It would still be no contest. Look at the way Sam Burgess flattened everyone in onion.
@@NoName-hg6cc It really wasn't. Half the Bath tries were technicalities. Wigan scored 3 wonder tries and had another unfairly ruled out. Basically whenever it was open rugby Wigan were on another level and the score was a lot closer than the league match. Pros against amateurs then though, I think Union would win on aggregate these days.
@@PomBare It really wasn't but in league. Half of the try were just Wigan being lucky. In League Bath was at disadvantage( and Wigan used some tricks) but had a much better score than Wigan in Union, since in League only tries matter. Not to mention, the scrum in union wasn't fully contested
I remember this series well. Wigan were so much fitter than Bath and much more skillful with ball in hand. Bath defense in the League game is non existent but I would say nowadays the union teams are much fitter because the game is much faster and league defence has infiltrated Union so I would reckon the League game would be much closer if repeated today
Am I wrong...was it Beaumont's 'boast' regarding Bath's whipping Wigan even in league that brought about this Humiliation ? There are no overweight 'fat men in League !
@JG-bw6luWalking is the most popular sport in the world. The majority of the World's 8 billion people walk which dwarfs the number of people that play soccer. Walking > Soccer. There is no disputing the facts.
Would be interesting to play the dual codes clash nowadays, union come on a lot since and a lot of league coaches , coaching in the union game, I'm a league man and still think a super League side would win at league, but definitely think would be a lot more competitive than this, fair play to bath though they had a go .
Well no union is professional now has been for a while, bath had guys who finished work before the start of this game hahah Not to mention were all hungover. A storm vs crusaders match would be a good spectacle today but would never get signed off.
Wigan had professional international players many were ex union players Henry paul (nz), tuigamala (ex all black), tatupu (nz/samoa union), scott quinell (welsh union), martin offiah(union). Bath were all amateur local part time players. Play the same teams today especially now bath is well into professionalism and have international players from abroad
@@mitcholeary1526how does it feel to have an irish name and still be a bootlicker for the British tory party and their friends. Embarrassing to say the least.
Interesting that shortly after coming from behind against the German Featherweight Champion and Olympian in Freestyle (REAL) Wrestling and winning in the last 50 seconds Convincingly...Stricken opts for a Succefull career in Union...with Wasps...wrestling fitness and speed second to none.
@@DanTheMan-yx9vw The amateur era is long over. Union guys are fast and built these days. The defence lines are more like league as well. Be a very different ball game these days.
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
@@DanTheMan-yx9vw You realise that this was very amateur days for Union half the side worked part time. Not to mention This was rugbys 15-20th best club side in the world coming up against the best professional league club side in the world they even had union stock playing for them. A better representation would be if Wigan played the Auckland blues or Queensland reds. Would love to see the current Melbourne storm vs the crusaders though would be a great spectacle.
It's a shame that the Union 'nancy boys' didn't have to contend with Kelvin Skerrett. Kel Skerrett was a 'monster'. The then Rugby Union star Jeremy Guscott, the fairy, decided to NOT play against Rugby League players. Oh dear!
At the time this was played League and Union were two very different games and it showed. Nowadays Union has evolved (for the worse IMO) since it turned professional and is now much more like League. Take out the lineout and replace it with a scrum, remove the League 5th tackle rule, and it would be a fascinating contest between a League team and Union team.
I agree. And fleet of foot. Bath couldn't get the ball enough to show anything they could do. Mind you in the Bath team selected here, there were zero players with any reputed speed in union except Sleightholme. Maybe Fraser Waters. I don't think Adebayo was all that quick from memory.
Oddly, the Bath backs were far more up for tackling than Redman and Pearce. But then 2nd rows in union have 3 jobs: lineouts, pushing in scrums and organising mauls none of which are relevant here. Not sure why Bath didn't select other players for this match.
The tackling from the Union lads, which you'd think would be the same in both codes, looks woeful against players of power and speed who've got a head of steam up, rather than coming at you from a relatively short distance. Having said that, in the Union part of the game, I remember thinking the League lads looked amateurish (no pun) at scrum time. Even in 1996 that was a real skill in Union that League neglected.
You'd expect the league ladst be fitter and better at their own game. However in the return match? The league forwards couldn't cope especially the scrum which had to be toned down, ruck, maul time. Also no kicking ball away after last tackle, get out of jail card. Union is more continuous. Also it helped to have Union and AB legend Inga T
@@williamwallace2278 In the league game Bath were run off their feet.In the last 15 mins of the rugby game Wigan finished strong.I was coaching rugby at the time of this game in Cornwall.
@@terryharris1291 I was playing at this time? Your point is? Both games are different, however I would like to see this game played today and see what it would be like. Wigan beat Bath easily in league, but return match in union? They met their makers, even to the point of softening the scrum for them, as league scrum? Let's face it? What's the point? It's a glorified cuddle
Difference between the to sides is one is an amateur side which has been working all day and the other was probably the best professional league side in brittan, not a fair game, try it now as union is a professional outfit 👍
@@majorowe And even more, Union sides like Bath hadn't been "amateur" for a long time. It was all a sham that broke down completely when they were finally forced to recognise Rugby League.
To be fair to Bath, union had only just turned pro, if this was played now it would be much closer as union team would be fully pro. Back then Bath were effectively an amateur team playing pro league players
Every player in League must be mobile athletic and strong. Union has big fat slow plod props and lanky tall slow plod 2nd rowers. League tackles better too.
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
@@mitcholeary1526 What about a hybrid game? No rucks, mauls os scrums. Play the balls only. Plus line outs. Knock ons etc lead to a restart or kick for touch and then a line out. Kicks out on the full inside you're own 20 lead to a line out. 5 point tries, but 2 point penalties and field goals. And 6 tackle rule in play?
Martin Offiah could have been a big star for England's rugby Union team, but the England selectors couldn't see talent when it stared them in the face.
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks now. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
If they go ahead with the ABs vs Kangaroos...the Union game will be handicapped for the league boys no doubt...it is easier for union to change to league...too dangerous for league fowards to take on ABs forward...no contest...so the result wont mean shit..if you play union as a league player but not play all the rules...makes no sense for the match
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks now. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
I can't help but think how much stronger Rugby would be as a sport on and off the field if the two codes were unified. Wishful thinking I know. Given how chronically problematic scrums, mauls and pick and go's have become in Union, I think it would be pretty obvious which set of laws would be used.
Let's make this happen again.
nightw4tchman Gloucester vs Salford, October 9th.
Salford 🤣
Salford are you mad Wigan or Warrington or St. Helens
Imagine a team like Toulouse playing league. They'd be well used to throwing around
Wigan were far better at Rugby Union than Bath were at league.
Well, to be fair ... several of the Wigan players had played Union before at a high level.
@@pseudapollodorus I think the league players generally had better rugby brains at both codes. So adaptable.
@@ewaf88 Yeah, I have to agree. They spent much more time in training (even if some Bath players were effectively pros already, Wigan had been an entirely professional outfit since the late 80s IIRC) and the Union game was so much slower at the time.
@@pseudapollodorus Yes it was certainly slower and a 'few' pints in the bar was the order of the day instead of training. Gareth Chilcott was rather good at it.
@@pseudapollodorus union is still so much slower
Good on Bath for giving it a go
How about the quality of Edwards' passing. Short and long.
Baths mistake was playing union props in the league game, they just weren’t fast enough.
Good point...I think they changed at half time. I think Redman and Pearce were too slow as well. All they needed was all their back row forwards and another few of their bigger backs.
....and a few more years playing rugby league..
Thanks a lot.
Offiah the flier, fleet of foot, hard as nails, a monster of a player u didn't meet everyday, how we miss the likes of him, Inga, Farrell et al 😢
This would have been pre-professional when Union was still amateur. It would be interesting to see this kind of fixture today - pro vs. pro.
There was a match between St Helens and Sale Sharks in 2003ish (half each of RL and RU)
Union was already professional at this time.
@@elijahtchilembe-mpovie2715 Not yet
@@elijahtchilembe-mpovie2715 9 months professional (half the bath side were still on part time wages) vs a team who have been professional for 100 years.....
@@gus-qj2mp Not 100 years at all, at the start merely playing for winning pay, not full time professionals.
Edward's distribution of the ball is incredible.
Remember Jeremy Guscott opting out of this game saying there's no point to it. I think it was more like "I'm up against Gary Connolly and I don't want to get embarrassed and smashed in the tackle!"
I remember reading a valuation of the England rugby union team by a rugby league coach before professionalism. Jeremy Guscott was the one player the rugby league coach would have shelled out serious money for - the jewel in England's crown I think he described him as.
Jerry Guscott didn't have the stones to play rugby league. Very good union player mind.
John Kimble
He had the stones to drop a Lions series-winning goal in the last minutes against the South Africans in South Africa.
Yeah because he was a good rugby union player (see above).....still didn't have the stones to play rugby league....didn't even have the minerals to play a one off game the fanny.
They didn't call Guscott "Spice Boy" for nothing!
Loved his own good looks, liked to keep it that way.
A good player in Union, but really?
He never delivered his full potential, you were always expecting that bit more from someone blessed with his pace..... suppose we got it a few years later from one Jason Robinson!
One Union player who would have made it big in League was the Wallabies centre Tim Horan.
Always a pleasure to watch him play, supreme rugby player!
Guscott played in his shadow!
I always wished they played the cross code game in NZ . I think Nz union players would have a better chance (at least back then) NZ kids at school tend to play league at lunchtimes (when the teachers aren't trying to ban it)because it is easier to self referee and organise . English kids are probably playing soccer-football at lunchtimes
Over a hundred years ago the breakaway Northern Union (as was) had the vision to change the rules of the game to encourage running with the ball and scoring tries which made it more attractive to play and more attractive to watch. The Rugby Union lacked that vision but by increasing the value of a try to five points they implicitly accepted that The Rugby League had been right all along. If someone who knew nothing about rugby had watched both of these Clash of the Codes games I'm pretty certain they would have preferred League.
So much so that Rugby League (as is) is by far the more appealing game on a global level.
You may prefer League, but you have to accept, most people don't
@@melbeeswax6087 As a League fan born in the heartlands, it took awhile for it to sink in that some people prefer union! But I think RL has changed so much in the last 10 years, that I too, find it a bit boring now as well.
@@rumourhats They can both produce terrible games, equally classics.
Union is struggling with the fact that professional players are now stronger and heavier than ever and the nature of the impact injuries that causes.
Competitive scrums are becoming a joke and every rule change seems to make it harder for the defending team to win the ball.
Wind the clock on 25 years and it wouldn't surprise me if the difference between the codes in negligible, hey they may even amalgamate!
How about that?
@@melbeeswax6087 League got rid of competitive scrums because they held up the game, were boring for the fans, and are inherently dangerous.
@@andrewwigglesworth3030 I'm not in favour of removing scrums from the game. Either speed them up or at least stop the clock would be enough for me.
We are all different and like different things. For me league is a bit one dimensional, it's usually one pass, a tackle, repeat 4 more times then an up and under.
I know lots love it, but it's not really my cup of tea.
That Wigan team was filth: Edwards, Robinson, Offiah, Farrell, Tuigamala, Paul, Long...the quality goes on and on.
And they were also second to ST Helens
Always good to see Jason Robison play league
I'm more of a league fan but tbh I see something like this going the other way if it happened today. Top union sides would hang in there fairly well under league rules, but a top league side would be completely fucked trying to scrum, ruck, maul and lineout with a union team.
It's hard to compare any rugby league side to the Wigan squad in this video. They really were a great side and maybe one of very few teams of all time that could do well in both codes. For a one off game they did a lot better in union than Bath did in league. I would fancy a couple of the Australian rugby league teams to do okay in union.
If you watch how Argentina and Japan played at the last RUWC they were virtually like RL teams, the Japanese get destroyed in the lineouts so avoid them and just keep the ball in play and the Argies just passed the ball beautifully. Adapting ones tactics to overcome your opponent by focusing on your strengths and avoiding situations that expose your weaknesses is what happens in sport. Not committing numbers to the ruck a la NZ and making single person tackles ensures you can't have a rolling maul. That's because a single tackler is allowed to bring the play/player with the ball down on their own, this happens in union quite a bit and union players/fans still can't even understand that simple rule. A much fitter RL team playing union can still overcome a union team if they out-think the opposition and likewise the other way, except in the league game the union side would have to change personnel because the really big guys wouldn't be able to hack it endurance wise.
League players still much fitter with better skills and ability.
Logically cross code should be easier for the Union side. It surprised me how well Wigan did at Twickenham. That said it was Pros v Amateurs back then, and years later the Middlesex 7s showed League had the superior athletes and player skills. Sadly League has declined in this country since and I dare say Union players are slightly more elite now.
@@PomBare You've seen some of the League players going about today? The likes of Jai Field, Alex Walmsley, Johnny Lomax and possibly the best player in RL right now, Tommy Makinson. It would still be no contest. Look at the way Sam Burgess flattened everyone in onion.
The skill level between league and union really shows here. It was boys against men. I am a fan of both codes.
It was the same, but reverse, in Union
@@NoName-hg6cc It really wasn't. Half the Bath tries were technicalities. Wigan scored 3 wonder tries and had another unfairly ruled out. Basically whenever it was open rugby Wigan were on another level and the score was a lot closer than the league match. Pros against amateurs then though, I think Union would win on aggregate these days.
@@PomBare It really wasn't but in league.
Half of the try were just Wigan being lucky. In League Bath was at disadvantage( and Wigan used some tricks) but had a much better score than Wigan in Union, since in League only tries matter. Not to mention, the scrum in union wasn't fully contested
@@NoName-hg6cc Not!😂 Rules influenced the second game result, the second half clearly highlighted the fact Wigan won 3 halves to one
@@nikolaucznaum4312 LOL no!🤣
Rules and luck influenced the first game, Bath try in league and dominance in union clearly showed who was the bes side 😉
I remember this series well. Wigan were so much fitter than Bath and much more skillful with ball in hand. Bath defense in the League game is non existent but I would say nowadays the union teams are much fitter because the game is much faster and league defence has infiltrated Union so I would reckon the League game would be much closer if repeated today
@J G Talk about punching down.
Am I wrong...was it Beaumont's 'boast' regarding Bath's whipping Wigan even in league that brought about this Humiliation ?
There are no overweight 'fat men
in League !
@JG-bw6luWalking is the most popular sport in the world. The majority of the World's 8 billion people walk which dwarfs the number of people that play soccer. Walking > Soccer. There is no disputing the facts.
Would've liked to see them play the allblacks
Would be interesting to play the dual codes clash nowadays, union come on a lot since and a lot of league coaches , coaching in the union game, I'm a league man and still think a super League side would win at league, but definitely think would be a lot more competitive than this, fair play to bath though they had a go .
Well no union is professional now has been for a while, bath had guys who finished work before the start of this game hahah Not to mention were all hungover. A storm vs crusaders match would be a good spectacle today but would never get signed off.
Agreed with that one let's see how far rugby union has evolved since the old days when union was class as amature
The concussion from this game... imagine
what can you say, league is a man's game, union is a gentleman's pursuit
Wigan had professional international players many were ex union players Henry paul (nz), tuigamala (ex all black), tatupu (nz/samoa union), scott quinell (welsh union), martin offiah(union).
Bath were all amateur local part time players. Play the same teams today especially now bath is well into professionalism and have international players from abroad
Good to see someone understood the terms of the match back then. If it happened today would be a very different story.
@@mitcholeary1526 no it wouldn't. Rugby union players cant handle a fast game, they like it slow.
@@thomastimms88 youre a nuff and a half
@@mitcholeary1526how does it feel to have an irish name and still be a bootlicker for the British tory party and their friends. Embarrassing to say the least.
@@thomastimms88 babababaaah wtf did I just read? im from Aus u spud
Interesting that shortly after coming from behind against the German Featherweight Champion and Olympian in Freestyle (REAL) Wrestling and winning in the last 50 seconds Convincingly...Stricken opts for a Succefull career in Union...with Wasps...wrestling fitness and speed second to none.
Awesome Wigan team
Yes let's get this game on a gain 2020
Was in Sydney..oz sportscaster says ‘jeez bath werent doing their tackling’.....he was right!
They were all hungover hahahaha they didn't give a shit and it showed
In both games the teams played far better rugby. Would be great to see a modern rematch.
Won't happen - Union won't like getting embarrassed again
@@DanTheMan-yx9vw The amateur era is long over. Union guys are fast and built these days. The defence lines are more like league as well. Be a very different ball game these days.
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
@@DanTheMan-yx9vw You realise that this was very amateur days for Union half the side worked part time. Not to mention This was rugbys 15-20th best club side in the world coming up against the best professional league club side in the world they even had union stock playing for them. A better representation would be if Wigan played the Auckland blues or Queensland reds. Would love to see the current Melbourne storm vs the crusaders though would be a great spectacle.
@@DanTheMan-yx9vw It won't happen because League would risk too much in an Union game
Bath players just chasing shadows all the game - superior speed & technique from Wigan
Or maybe just maybe it was a league team playing league against a union team ? 🤔
@@blabber1975 thanks for that insight 🤷🤦
Be really interesting to have the all blacks vs kangaroos game in league... no point in rugby
You called it bro. They're talking about having a hybrid game between the two.
Dat step from Paul tho 2:56
It's a shame that the Union 'nancy boys' didn't have to contend with Kelvin Skerrett. Kel Skerrett was a 'monster'. The then Rugby Union star Jeremy Guscott, the fairy, decided to NOT play against Rugby League players. Oh dear!
At the time this was played League and Union were two very different games and it showed. Nowadays Union has evolved (for the worse IMO) since it turned professional and is now much more like League. Take out the lineout and replace it with a scrum, remove the League 5th tackle rule, and it would be a fascinating contest between a League team and Union team.
Stridgeon not Stricken oops !
lol bath
apparently bath did beat wigan in a union match
Didn't they play them the same day, a half for each code?
And what was established in these two games; League sides are better at League while Union sides are better at Union.
Thank you everyone for coming.
Union players are fat uninventive and lack imagination is what i established. Im from the USA and think rugby league looks so much more skillfull
Union sides are slightly better at Union, League sides wipe the floor in League. And 7s.
@@thomastimms88 like League players don't have much brain for a complicated games?
@@NoName-hg6cc did you go to school
@@thomastimms88 I did. You?
Forget the difference in rules, skill sets between codes etc. The main difference you can see here is speed
I agree. And fleet of foot. Bath couldn't get the ball enough to show anything they could do. Mind you in the Bath team selected here, there were zero players with any reputed speed in union except Sleightholme. Maybe Fraser Waters. I don't think Adebayo was all that quick from memory.
Oddly, the Bath backs were far more up for tackling than Redman and Pearce. But then 2nd rows in union have 3 jobs: lineouts, pushing in scrums and organising mauls none of which are relevant here. Not sure why Bath didn't select other players for this match.
Baths try was a clear obstruction by the guy who played the ball.
Bath looked half decent in attack, but schoolboy in defence.. embarrassing!
10FC ULL I’m a Wigan fan but u could say the same for us in the union game
Can we make this game happens a gain with bath what do the bath supporters say about this in 2020
I am always at a loss why a good Union side always loses heavily at league. It’s just rugby stripped down to the basics.
Union players have terrible rugby brains, its so slow and boring. Thats probably why
Union blokes have zero idea about how to defend in league....the urge to follow the ball is too ingrained, meaning holes everywhere.
The tackling from the Union lads, which you'd think would be the same in both codes, looks woeful against players of power and speed who've got a head of steam up, rather than coming at you from a relatively short distance. Having said that, in the Union part of the game, I remember thinking the League lads looked amateurish (no pun) at scrum time. Even in 1996 that was a real skill in Union that League neglected.
You'd expect the league ladst be fitter and better at their own game. However in the return match? The league forwards couldn't cope especially the scrum which had to be toned down, ruck, maul time. Also no kicking ball away after last tackle, get out of jail card. Union is more continuous. Also it helped to have Union and AB legend Inga T
@@williamwallace2278 In the league game Bath were run off their feet.In the last 15 mins of the rugby game Wigan finished strong.I was coaching rugby at the time of this game in Cornwall.
@@terryharris1291 I was playing at this time? Your point is? Both games are different, however I would like to see this game played today and see what it would be like. Wigan beat Bath easily in league, but return match in union? They met their makers, even to the point of softening the scrum for them, as league scrum? Let's face it? What's the point? It's a glorified cuddle
@@terryharris1291 And in the Union match Wigan were outsmarted
Difference between the to sides is one is an amateur side which has been working all day and the other was probably the best professional league side in brittan, not a fair game, try it now as union is a professional outfit 👍
Rubbish. Union had been officially pro for a year at that time and unofficially pro for longer.
@@majorowe And even more, Union sides like Bath hadn't been "amateur" for a long time. It was all a sham that broke down completely when they were finally forced to recognise Rugby League.
I support both teams funny enough
This should happen again, Union is much better now players are fitter.
Martin Offiah 24-6 Bath
To be fair to Bath, union had only just turned pro, if this was played now it would be much closer as union team would be fully pro. Back then Bath were effectively an amateur team playing pro league players
Nah, Union sides like Bath hadn't in reality been "amateur" for a long time.
@@andrewwigglesworth3030They were still more amateur than professional
Much as I hate to say it, the Pie Eaters were an absolutely rugby side, and I don’t care which code you are watching
Every player in League must be mobile athletic and strong. Union has big fat slow plod props and lanky tall slow plod 2nd rowers. League tackles better too.
Given that 2020 is basically an international sporting write-off, it'd be good to see a similar series between the Kangaroos and the All Blacks.
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
@@mitcholeary1526 What about a hybrid game? No rucks, mauls os scrums. Play the balls only. Plus line outs. Knock ons etc lead to a restart or kick for touch and then a line out. Kicks out on the full inside you're own 20 lead to a line out. 5 point tries, but 2 point penalties and field goals. And 6 tackle rule in play?
@@fatstorvolay2243 So league ahahah all you've added is line outs do you give tap and goes as a penalty option with the line out?
@@mitcholeary1526 Yep. Plus 14 players a side. And a 5 metre rule rather than 10.
@@fatstorvolay2243 so league hahah as if they will take the line option then....
Martin Offiah could have been a big star for England's rugby Union team, but the England selectors couldn't see talent when it stared them in the face.
He wouldn't have got the ball enough. A waste compared to what he achieved in rugby league.
@@homeone4054 he literally was the leading try scorer for Ipswich rufc he got plenty of ball
Wigan took this game very seriously. When Bath scored , Wigan were defending like it was 0-0.
Nowadays this would be so different
not if you played the australian Rugby League teams.
well, not so funny to watch after 5 mins. Bath's players completely clueless and out of position let so much space it looks like a 7s game.
Kangaroos vs All Blacks 2020
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks now. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
If they go ahead with the ABs vs Kangaroos...the Union game will be handicapped for the league boys no doubt...it is easier for union to change to league...too dangerous for league fowards to take on ABs forward...no contest...so the result wont mean shit..if you play union as a league player but not play all the rules...makes no sense for the match
Wont happen ever no insurance company would sign off on letting league players get involved in scrums, mauls and rucks now. Huge liability. They'd have to play straight league which just defeats the point of it.
I can't help but think how much stronger Rugby would be as a sport on and off the field if the two codes were unified. Wishful thinking I know.
Given how chronically problematic scrums, mauls and pick and go's have become in Union, I think it would be pretty obvious which set of laws would be used.
Given the international audience and attendances, I think it's obvious which one is the superior code whose rules should be used