In a game of Scarlets VS Blues, who would you support if this was your first watch of the game? Here is all you need to know to survive your first rugby game.
The best way to learn about a place is to experience it through the eyes of the locals. And what better way to know about the Welsh than to learn about their favourite sport?
As a complete novice in Rugby, I was shocked to see players generally taking a maximum of two steps before being tackled to the floor. As a consequence, medics were almost like a third team on the pitch, running as much as the players to help during what can fairly be called a high-casualty sport.
Before the game began, fans started their day at the Spoons bar right across the stadium where the real sport was getting through the crowd in one piece to order a pint. Still, the lack of tables in the 2-floor bar was worth it to witness the excitement of fans before the game.
“You could really feel the atmosphere here. They’ve got cheap pints and it can fit the whole lot of us, what more could we want?” said Sam, a Scarlet fan.
As we were getting the first pint of the day I was getting a quick lesson from a Scarlet fan about the rules of the game. I gathered that the goal is for the players to get the ball past the two poles, but they can only throw it to their mates backwards (before they get tackled to the floor).
Still, when I found myself completely misunderstanding the rules, the fans’ excitement was contagious, whether you were a die-hard fan or a clueless one like myself.
When players got closer to potentially passing the goal line, fans chanted their team’s name as the anticipation rose for a celebration. Yet after halftime, both teams were playing exceptionally well so it was hard to guess who would have the last laugh.
Finally, time ran out, with the score being 25-19, and fans chanting “Scarlets” over and over. “I’m a Scarlet’s fan but I gotta say Blues played very well. Better attack than defence, but overall, good game!” said Tom.