ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

WATCH: Compilation of some of the biggest 'gamesmanship' incidents in rugby

BY Stephen Brunsdon  ·  Wednesday Jul 31, 2019

There has been much fall out since Beauden Barrett’s gamesmanship against South Africa in the second round of the Rugby Championship last weekend, with some going as far as labeling the fly-half’s actions as “cheating”.

ADVERTISEMENT

Over the years, there have been a number of incidents which have gone against the ethics of the game, with some worse than others. The fine line between gamesmanship and cheating is a much talked-about affair.

The obvious “slam dunk” cheating scandal is the Tom Williams/Dean Richards ‘bloodgate’ incident from 2009, where the Harlequins winger was instructed by Richards and Quins staff to bite into a blood capsule, to allow Nick Evans to return to the field as an injury replacement.

Williams was handed a 12-month playing ban while Richards copped a much larger three-year punishment as a result. That incident was blatant cheating and was punished accordingly, but there are always cases of gamesmanship which is deployed by most teams (if they can get away with it).

With the prevalence of television cameras these days, it seems easier to point the finger at blatant ‘cheating’ but in reality, there are some things most teams have been doing for years.

This video compilation explores some of the incidents that are clearly cheating, while others will always be remembered for their high level of infuriating ‘gamesmanship’.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles

  • 43 WEEKS AGO

    Tickets now on sale as World XV set to face...

  • 43 WEEKS AGO

    '60 metres, plus change' - massive drop goal...

  • 43 WEEKS AGO

    Referee makes 'tackle of the season' as he...



ADVERTISEMENT

Great Tries

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Flying frenchman scores tremendous try for Toulon

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Young England hopeful continues to impress with double against Stade Français

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Full throttle Premiership final rematch ends in heartache

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 5 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Kildunne finishes off STUNNING team try

View All

Big Hits & Dirty Play

  • 10 WEEKS AGO

    Wallabies wunderkind Sua'ali' and Scotland captain Tuipulotu clash

  • 11 WEEKS AGO

    Ireland 'steal' Argentina's opening try as debate rages

  • 13 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: The biggest hit from week one of the Autumn Nations Series

  • 16 WEEKS AGO

    'Cheap shot' from Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints causing a stir online

  • 16 WEEKS AGO

    Wild moment leads to all in brawl during Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets

View All

See It To Believe It

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    SHOCK results in the PWR keeps top four race thrilling

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 5 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Kildunne finishes off STUNNING team try

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    Supporters can't believe Saracens Sharp's UNBELIEVABLE finish

  • 12 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Joyce finishes ‘impossible’ solo try

View All

Funnies

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Nightmare blunder from Exeter winger as try goes wanting

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    'A dog with a mallet up its arse could’ve written Johnny’s book' Donnacha O'Callaghan

  • 7 WEEKS AGO

    ‘The knee slide was too much’ - Ben Earl reflects on THAT viral moment

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major makes big claim about rugby

  • 12 WEEKS AGO

    “Put that in the book” - Rieko Ioane’s explosive post reignites feud with Sexton

View All

Amateur

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Nightmare blunder from Exeter winger as try goes wanting

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 108 WEEKS AGO

    You Won’t See Many Better Than This Silky-Smooth Try From Llandovery RFC

  • 108 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes As Caldy RFC Hand Ealing First Championship Defeat Of The Season

  • 131 WEEKS AGO

    Dubious Score Decides Result Of Rugby's Biggest Schools Fixture

View All

Player Features

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    RugbyDump's top five backrows in 2024

  • 7 WEEKS AGO

    ‘The knee slide was too much’ - Ben Earl reflects on THAT viral moment

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    Marcus Smith makes big call on his future

  • 11 WEEKS AGO

    'Eligible for England' - Fans react to South African star's contract announcement

  • 11 WEEKS AGO

    The 19-year-old named the 'future' of English rugby after win against Australia A

View All