25 commentator clichés you will definitely hear watching a game of rugby

Six Nations
Wednesday, 01 February 2017 at 16:29
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When watching rugby on the TV, brace yourself for an onslaught of clichés throughout the broadcast.
Here is a flavour of what you can expect.
1. No more than they deserve - A classic padder term.
2. Hairs on the back of your neck - Highly doubtful the Welsh national anthem at the Principality Stadium will pass without a reference to the incredible atmosphere
3. That ball came down with snow on it.
4. He’s a rugby man/loves his rugby - Well he’s in the right line of work then isn’t he?
5. He's not that sort of player
6. Using the full 23
7. The crowd will tell you if this one goes through - Or I could just watch it myself
8. ‘He knows the way to the try-line’ - A key ingredient to having a successful rugby career.
9. Get the shove on - Can be used at nearly every scrum.
10. Down To The Wire - What does that even mean?
11. ‘The first 20 minutes will be crucial’ - Why is the first 20 crucial and not the final 20, second 20 or third 20?
12. Mercurial - A term reserved generally for a French player, Gavin Henson in the past and Danny Cipriani.
13. Appalling - George Hook's go-to phrase to describe something he is unhappy about.
14. Do the simple things well - Often a warning for a side that are trying to be a little too fancy and that the expansive moves are not coming off
15. Going Upstairs - Is the ref really going all that way or is he actually just pushing the button on his mic?
16. Going through the phases - It’s rugby speak for a monotonous sequence of running the same way with some abrasive ball-carrying.
17. Hard yards - Another stock phrase for plenty of shunt and grunt from the forwards before unleashing the backs.
18. Loves To Run With The Ball - Isn’t that what he gets paid to do?
19. Could Go Either Way - You think?
20. Soft Hands - Maybe he needs to put down the moisturiser and get his hands dirty then?
21. Forwards Win Games, Backs Decide By How Much - Try telling Jonny Wilkinson that e.g. 2003
22. It’s the wrong side of the field for a left/right footed kicker - The statistics, which we won’t go into here because there are quite a lot of numbers, show that there is only a slight difference.
23. Switching to Plan B
24. Don't know which French team will turn up
25. You must keep hold of the ball - It does help
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