While watching the Rugby World Cup, SB and I began a lively discussion over certain infringements at the breakdown. A referee has to interpret the law in a multitude of ways when watching two sides contest for the ball. The referees have been very strict about tacklers releasing players or being on the wrong side of the tackle (seemingly too strict on some occasions) but other infringements are overlooked such as ruckers not really being on their feet to begin with or going back to their hands and knees in the middle of the ruck and continuing to ruck.
At some point in the discussion another person in the pub joined our discussion, except he didn't really join the discussion as much as he began talking to SB and ignoring me. Another person joined in and they managed to stand in a way that completely cut me out of the discussion. This was not deliberate (I don't think so anyway) but rather they both focused on SB while moving in closer, which caused me to be pushed out of the group and left me staring at their backs. A few times while they were talking SB looked to me for an answer but as soon as I gave it the backs were turned again and discussion continued with SB. Eventually I rolled my eyes and wandered off.
I was irritated and said as much to SB later. He had sympathy for me but that isn't the same as including me in the conversation, much less pointing out to those guys that I was better able to discuss technical aspects of the game. SB asks for my advice when we are together but he isn't exactly forthcoming to others that I know more. I have played the game for longer than he has and I am an IRB qualified coach yet both women and men assume that he is the most knowledgeable one. Last summer when I was coaching a tournament SB came down to observe me. One of the parents who doesn't often go to the matches asked SB how her son was doing, missing the obvious clues such as the fact that I was wearing a kit that read "coach" and was carrying a clipboard with their lineup and statistics while SB was standing at the sidelines wearing flip-flops and carrying a coffee.
At some point in the discussion another person in the pub joined our discussion, except he didn't really join the discussion as much as he began talking to SB and ignoring me. Another person joined in and they managed to stand in a way that completely cut me out of the discussion. This was not deliberate (I don't think so anyway) but rather they both focused on SB while moving in closer, which caused me to be pushed out of the group and left me staring at their backs. A few times while they were talking SB looked to me for an answer but as soon as I gave it the backs were turned again and discussion continued with SB. Eventually I rolled my eyes and wandered off.
I was irritated and said as much to SB later. He had sympathy for me but that isn't the same as including me in the conversation, much less pointing out to those guys that I was better able to discuss technical aspects of the game. SB asks for my advice when we are together but he isn't exactly forthcoming to others that I know more. I have played the game for longer than he has and I am an IRB qualified coach yet both women and men assume that he is the most knowledgeable one. Last summer when I was coaching a tournament SB came down to observe me. One of the parents who doesn't often go to the matches asked SB how her son was doing, missing the obvious clues such as the fact that I was wearing a kit that read "coach" and was carrying a clipboard with their lineup and statistics while SB was standing at the sidelines wearing flip-flops and carrying a coffee.
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