January 17th, 2019, 08:31 AM | #721 |
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I don't think size has anything to do with rugby strength, eg Birmingham, Liverpool don't have major rugby clubs whereas Dublin has a great tradition of rugby players.
The main bread-and-butter of English clubs is the premiership. Because of the set-up of the comp. teams can keep fighting to qualify for play-offs or to avoid relegation, which would be disaster. English teams look upon the HC as a bonus. However they can tell after the first couple of games if they are going to qualify. Only 1 team goes through, so why risk injury to your to players if that seems unlikely when there are bigger fish to fry? |
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January 19th, 2019, 02:16 AM | #722 |
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So true,what Ireland Squad have is that the majority of the players play together week in week out at their club.
History has shown that if you want a successful international team [in any sport]you want the spine of the team to be from the same club .When England won the World Cup how many players played for the same club?
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January 19th, 2019, 08:37 AM | #723 | |
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I think the strength of Irish Rugby is that the IRFU have taken the regions, invested heavily in their academy and local development structures, built on the nucleus of a good team and most importantly, made it possible for the top Irish players to earn the kind of rewards they would if they went abroad. The Regions/Clubs have also not recruited from abroad in the same disastrous way as English Clubs have and to my eyes that is what has produced the side Ireland have today, I would not be at all surprised if they win the World Cup this time round, but my loyalties will be divided as I have the possibility of two of my boys playing this time, and of course Wales! The England side that won the World Cup had played together for a fair while, they had had about six weeks a year in training camps, plus six nations and tours in the immediate build up, they came from Leicester, Bath, Gloucester, and a few other clubs too, I think what made them the force they were was preparation, commitment, huge self belief in both self and team, excellent coaching and all round support, great sides are only produced by far sighted management, Ireland seem to have some very wise men at the top of the tree. England seem to think that the old school tie still is the highest qualification to lead the RFU! |
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January 20th, 2019, 12:42 AM | #724 |
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rupertramjet as always a fantastic insightful reply.Two teams coming into the 6 Nations have rotated their starting 15 to the extent of blooding up to 50 new caps ,Wales and Ireland.I think the 6 Nations will be used as a run up for the World Cup ie Nations will try out their depth in their squads.
So we may see some upsets,this may sound crazy but I think the WC is heavily focused on England Ireland and Wales,I really dont mean to disrespect Scotland but I think Scotland will focus on winning the 6 Nations this year and will want to win this more than the WC,and are my Favs for this year. I cry at France,I remember the great sexy French teams with outrageous talent and I want them back.In my mind the Clubs in England and France have hindered their National teams,if I could do a graph the more control they have over players mirrors decline in their international success. The Question really is does the Prem and the Top 14 hinder their National Teams Success..to me yes,England and France will enter the World Cup with players tired battered and injured
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January 20th, 2019, 09:36 PM | #725 | |
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In answer to the other points, absolutely! The top clubs are too powerful, but I genuinely believe the biggest single aspect of the decline in French Rugby, (where is footstep when we need him?) is the huge influx of foreign players, I think this is also effecting England Actually I have a vague memory of FS making a similar point about his concerns about the Top 14s lack of French new talent. If young talent believes it has no future, it will fizzle out, perhaps the French need to strengthen their quota system along the lines of the Premiership, both my capped boys are, despite being born here, NEQP, Non England Qualified Players, their baby brother is EQP! In a tight situation, if there is a qualified English player of a similar standard they will be out of the squad for that game! I have shared many a Gaulois with Sege Blance and a few other French players of that era, and like you TT, I grief for the magic, flair and unpredictable Les Blues of those days, peut etre??? |
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January 21st, 2019, 08:46 AM | #726 |
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I have recorded all the HC games because I can't watch them all live for various reasons. I am slowly working my way through them.
One thing I have noticed is the deterioration in the standard of grounds. Not too long ago the playing surfaces were almost as good as football pitches. Even lower league football pitches are very good nowadays. Sometimes scrums cut the pitches up but there aren't as many as there used to be, otherwise there is no reason rugby pitches shouldn't be as good. At the moment the heavy poor pitches are not conducive to running rugby. What I've seen is forwards (and backs to some extent) just battering into each other with no elusive running from the backs. So the likes of Christian Wade are not encouraged and become disillusioned with rugby. Not only does this reduce entertainment in the rugby but also gives rise to more injuries in my opinion. In addition I think the Northern Hemisphere teams (ex. Japan) will be at a disadvantage compared to countries derived from Super Rugby teams who play on hard fast pitches when they play in the WC. I have seen a lot of the Sunwolves (Japan) Super Rugby games and they are all played on dry fast pitches. As a result the big heavy forwards of eg SA teams are nullified. I expect the same to be true when the WC is played in Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/rugby-w...9-host-cities/ |
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January 25th, 2019, 03:02 AM | #727 |
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Judy thats what makes the HC so special you play in mud in the Winter then finish playing on hard ground from the Quarters.15s Rugby is not sevens its dog dirty and attritional because of the weather its never a try fest,but very exciting none the same.The advantage towards the SH Teams may derive from the NH teams knacKered from playing in the latter stages of the HC,when does the WC start?
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January 30th, 2019, 05:32 PM | #728 |
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6 nations back!
Here's Jacques Brunel explaining his choices : "We preferred Ntamack because it was a boy we had been waiting for a while and who showed that he was able to adapt at the highest level with the Stade Toulousain, both in the Top 14 and the French Cup. Europe, justifies the coach. Romain has another step to take (especially in defense, ed), but there is no doubt that he can quickly overcome this obstacle. Faced with the Welsh, he will be in a role of second opener, when Wesley Fofana will evolve more as a puncher. Their association can be interesting. " "It's not a punishment" Still, the absence of Bastareaud challenges. Because he is one of the leaders of a group that does not count much. "Mathieu is not here for the first time in eight or nine games (in fact, he has played eight of the last nine games)," said Brunel. This is not a sanction. He is very important in our group, he has shown in tough matches in New Zealand last summer or against Fiji this fall. It is a punctual choice, it is not at all removed. Mathieu is always at the service of our group. " Why deprive yourself of Mathieu Bastareaud? Bastareaud then he pays the will of the staff to reorient itself towards a game more turned towards the speed and the movement? Brunel refutes: "Mathieu does not block this type of initiative and this desire to go play in the spaces. It serves more than a fulcrum or lure in these cases. Here, we just have high quality players behind, especially in terms of speed, and we will try to use them as best as possible. " Still, "Basta" does not even appear on the bench of substitutes. While the Rochelais Geoffrey Doumayrou, he is there, without necessarily presenting a player profile more versatile than him. A question of complementarity, according to Brunel: "We have already seen a Bastareaud-Fofana association that was not necessarily very effective in the past. So, we put Doumayrou on the bench as needed to compose different associations. " |
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January 31st, 2019, 10:34 AM | #729 | |
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We agree to differ, I prefer to watch SH rugby at the moment. The World Cup starts 20 Sept and runs for about 6 weeks, autumn with hard grounds I would think. https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/fixtures?lang=en |
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February 1st, 2019, 02:32 PM | #730 |
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4.45pm tomorrow in the pub watching England v Ireland
I've been listening to the pundits, including Clive Woodward, bigging up England but I'd imagine all the smart money is on Ireland. Hopefully Eddie Jones has got a plan B or C.
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