Final whistle almost blown on rugby as we know it

[Proinsias]

These are the best and worst of times for professional rugby union. On the one hand you have Stade Francais packing them in with the aid of cheap tickets, fire-eaters, pom-poms and acrobats. On the other you have Bristol appealing for new funds, Nottingham's future under threat and Newcastle's ground being sold to Northumbria University. The rich are getting richer but the poor are feeling the pinch.

For a snapshot of the widening divide look no further than Edinburgh. They played Wasps on Friday night, one of the big fixtures of their season. The published crowd was 7,711, a club record for a Heineken Cup fixture, yet Murrayfield still felt like a ghost town. A burger van and a mobile bar were parked outside the players' entrance but any sense of community or semblance of soul was absent. It is a credit to Andy Robinson and his players that Edinburgh display as much spark as they do. Performing in front of 60,000 empty seats cannot be any fun.

Then there was the rugby itself. Wasps badly needed to win so they played it tight. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but their preferred formula took winning ugly to a whole new level. Every time they had the ball in their own half they kicked it skywards, paranoid about getting penalised at the breakdown within kickable range in their own half. They have followed a similar blueprint for much of the season but rarely to such a stark extent. Edinburgh played virtually all of the rugby, enjoyed most of the territory and, almost inevitably, lost. Mournful atmosphere, dire rugby ... it was not much of an advertisement for a vibrant professional sport.

All of which reflects the game's increasing dilemma. Can it afford to end up like soccer where a wealthy elite dominate Europe and the rest scrape a living any way they can? This polarisation of resources and player movement is happening at Test level, too, with the consequent knock-on effects in terms of the competitiveness of certain nations. How can Edinburgh, or Calvisano, hope to compete with Stade Francais? And if they can't, what does that do for the Heineken Cup's collective appeal? The loyal title sponsors have just signed up for another four seasons, which will extend their backing to a remarkable 18 years. It will be interesting to see whether the existing 24-team format remains unchanged. Many more results like Ospreys 68-8 Treviso and pressure is bound to increase. My guess is that the structure will have to be amended in the not-too-distant future to reflect the harsher financial climate.

You can also bet that talk of a franchise system in England will resurface. That way, as in the NFL or AFL, the health of the tournament or league becomes the priority. Clubs will still have to provide financial guarantees but their health will become a collective issue. A draft system? It might just suit the RFU to have young English players spread out more evenly across the country instead of kicking in their heels at the academies of the better-resourced clubs. It could be argued that London Irish, currently top of the Premiership table, are flying the flag for smaller teams. In some respects they are but along the way they have had to mothball their reserve team. Is that progress? I tend to agree with Eddie Jones that an age-group competition — say U-23 with six over-age players permitted in the 22 — would develop English youth more effectively than endless stints on the replacements' bench.

Not everything in the garden, in short, is as rosy as it may have looked in Paris last weekend. Do not be entirely fooled, either, when Harlequins — as they fully expect to do — set a new league record by filling the 50,000 available seats at a reduced-capacity Twickenham when Leicester visit on December 27. Quins' pricing strategy is perfect for the occasion — £10 for adults, £5 for kids — but some of their rivals have much ground to make up. Even Gloucester have announced reduced ticket prices in a bid to increase crowds at Kingsholm. Do not be remotely surprised if Wasps feel compelled to adopt a more free-wheeling style for their European game against Leinster at Twickenham in January. Kicking the pimples off the ball might win you the odd game but it doesn't put bums on seats. That did not matter much a year or two ago but it does now.

-Robert Kitson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/09/rugby-union-heineken-cup-jonny-wilkinson




He's got a point but one that's been bleedingly obvious in Ireland for a long time.


I'm thinking, with regards to Connacht, there should be a draft every year with the lowest placed Irish Magners League team getting the first one or two picks.

The disparity has gotten ridiculous between Munster/Leinster and Connacht. Ulster are only just turning it back around again but they haven't won anything in almost 10 years.

[Brad]

These are the best and worst of times for professional rugby union. On the one hand you have Stade Francais packing them in with the aid of cheap tickets, fire-eaters, pom-poms and acrobats. On the other you have Bristol appealing for new funds, Nottingham's future under threat and Newcastle's ground being sold to Northumbria University. The rich are getting richer but the poor are feeling the pinch.

For a snapshot of the widening divide look no further than Edinburgh. They played Wasps on Friday night, one of the big fixtures of their season. The published crowd was 7,711, a club record for a Heineken Cup fixture, yet Murrayfield still felt like a ghost town. A burger van and a mobile bar were parked outside the players' entrance but any sense of community or semblance of soul was absent. It is a credit to Andy Robinson and his players that Edinburgh display as much spark as they do. Performing in front of 60,000 empty seats cannot be any fun.

Then there was the rugby itself. Wasps badly needed to win so they played it tight. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but their preferred formula took winning ugly to a whole new level. Every time they had the ball in their own half they kicked it skywards, paranoid about getting penalised at the breakdown within kickable range in their own half. They have followed a similar blueprint for much of the season but rarely to such a stark extent. Edinburgh played virtually all of the rugby, enjoyed most of the territory and, almost inevitably, lost. Mournful atmosphere, dire rugby ... it was not much of an advertisement for a vibrant professional sport.

All of which reflects the game's increasing dilemma. Can it afford to end up like soccer where a wealthy elite dominate Europe and the rest scrape a living any way they can? This polarisation of resources and player movement is happening at Test level, too, with the consequent knock-on effects in terms of the competitiveness of certain nations. How can Edinburgh, or Calvisano, hope to compete with Stade Francais? And if they can't, what does that do for the Heineken Cup's collective appeal? The loyal title sponsors have just signed up for another four seasons, which will extend their backing to a remarkable 18 years. It will be interesting to see whether the existing 24-team format remains unchanged. Many more results like Ospreys 68-8 Treviso and pressure is bound to increase. My guess is that the structure will have to be amended in the not-too-distant future to reflect the harsher financial climate.

You can also bet that talk of a franchise system in England will resurface. That way, as in the NFL or AFL, the health of the tournament or league becomes the priority. Clubs will still have to provide financial guarantees but their health will become a collective issue. A draft system? It might just suit the RFU to have young English players spread out more evenly across the country instead of kicking in their heels at the academies of the better-resourced clubs. It could be argued that London Irish, currently top of the Premiership table, are flying the flag for smaller teams. In some respects they are but along the way they have had to mothball their reserve team. Is that progress? I tend to agree with Eddie Jones that an age-group competition — say U-23 with six over-age players permitted in the 22 — would develop English youth more effectively than endless stints on the replacements' bench.

Not everything in the garden, in short, is as rosy as it may have looked in Paris last weekend. Do not be entirely fooled, either, when Harlequins — as they fully expect to do — set a new league record by filling the 50,000 available seats at a reduced-capacity Twickenham when Leicester visit on December 27. Quins' pricing strategy is perfect for the occasion — £10 for adults, £5 for kids — but some of their rivals have much ground to make up. Even Gloucester have announced reduced ticket prices in a bid to increase crowds at Kingsholm. Do not be remotely surprised if Wasps feel compelled to adopt a more free-wheeling style for their European game against Leinster at Twickenham in January. Kicking the pimples off the ball might win you the odd game but it doesn't put bums on seats. That did not matter much a year or two ago but it does now.

-Robert Kitson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/09/rugby-union-heineken-cup-jonny-wilkinson




He's got a point but one that's been bleedingly obvious in Ireland for a long time.


I'm thinking, with regards to Connacht, there should be a draft every year with the lowest placed Irish Magners League team getting the first one or two picks.

The disparity has gotten ridiculous between Munster/Leinster and Connacht. Ulster are only just turning it back around again but they haven't won anything in almost 10 years.


More guys on the fringes on the fringes of Munster/Leinster need to be going out to Connacht. There is defintiely the makings of 4th team in Ireland considering some of the players we have in the UK - Neil Best, Eoin Reddan, Bob Casey, Geordan Murphy, Jeremy Staunton, Tommy Bowe and i know i am leaving out a few aswell. How do you sell the West of Ireland/Connacht to anyone though is beyond me.

[HappyMonday83]

He's got a point but one that's been bleedingly obvious in Ireland for a long time.


I'm thinking, with regards to Connacht, there should be a draft every year with the lowest placed Irish Magners League team getting the first one or two picks.

The disparity has gotten ridiculous between Munster/Leinster and Connacht. Ulster are only just turning it back around again but they haven't won anything in almost 10 years.

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

[Eoin]

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

Yep, plenty of lads sitting in the reserves in the other 3 provinces that, given the chance at connaught, could develop a lot faster into top level players.

[Proinsias]

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

The counter argument is that you only become the best by training with, learning from and trying to beat the best, day in, day out. Hence, it's better to be 2nd choice in a n excellent team than first choice in a crap team.

It might be why so many Munster reserves get on the national team and nobody from Connacht does...

[KolaKubes]

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

Bit like Arsenal you mean?

[HappyMonday83]

Yep, plenty of lads sitting in the reserves in the other 3 provinces that, given the chance at connaught, could develop a lot faster into top level players.

As it stands young players are left to rot on the bench. As a result the irish team is found wanting for depth in a few positions.

[raZor]

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

I've being saying similar, I also would advocate the loaning of players such as young props to a South African club to give them further experience.

Edinburgh playing at Murrayfield is a bit stupid in fairness but I don't think there's any other stadium that would suit unless they look into using one of the football grounds.

[HappyMonday83]

The counter argument is that you only become the best by training with, learning from and trying to beat the best, day in, day out. Hence, it's better to be 2nd choice in a n excellent team than first choice in a crap team.

It might be why so many Munster reserves get on the national team and nobody from Connacht does...

There's no substitute for playing matches, you know that. If connacht had all the best young players they wouldn't be a half bad team. They would certainly be a better team than they are now.

[raZor]

It would also provide them with a platform to launch a sustained attack to get into HEC.

[Proinsias]

There's no substitute for playing matches, you know that. If connacht had all the best young players they wouldn't be a half bad team. They would certainly be a better team than they are now.

I agree.

There are a good few players on the Munster panel that should be at Connacht, however fringe players like Donnacha Ryan and Buckley are now international players, I dunno if they would have gotten to that level playing with Connacht.

[HappyMonday83]

I agree.

There are a good few players on the Munster panel that should be at Connacht, however fringe players like Donnacha Ryan and Buckley are now international players, I dunno if they would have gotten to that level playing with Connacht.

They probably would have gotten there sooner had they been playing for connacht. Both Ryan and Buckley have only come into the fold lately, they could have been farmed out to connacht 5 or 6 years ago. Had that happened both would be further down the line development wise. As it stands they have a lot to learn before they'll cut it at international level.

[i_didnt_do_nawtin]

The GAA might have something to say about the spread of rugger to Connaught

[Proinsias]

The GAA might have something to say about the spread of rugger to Connaught

Indeed.

Connachtshire?

[Proinsias]

The GAA might have something to say about the spread of rugger to Connaught
Connachting-on-sea?

[HappyMonday83]

What about the Connacht devils?

Cromwell would approve.

[Redshirter]

I've been saying it for years, connacht should be used as a feeder club for young irish players. All the best prospects for irish rugby should be loaned out to connacht until they are ready for first team rugby for the other three. Under the current system connacht are holding on by their fingernails, by making them a feeder club you turn what is the "also ran" or irish rugby into arguably the most important team in the country.

Yes good idea alright but how would the Connacht supporters feel if all their players were from Munster , Leinster , and Ulster and werre just not good enough for those teams

[rockyoc]

I'm with HM83 on this one. I think if players like Ryan and Buckley had been sent to Connacht (excuse the pun) at the age of 21/22 then they could really have pushed on. I've not seen a lot of Connacht this year but I hear that Keatley is starting to come on as a player, vital for Ireland in my opinion.

Potentially a loan system would be a good way to go? With Connacht as a feeder team the other 3 could lend some of their more promising youngsters to get the experience. Should Munster, Leinster or Ulster then need them back because of injuries etc then they can send another player out instead.

[HappyMonday83]

Yes good idea alright but how would the Connacht supporters feel if all their players were from Munster , Leinster , and Ulster and werre just not good enough for those teams

I'm sure all 20 of them would get over it.

[Rebelred]

Yes good idea alright but how would the Connacht supporters feel if all their players were from Munster , Leinster , and Ulster and werre just not good enough for those teams

doesn't seem to bother Munstershire fans too much , they even let their foreigners do the odd haka

[captainshamrock]

Connacht needs to be a training team in the magners league. Any player of potential who hits 21 but can't get regular games due to an international in his position should be farmed out for 2 or 3 seasons. Flannery was one in particular who did ok out of spending some time there. Hopefully Keatley will be back to Leinster next season and it's obvious he's a better player already than Sexton who has been 2nd or 3rd choice. Any success they have will transfer into attendences which will lead to money and success.
If necessary the 3 other provinces need to give a subsidy on top of what the IRFU give them. Look at the forwards for munster in the NZ game. If they had being playing against the Ospreys and Leinster for Connacht the last 3 years instead of training and holding tackling bags for the first team how much better would they be?
One other thing is for the irfu to put more effort into underage club rugby. Schools rugby especially in Leinster is the be all and end all at underage level and local clubs get some money but are really seen as the poor cousins. Then once they finish school a load of the schools players drop off but club players are be more likely to continue playing. They are also more likely to search out a new club when they move about after college.
Foreign players need to be looked at as well. 3 primary and 3 minor seems ok but when you look at the eu laws then pacific island passport holders don't get counted and it makes a mockery of it. As much as I love the HC the provinces primary function is to develop players for the Irish team and any more influx of foreigners will only make us weaker long term. A better way of doing it shouls be 6 out of 8 players in a position should be Irish when you count all the provinces.
FH fo example
ROG, Warrick
Nacewa, Sexton,
Humphreys, O'connor
keatley, ?

Contepomi and Wallace really are centres who are used occaisionally FH's.