June 2012 Tours

[Melhor Time]

Its been known for quite some time that the 2012 June (summer) tours of the European sides South of the equator are to be as follows:

England 3 matches vs RSA
France 3 matches vs Argentina
Wales 3 matches vs Australia
Ireland 3 matches vs New Zealand
Italy 1 vs Canada, 1 vs USA, 1 vs other (maybe Japan)
Scotland 1 vs Australia, 2 vs others (now confirmed).
Georgia 1 vs Canada, 1 vs USA

A very good list of matches. Hopefully Namibia and Japan can host sides too - Russia, Romania and Georgia for instance.

Now, Scotland have confirmed away matches vs Fiji and Samoa. Dates and venues yet to be announced. Last time Scotland played Samoa away from home was in 2004 with Samoa moving the match to Wellington, New Zealand. It was deemed a failure. Bad weather didn´t help encourage people to attend the match and it didn´t help Samoa play as they were crushed.

http://www.scottishrugby.org/content/view/2280/2/

Should they move the matches away from the Islands..... One thing I´d point out is I was at Argentina vs Scotland at Wellington in the World Cup where the crowd was poor. Not a good turnout at all.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Good to see Georgia getting some matches in,

I hope Russia do too

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

It's weird seeing the 4N teams all playing 3 matches against the same team. It's something different from the schedule we've seen over the last few years.

 

[Seaton]

Nevermind


I thought the Superugby break was only 3 weeks, how are Australia going to host Wales three times and us?
By gosh I hope we get to play whilst Superugby resumes, hollow or not one can never tire of beating the Aussies. :lol:

Just had a look at the dates, so the Aussie players are going to get a two/three day rest between matches, however the Reds and Force have a bye on the weekend, so we will still be up against many of their first choice

 

[TNT88]

Pocock will be playing then, unlucky

But I guess so will Quade, so maybe they will cancel each other out.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

3 matches in as many weeks against the All Blacks we're going very far down the world rankings.

 

[Seaton]

3 matches in as many weeks against the All Blacks we're going very far down the world rankings.

Silly people, when will they learn that the only way to not lose in New Zealand year after year, is to simply not play there!


Hats off to the Scottish Rugby Union, one of few things they have seemed to figure out in the last decade.

 

[nickdnz]

Great to see teams play each other three times. Bound to stop international matches becoming stale...

I'd much rather we play Russia, Samoa and then Ireland so we get to play different teams and have a steady build up to the Tri Nations, rather than a three match series against Ireland, in which the public of New Zealand will start to lose interest unless Ireland win a match.

 

[big ginger 8]

3 matches in as many weeks against the All Blacks we're going very far down the world rankings.

Nah this tour has to represent one of our best chances at ever beating N.Z.. Relinquishing their hold on us.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

So what do you guys prefer?


1. A test series like these in which a team plays 3 matches against the same opponent?
2. Playing several teams every year


The first has the upside that you look forward to playing countries because you haven't in a couple of years
The second has the upside of playing several teams and avoid fans losing interest

 

[nickdnz]

Nah this tour has to represent one of our best chances at ever beating N.Z.. Relinquishing their hold on us.

Well, a three test series does provide plenty of chances to beat the All Blacks.

Still not sure I like their chances, especially with Dan Carter returning from injury and most of the players who will play are in their prime.

So what do you guys prefer?


1. A test series like these in which a team plays 3 matches against the same opponent?
2. Playing several teams every year


The first has the upside that you look forward to playing countries because you haven't in a couple of years
The second has the upside of playing several teams and avoid fans losing interest

The former. A three test series is great if you haven't played the team in several years, but we played Ireland twice in 2010 and twice in 2008. I think there does need to be more matches against tier 2/3 teams, just to mix it up a bit and keep smaller teams developing.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The only reason I can think of an Ireland win is because it will be players like O'Driscoll, O'Connell and possibly O'Gara and Bests last chance to beat them.

 

[Peat]

The only reason I can think of an Ireland win is because it will be players like O'Driscoll, O'Connell and possibly O'Gara and Bests last chance to beat them.

I was about to pooh-pooh this, then remembered that with the new schedule is almost definitley is. Does put a different spin on things.

 

[cardassian]

I like the three match series.
I remember when in 1990 Scotland toured NZ (only 2 matches though) the first game we won comfortably, but they bounced back in the 2nd and we only just scrapped a win.
I think it gives teams a chance to adjust after playing the other team and to go in with a different game plan and can cause real close results/ upsets.
Good luck to Ireland when we play, could be history in the making

 

[big ginger 8]

We should target the first game as hopefully the N.Z. players will be rusty. I kno this kinda backfired in 2010 but we'll see. Am guessing N.Z. will rest players for at least one match.

Also cmac Best despite lucking about 40 won't even be 30 by the time of the tour..

 

[nato]

I like the way we get to play the all blacks but i would have settled for two matches and then one match against another SH side, just to mix it up a bit.

 

[Seaton]

It would vary from team to team. As noted, I for one would be aghast at a self-inflicted 3 week long period of torture Scotland would have to endure should we tour one of the current Tri-Nations teams for so long.

Everyone says playing against better teams will improve the quality of your team. Its relative. We take continuous thrashing, and our already limited viewer base starts to shrink, and the players that supposedly have improved retire, and there is thus no-one to replace them, as people have given up watching them.

I imagine for other countries where the support base is still growing or has a solid footing this approach is attractive, however we have already admittedly more than met our match in the 6 Nations, and wouldn't stand a chance winning a game against one of the tri-nations teams in a proper tour. Realistically we have a chance next year if the Wallabies rest a number of their players, but even if they rested their regulars and only played debutants, I still wouldn't be surprised if we got pummeled.

 

[Nielsch]

Good to see Georgia getting some matches in,

I hope Russia do too

I think Georgia would benefit more if they'd play a 6N country like Italy or Scotland instead of playing against Canada and the USA. The national stadium in Tblisi would probably sell out too.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Very true, however the logistics of it wouldn't work out as the 6N teams are touring for *however many weeks* on the other side of the world
Perhaps/hopefully we'll see Georgia involved more in the AI's from next year

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I can't remember what the IRB directive on touring was, but I hope that 3-test tours aren't going to become the norm. Whilst they're nice every once in a while (The Lions, for example) I'd rather play all the Quad-Nations side every year than Austrailia three times one year, SA thrice the next and the All Blacks triple the times we really have to the year after. We're already playing the Wallabies in December, having played the last month. And they're bound to be in next years' Autumn Fixtures. Six times in a year against one opponent is too many. (Unless it's the current England team. I'd never get tired of beating them.)